With fatal heat impetuous courage glows, For growing names the weekly scribbler lies, To growing wealth the dedicator flies ; 2 But, scarce observ'd, the knowing and the And, smok'd in kitchens, or in auctions sold, Let hist'ry tell where rival kings command, Thro' Freedom's sons no more remonstrance rings, In full-flown dignity, see Wolsey stand, Law in his voice, and fortune in his hand : Walks the wild heath and sings his toil away. To him the church, the realm, their pow'rs Does envy seize thee? crush th' upbraiding joy, consigo, Turn'd by his ood the stream of honour flows, Yet 3 still one gen'ral cry the skies assails, Till conquest unresisted ceas'd to please, Mark the keen glance, and watch thesign to hate. Where-e'er he turns, he meets a stranger's eye, The liv'ried army, and the menial lord. repine, [thine ? For, why did Wolsey, near the steeps of fate, Such was the scorn that fill'd the sage's mind, What murder'd Wentworth, and what exil'd Hyde, How just that scorn ere yet thy voice declare, By kings protected, and to kings ally'd ? Search ev'ry state, and cauvass ev'ry pray'r. | What but their wish indulg'd in courts to shine, s Unnumber'd suppliants crowd Preferment's | And pow'r too great to keep, or to resign? gate, 7 When first the college rolls receive his vame, Athirst for wealth, and burning to be great, The young enthusiast quits his ease for faine ; Delusive Fortune hears th' incessant call, Resistless burns tbe fever of renown, O'er Bodley's dome his future labours spread, 2 Ver. 12—22. 3 Ver. 23.-27. Ver. 25-55. Ver. 108–113. 7 Ver. 114–132. 3 There is a tradition, that the study of friar Yet should thy soul indulge the gen'rous heat On Moscow's walls till Gothic standards fy, And nations on his eye suspeoded wait; And Winter barricades the realms of Frost; Should tempting Novelty thy cell refrain, He comes, nor want por cold his course delay; And Sloth effuse her opiate fumes in vain ; Hide, blushing Glory, hide Pultowa's day : Should Beauty blunt op tops her fatal dart, The vanquish'd hero leaves his broken bands, Nor claim the triumph of a letter'd heart; And shows his miseries in distant lands; Should no disease thy torpid veins invade, Condemn'd a needy sapplicant to wait, Nor Melancholy's phantoms haunt thy shade; While ladies interpose, and slaves debate. Yet hope not life from grief or danger free, But did not Chance at length ber erroar mend ? Nor think the doom of man revers'd for thee: Did no subverted empire mark his end? Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, Did rival monarchs give the fatal wound? And pause awhile from letters to be wise ; Or bostile millions press him to the ground? There mark what ills the scholar's life assail, His fall was destin'd to a barren strand, Toil, envy, want, the patron, and the jail. A petty fortress, and a dubious hand; See nations, slowly wise and meanly just, He left the name, at which the world grew pale, To buried merit raise the tardy bust. To point a moral, or adorn a tale. If dreams yet fatter, once again attend, 12 All times their scenes of pompous roes afford, Hear Lydiat's life, and Galileu's end 9. (stows, From Persia's tyrant to Bavaria's lord. Nor deem, when Learning her last prize be In gav hostility and barb'rous pride, The glitt'ring eminence exempt from foes ; With half mankind embattled at his side, Sec, when the vulgar 'scapes, despis'd or aw'd, Great Xerxes comes to seize the certain prey, Rebellion's vengeful talons seize on Laud. And starres exhausted regions in his way ; From meaner minds, though smaller fines content Attendant Flatt'ry counts his myriads o'er, The plunder'd palace, or sequester'd rent: Till counted myriads sooth his pride no inure ; Mark'd out by dang'rous parts, he meets the shock, Fresh praise is try'd till madness fires his mind, And fatal Learning leads him to the block: The waves he lasbes, and enchains the wind, Around his tomb let Art and Genius weep, New pow'rs are claim'd, new pow'rs are still But hear his death, ye blockheads, hearand sleep. bestow'd, lo 'The festal blazes, the triumphal show, Till rude resistance lops the spreading god; The ravish'd standard, and the captive foe, The daring Greeks deride the martial show, The senate's thanks, the Gazette's pompous tale, I And heap their valleys with the gaudy foe; With force resistless o'er the brave prevail. Th'insulted sea with humbler thought he gains, Such bribes tbe rapid Greek o'er Asia whirl'd, A single skitl to speed his fight remains; For such the steady Roman shook the world ; Th' encumber'd oar scarce leaves the dreaded For such in distant lands the Britons shine, coast And siain with blood the Danube or the Rhine ; p Through purple billows and a boating host. This pow'r bas praise, that virtue scarce can The bold Bavarian, in a luckless hour, warm Tries the dread summits of Cesarean pox'r, Till fame supplies the universal charm. With unexpected legions bursts away, Yet reason frowns ou war's unequal game, And sees detenceless realms receive his sway: Where wasted nations raise a single name: [gret, Short sway! fair Austria spreads her mourofuł And mortgag'd states their grandsires' wreathsre. charms, From age to age in everlasting debt; (vey The queen, the beauty, sets the world in arms; Wreaths which at last the dear-bought right con From hill to bill the beacon's rousing blaze To rust on medals, or on stones decay. Spreads wide the hope of plunder and of praise; 1 On what foundation stands the warrior's The fierce Croatian, and the wild Hussar, pride, With all the sons of ravage crowd the war; How just his hopes, let Swedish Charles decide; The baffled prince, in honour's flatt’ring bloom A frame of adamant, a soul of tire, Of hasty greatness, finds the fatal doom; No dangers fright him, and no labours tire; His foes derision, and his subjects blame, O'er love, o'er tear, extends his wide domain, Aud steals to death from anguish and from Unconquer'd lord of pleasure and of pain; shame. No joys to him pacific sceptres yield, 13 “ Enlarge my life with multitude of days!” War sounds the trump, he rushes to the field ; . | In health, in sickness, thus the suppliant prass : Behold surrounding kings their pow'rs combine, Hides from himself its state, and shuns to know, And one capitulate, and one resign; [in vain ; | That life protracted is protracted woe. Peace couris bis hand, but spreads her cbarms Time hovers o'er, innpatient to destroy, “ 'Think nothing gain'd,” he cries, “ till wought And shuts up all the passages of joy: remain, In vain their gifts the bounteous seasons pour, The fruit autumnal, and the vernal flow'r; Bacon, built on ar arch over the bridge, will | With listless eyes the dotard views the store, fall when a man greater than Bacon shall pass | He views, and wonders that they please no under it. To prevent so shocking an accident more; it was pulled down many years sivce. 9 See Geut. Mag. rol. Ixviii. p. 951. 10:27. 12 Ver. 168–187. 13 Ver. 188-288. do Ver. 133-140. di Ver. 147-167. Now pall the tasteless meats, and joyless wines, | What care, what rules, your heedless charms And Luxury with sighs her slave resigns, shall save, (slave? Approach, ye minstrels, try the soothing strain, Each nymph your rival, and each youth your Diffuse the tuneful lenitives of pain : Against your fame with fondness hate combines, No sounds, alas! would touch th' impervious | The rival batters, and the lover mines. ear, (near; | With distant voice neglected Virtue calls, Though dancing mountains witness'd Orpheus Less heard and less, the faint remonstrance falls ; Nor lute nor lyre his feeble pow'rs attend, Tir'd with contempt, she quits the slipp'ry reign, Nor sweeter music of a virtuous friend; And Pride and Prudence take her seat in vain. But everlasting dictates crowd his tongue, In crowd at once, where none the pass defend, Perversely grave, or positively wrong. The harmless freedom, and the private friend. The still returning tale, and ling'ring jest, The guardians yield, by force superior ply'd: Perplex the fawning niece and pamper'd guest, To lot'rest, P'rudence; and to Flatt’ry, Pride, While growing hopes scarce awe the gath'ring | Here Beauty falls betray'd, despis'd, distress'd, sneer, And bissing Infamy proclaims the rest. And scarce a legacy can bribe to hear; 15 Where then shall Hope and Fear their ob. The watchful guests still bint the last offence; jects find? The daughter's petulance, the son's expense, Must dull suspence corrupt the stagnant mind? linprove his heady rage with treach'rous skill, Must helpless man, in ignorance sedate, And mould his passions till they make his will. Roll darkling down the torrent of his fate? Unnumber'd maladies his joints invade, Must no dislike alarm, no wishes rise, Lay siege to life, and pre-s the dire blockade; No cries invoke the mercies of the skies? But unextinguish'd arrice still remains, Inquirer, cease; petitions yet remain And dreaded losses aggravate his pains; Which Heav'n may hear, nor deem religion vain. He turns, with anxious heart and crippled hands, Still raise for good the supplicating voice, His bonds of debt, and mortgages of lands; But leave to Heav'n the measure and the choice, Or views bis coffers with suspicious eyes, Safe jn bis pow'r, whose eyes discern afar But grant, the virtues of a temp'rate prime Implore his aid, in his decisions rest, Yet, when the sense of sacred presence fires, And strong devotion to the skies aspires, Whose peaceful day benevolence endears, Pour forth thy fervours for a healthful mind, Whose night congratulating conscience cheers; Obedient passions, and a will resign'd; The gen'ral fav'rite as the gen'ral friend : For lore, which scarce collective man can fill; Such age there is, and who shall wish its end? For patience, sov'reign o'er transinuted ill; Yet ev'n on this her load Misfortune Alings, For faith, that, panting for a happier seat, To press the weary minutes' Magging wings; Counts death kind Nature's signal of retreat: New sorrow rises as the day returns, These goods for man the laws of Heav'n ordain, A sister sickens, or a daughter mourns. These goods he grants, who grants the pow'r to Nuw kindred Merit fills the sable bier, gain; Now lacerated Friendship claims a tear; With these celestial Wisdom calms the mind, Year chases year, decay pursues decay, And makes the happiness she does not find. PROLOGUE, SPUKEN BY MR. GARRICX, AT THE OPENING OF THE THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY By Solon caution’d to regard his end, (scend, LANE, 1747. When Learning's triumph v'er her barb'rous foes From Marlb'rough's eyes the streams of dotage (rose; | First rear'd the stage, immortal Shakspeare flow, And Swifc expires a driv'ler and a show. Each change of many colour'd life he drew, 1 The teeming mother, anxious for her race, Exhausted worlds, and then imagin'd new: Begs for each birth the fortune of a face; Existence saw him spurn her bounded reign, Yet Vane could tell what ills from beauty spring; And panting Time toild after him in vain. And Sedley curs'd the form that pleas'd a king. His pow'rful strokes presiding Truth impress'd, Ye nymphs of rosy lips and radiant eyes, And unresisted Passion storm'd the breast. Then Jonson came, instructed from the Whorn pleasure keeps too busy to be wise ; school, · Whom joys with soft varieties invite, By day the frolic, and the dance by night; To please in method, and invent by rule; Who frown with vanity, who smile with art, His studious patience and laborious art, And ask the latest fashion of the heart; By regular approach assail'd the heart; 14 Ver. 289—345. 15 Ver. 346-366. VOL. XVI. PP Cold Approbation gave the ling'ring bays, From grov'ling business and superfluous care, For those, who durst not censure, scarce could | Ye sons of Avarice, a moment spare! praise. Vot'ries of Fame, and worshippers of Power, A mortal born, be met the gen'ral doom, Dismiss the pleasing phantoms for an hour! But left, like Egypt's kings, a lasting tomb. Our daring bard, with spirit unconfin'd, The wits of Charles found easier ways to fame, | Spreads wide the mighty moral for mankind. Nor wish'd for Jooson's art, or Shakspeare's Learn bere bow Heav'n supports the virtuous flame. mind, (sign'd, Themselves they studied, as they felt they writ; Daring, though calm; and vig'rous, though reIntrigue was plot, obscenity was wit. Learn here, what anguish racks the guilty breast, Vice always found a sympathetic friend; In pow'r dependent, in success deprest. They pleas'd their age, and did not aim to mend. | Learn here that peace from innocence must for; Yet bards like these aspir'd to lasting praise, | All else is empty sound and idle show. And proudly hop'd to pimp in future days. If truths like these with pleasing language Their cause was gen'ral, their supports were join : strong, [long : Ennobled, yet unchang'd, if Nature shine ; Their slaves were willing, and their reign was If no wild draught depart from reason's rules, Till Shame regaind the post that Sense betray'd Nor gods his heroes, nor his lovers fools: And Virtue callid Oblivion to her aid. Intriguing wits! bis artless plot forgive ; Then, crush'd by rules, and weakend as re And spare him, beauties! though his lovers lire. fin'd, Be this at least his praise, be this his pride; For years the pow'r of Tragedy declin'd; To force applause no modern arts are try'd. From bard to bard the frigid caution crept, Should partial cat-calls all his hopes confound, Till Declamation roar'd whilst Passion slept; He bids no trumpet quell the fatal sound. Yet still did Virtue deign the stage to tread, Should welcome sleep relieve the weary sit, l'hilosophy remain'd, though Nature fled. He rolls no thunders o'er the drowsy pit. But forc'd, at length, her antient reign to quit, No snares to captivate the judgment spreads, She saw great Faustus lay the ghost of Wit; Nor bribes your eyes to prejudice your beads. Exulting Folly hail'd the joyful day, Unmov'd thongh witlings sneer and rivals rail; And Pantomime and Song copfinn'd her sway. Studious to please, yet not asham'd to fail. But who the coming changes can presage, He scorns the meek address, the suppliant strais, And mark the future periods of the stage? With merit needless, and without it vain. Perhaps, if skill could distant times explore, In reason, nature, truth, be dares to trust : New Bebns, new Durfeys, yet remain in store; Ye fops, be silent: and ye wiis, be just ! Perhaps where Lear has rav'd, and Hamlet dy'd, On ilving cars new sorcerers may ride: Perhaps (for who can guess th'effects of chance?) PERSONS OP TUE DRAMA. MEX. MANOMET, emperor of the Turks, Mr. Barry. With ev'ry meteor of caprice must play, CALI BASSA, first visier, Mr. Berry. And chase the new-blown bubbles of the day. MUSTAPUA, a Turkish aga, Mr. Sorden. Ah! let not Censure term our fate our choice, ABDALLA, an officer, Mr. Havari. The stage but echoes back the public voice; HASAN, 7 . otsing S Mr. Usher. CARAZA, The drama's laws, the drama's patrons give, Mr. Busta. For we that live to please, must please to live. DEMETRIUS, Greek noblemen, Mr. Garrick Then prompt no more the follies you decry, Mr. Blakes MURZA, As tyrants doom their tools of guilt to die; an eunuch. Mr. King 'Tis yours, this night, to bid the reigu com WOMEN. Attendants on Irene. Аст'І. SCENE I. DEMEIRIUS AND LEONTIUS, in Turkish habits. LEONTIUS, Axp is it thus Demetrius meets his friend, Hid in the mean disguise of Turkish robes, And vent our sutf'rings in clandestine groans? "Hunt, a famons boxer on the stage; Malo DEMETRIUS. met, a rope-dancer, who had exhibited at Co- Til breathless fury rested from destruction, vent-Garden theatre the winter before, said to These groans were fatal, these disguises vain ; be a Turk. But now our Turkish conquerors have que cad LEONTIUS, Aspasia, Greek ladies, 3 Mrs.Pritchari. Their rage, and pall'd their appetite of murder; Each night, protected by the friendly darkness, And, weeping, kiss the venerable ruins: With silent pangs I view the tow'ring domes, LEONTIUS. Sacred to pray'r; and wander through the Yet Greece enjoys no gleam of transient hope, * streets, No soothing interval of peaceful sorrow; | Where commerce lavish'd unexhausted plenty, The lust of gold succeeds the rage of conquest, And jollity maintaiu'd eternal revels.The lust of gold, unfeeling and remorseless, DEMETRIUS. The last corruption of degenerate man! Urg'd by th' imperious soldier's fierce command, --How chang’d, alas! ---Now ghastly desolation The groaning Greeks break up their golden ca. | In triuinph sits upon our shatter'd spires; verns [envy, Now superstition, ignorance, and errour, Pregnant with stores that India's mines might Usurp oor uenrples, and profare our altars. Th’aceumulated wealth of toiling ages. LEONTIUS. From ev'ry palace bursts a mingled clainour, | Arose to Heav'n, and pierc'd my bleeding breast, Had rang'd embattled nations at our gates! | I felt thy pains, and trembled for Aspasia. But, thus reserv'd to lure the wolves of Turkey, DEMETRIUS. Aspasia! spare that lov'd, that mournful name : Her own neglected in the public safety, Dear hapless maid-tempestuous grief o'erbears | My reasoning pow'rs-Dear, hapless, lost AsLEONTIUS. pasia! Reproach not misery.-The sons of Greece, LEONTIUS. Suspend the thought. DEMETRIUS. spreads All thought ou her is madness; The clouds, a signal of impending show'rs Yet let me think- see the helpless maid, To warn the wand'ring linnet to the shade, Behold the monsters gaze with savage rapture, Beheld without concern expiring Greece, Behold how lust and rapine struggle round her! And not one prodigy foretold our fate. LEONTIUS. Awake, Demetrius, from this dismal dream, A thousand horrid prodigies foretold it. Sink not beneath imaginary sorrows; A feeble government, eluded laws, Call to your aid your courage and your wisdom; A factious populace, luxurious nobles, Think on the sudden change of human scenes; And all the maladies of sinking states. Think on the various accidents of war; When public villany, too strong for justice, "Think on the mighty power of awful virtue; Shows bis bold front, the harbinger of ruin, Think on that Providence that guards the good.. Can brave Leontius call for airy wonders, DEMETRIUS. Which cheats interpret, and which fools regard? When some neglected fabric nods beneath O Providence! extend thy care to me, The weight of years, and totters to the tempest, For courage droops unequal to the combat, Must Heav'n dispatch the messengers of light, And weak philosophy denies her succours. Or wake the dead, to warn us of its fall? Sure some kind sabre in the heat of battle, Ere yet the foe found leisure to be cruel, Dismiss'd her to the sky. LEONTIUS. Some virgin-martyr, Conducts their armies, and asserts their cause. Perhaps, enamourd of resembling virtue, With gentie hand restrain'u the streams of life, DEMETRIUS. And snatch'd her timely from her country's fate. And yet, my friend, what miracles were wrought DEMETRIUS. | From those bright regions of eternal day, Did roaring whirlwinds sweep us from the ram W'bere now thou shin'st among thy fellow-saints, parts? Leontius, | Array'd in purer light, look down on me : 'Twas vice that shook our nerves, 'twas vice, | In pleasing visions and assuasive dreams, That froze our veins, and wither'd all our pow'rs. O! sooth iny soul, and teach me how to lose thee.. LEONTIUS. LEOXTIUS. Whate'er our crimes, our woes demand com- | Enough of anavailing tears, Demetrius : passion, I came obedient to thy friendly summons, |