THE CLOWN'S REPLY. JOHN TROTT was desired by two witty peers, 66 "An't please you,” quoth John, I'm not given to letters, STANZAS ON WOMAN. WHEN lovely woman stoops to folly, The only art her guilt to cover, STANZAS ON THE TAKING OF QUEBEC. AMIDST the clamour of exulting joys, Which triumph forces from the patriot heart. O WOLFE, to thee a streaming flood of woe Alive, the foe thy dreadful vigour fled, And saw thee fall with joy-pronouncing eyes; Yet they shall know thou conquerest, though dead; Since from thy tomb a thousand heroes rise. DESCRIPTION OF AN AUTHOR'S BED- WHERE the Red Lion, staring o'er the way, With beer and milk arrears the frieze was scored, SONG INTENDED TO HAVE BEEN SUNG IN THE COMEDY OF SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER.' ADAPTED TO THE IRISH AIR, 66 THE HUMOURS OF BALLY MAGUIRY." AH me! when shall I marry me? Lovers are plenty, but fail to relieve me. He, fond youth, that could carry me, But I will rally and combat the ruiner: Not a look, not a smile, shall my passion discover; She that gives all to the false one pursuing her, Makes but a penitent, and loses a lover. EPITAPH ON THOMAS PARNELL. THIS tomb, inscribed to gentle Parnell's name, More lasting rapture from his works shall rise, EPITAPH ON EDWARD PURDON.1 HERE lies poor Ned Purdon, from misery freed, He led such a damnable life in this world- AN ELEGY ON THAT GLORY OF HER SEX, MRS. MARY BLAIZE. GOOD people all, with one accord, The needy seldom pass'd her door, Who left a pledge behind. 1 Edward Purdon was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, but having wasted his patrimony, he enlisted as a foot soldier. Growing tired of that employment, he obtained his discharge, and became a ⚫cribbler in the newspapers. He translated Voltaire's Henriade. She strove the neighbourhood to please At church, in silks and satins new, Her love was sought, I do aver, By twenty beaux and more; But now her wealth and finery fled, Let us lament, in sorrow sore, For Kent-street well may say, That, had she liv'd a twelvemonth more→ A MADRIGAL. IMITATED FROM THE FRENCH OF SAINT PAVIN. WEEPING, murmuring, complaining, Fears the approaching bridal night. Yet why impair thy bright perfection? In all my Enna's beauties blest, A PROLOGUE, SPOKEN BY THE POET LABERIUS, A ROMAN KNIGHT. From the Latin, preserved by Macrobius.2 WHAT! no way left to shun th' inglorious stage, 1 J. Decimus Laberius was a Roman knight famous for his talents in writing pantomimes. Julius Cæsar compelled him to act one of his cha. racters on the stage; the poet, with great reluctance, consented, but showed his resentment during the acting of the piece, by throwing severe aspersions on Cæsar, and warning the audience against his tyranny. Laberius was sixty years old when this occurrence took place. He seems to have had no alternative left, and acted in obedience to the commands of the dictator, who wished to make the Romans forget their civil dissensions amidst the amusements of scenic exhibitions. The office of comedian was regarded at Rome as disgraceful for a freeman, above all for a knight. Laberius, in thus assuming a revolting character, addressed to the audience a justification of his conduct in this prologue, which may be regarded as one of the finest monuments of Roman literature, and makes us deeply regret the loss of his mimes. But a few fragments of his poetry remain. 2 This translation was first printed in one, of Goldsmith's earliest works, "The present State of Learning in Europe," 12mo, 1759. |