Hear the poor dæmon when the young attend,
And willing ear to vile Experience lend;
When he relates (with laughing, leering eye)
The tale licentious, mix'd with blasphemy:
No genuine gladness his narrations cause,
The frailest heart denies sincere applause;
And many a youth has turn'd him half aside,
And laugh'd aloud, the sign of shame to hide.
Blaney, no aid in his vile cause to lose,
Buys pictures, prints, and a licentious Muse;
He borrows every help from every art,
To stir the passions and mislead the heart;
But from the subject let us soon escape,
Nor give this feature all its ugly shape;
Some to their crimes, escape from satire owe,
Who shall describe what Blaney dares to show?
While thus the man, to Vice and Passion slave,
Was, with his follies, moving to the grave,
The ancient ruler of this mansion died,
And Blaney boldly for the seat applied:
Sir Denys Brand, then guardian, join'd his suit,
'Tis true,' said he, 'the fellow's quite a brute-
'A very beast; but yet with all his sin,
'He has a manner-let the Devil in.'
They half complied, they gave the wish'd retreat, But rais'd a worthier to the vacant seat.
Thus forc'd on ways unlike each former way,
Thus led to prayer without a heart to pray,
He quits the gay and rich, the young and free,
Among the badge-men with a badge to be:
He sees a humble tradesman rais'd to rule
The gray-bear pupil of this morai school;
Where he himself, an old licentious boy,
Will nothing learn, and nothing can enjoy;
In temp'rate measures he must eat and drink,
And pain of pains! must live alone and think.
In vain, by Fortune's smiles, thrice affluent made,
Still has he debts of ancient date unpaid;
Thrice into penury by Error thrown,
Not one right maxim has he made his own;
The old men shun him,some his vices hate,
And all abhor his principles and prate;
Nor love nor care for him will mortal show,
Save a frail sister in the female row.
INHABITANTS OF THE ALMS-HOUSE.
She early found herdelf mistress of herself. All she did was right : all she said was admired. Early, very early did she dismiss blushes from her cheek. She could not blush, because she could not doubt; and silence, whatever was the subject, was as much a stranger to her as diffidence.
Quo fugit Venus? heu! Quove color! decens
Quo motus? Quid habes illius, illius
Quæ spirabat amores,
Quae me surpureat mihi?
Her lively and pleasant manners.-Her reading and decision.— Her intercourse with different classes of society. Her kind of character. The favoured lover.-Her management of him: his of her. After one period Clelia with an attorney; her manner and situation there. Another such period, when her fortune still declines.-Mistress of an inn.-A widow.-Another such interval: She becomes poor and infirm, but still vain and frivolous.-The fallen vanity-Admitted into the house: meets Blaney.
INHABITANTS OF THE ALMS-HOUSE.
We had a sprightly nymph-in every town
Are some such sprights, who wander up and down;
She had her useful arts, and could contrive,
In Time's despite, to stay at twenty-five;-
"Here will I rest; move on, thou lying year,
"This is mine age, and I will rest me here."
Arch was her look, and she had pleasant ways
Your good opinion of her heart to raise;
Her speech was lively, and with ease exprest,
And well she judg'd the tempers she addrest;
If some soft stripling had her keenness felt,
She new the way to make his anger melt:
Wit was allow'd her, though but few could bring
Direct example of a witty thing;
'Twas that gay, pleasant, smart, engaging speech,
Her beaux admir'd, and just within their reach;
Not indiscreet perhaps, but yet more free
Than prudish nymphs allow their wit to be.
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