V.

Gloomy Pluto, King of Terrors,
Arm’d in adamantine Chains,
Lead me to the Crystal Mirrors,
Wat'ring foft Elysian plains.

VI.

Mournful Cypress, verdant Willow,
Gilding my Aurelia's Brows,
Morpheus hov'ring o'er my Pillow,
Hear me pay my dying Vows.

VII.

Melancholy smooth Maander,
Swiftly purling in a Round,

On thy Margin Lovers wander,

With thy flow'ry Chaplets crown'd.

VIII.

Thus when Philomela, drooping,

Softly feeks her filent Mate, See the Bird of Juno stooping; Melody refigns to Fate.

On a certain LADY at Court.

I

Know the thing that's most uncommon;

(Envy be filent, and attend!)

I know a reasonable Woman,

Handsome and witty, yet a Friend.

Not warp'd by Paffion, aw'd by Rumour,
Not grave thro' Pride, or gay thro' Folly,
An equal Mixture of good Humour,
And sensible soft Melancholy.

"Has fhe no faults then (Envy fays) Sir?"
Yes, fhe has one, I must aver;

When all the World confpires to praise her,
The Woman's deaf, and does not hear.

On his GROTTO at Twickenham,

COMPOSED

OF

Marbles, Spars, Gemms, Ores, and

THOU

Minerals.

HOU who fhalt ftop, where Thames'
translucent wave

Shines a broad Mirror thro' the shadowy Cave;
Where ling'ring drops from min'ral Roofs distil,
And pointed Crystals break the sparkling Rill,
Unpolish'd Gemms no ray on Pride bestow,
And latent Metals innocently glow:

VARIATIONS.

After Ver. 6. in the MS.

You fee that Ifland's wealth, where, only free,
Earth to her entrails feels not Tyranny.

5

i. e. Britain is the only place on the globe which feels not Tyranny even to its very entrails. Alluding to the condemnation of Criminals to the Mines, one of the inflictions of civil justice in moft Countries. The thought was exceeding natural and proper in this place, where the Poet was describing a Grotto incrufted and adorned with all forts of Minerals collected by the means of commerce from the four quarters of the Globe.

NOTES.

On his Grotto.] The improving and finishing his Grott was the favourite amusement of his declining Years; and the beauty of his poetic genius, in the difpofition and ornaments of this romantic recefs, appears to as much advantage as in his beft contrived Poems.

And eye

Approach. Great NATURE ftudiously behold!
the Mine without a wifh for Gold.
Approach: But awful! Lo! th' Ægerian Grott, 9
Where, nobly-penfive, ST. JOHN fate and thought;
Where British fighs from dying WYNDHAM ftole,
And the bright flame was fhot thro' MARCH-
MONT'S Soul.

Let fuch, fuch only, tread this facred Floor,
Who dare to love their Country, and be

VARIATIONS.

poor.

VER. 11. Where British fighs fram dying Wyndham stole,] In his MS. it was thus,

To Wyndham's breaft the patriot paffions stole,

which made the whole allude to a certain Anecdote of not much confequence to any but the parties concerned.

NOTES.

VER. 9. Egerian Grott,] Alluding to Numa's projecting his fyftem of Politics in this Grott, affifted, as he gave out, by the Goddess Ægeria.

то

Mrs. M. B. on her BIRTH-DAY.

H be thou bleft with all that Heav'n can fend,

OF

Long Health, long Youth, long Pleasure, and a Friend:

Not with those Toys the female world admire, Riches that vex, and Vanities that tire.

With added if Life bring nothing new,

years

But like a Sieve let ev'ry bleffing thro',
Some joy still loft, as each vain year runs o'er,
And all we gain, fome fad Reflection more;
Is that a Birth-day? 'tis alas! too clear,
"Tis but the Fun'ral of the former year.

5

ΙΟ

Let Joy or Ease, let Affluence or Content, And the gay Confcience of a life well spent, Calm ev'ry thought, inspirit ev'ry grace, Glow in thy heart, and smile upon thy face. Let day improve on day, and year on year, 15 Without a Pain, a Trouble, or a Fear;