26" My father lived beside the Tyne, And all his wealth was mark'd as mine, 27"To win me from his tender arms, Who praised me for imputed charms, 28 "Each hour a mercenary crowd 29 "In humble, simplest habit clad, 30 "And when, beside me in the dale, His breath lent fragrance to the gale, 31 "The blossom opening to the day, 32"The dew, the blossoms of the tree, Their charms were his, but, woe to me! 33 "For still I tried each fickle art, Importunate and vain ; And, while his passion touch'd my heart, 34 "Till, quite dejected with my scorn, 35"But mine the sorrow, mine the fault, 36 "And there, forlorn, despairing, hid, 37 "Forbid it, Heaven!" the Hermit cried, And clasp'd her to his breast: The wondering fair one turn'd to chide,'Twas Edwin's self that prest! 38 "Turn, Angelina, ever dear, 39" Thus let me hold thee to my heart, And shall we never, never part, 40 "No, never from this hour to part, The sigh that rends thy constant heart THE HAUNCH OF VENISON: A POETICAL EPISTLE TO LORD CLARE. THANKS, my lord, for your venison, for finer or fatter The fat was so white, and the lean was so ruddy; Though my stomach was sharp, I could scarce help regretting I had thoughts, in my chamber to place it in view, But, my lord, it's no bounce: I protest, in my turn, Mr Burn:' Lord Clare's nephew. 10 20 C So I cut it, and sent it to Reynolds undrest, To paint it or eat it, just as he liked best. Of the neck and the breast I had next to dispose : With the how, and the who, and the where, and the when. I think they love venison-I know they love beef. Such dainties to them their health it might hurt, 30 An acquaintance, a friend, as he call'd himself, enter'd; And he smiled as he look'd at the venison and me. Why, whose should it be?" cried I, with a flounce : "I get these things often "—but that was a bounce : "Some lords, my acquaintance, that settle the nation, Are pleased to be kind-but I hate ostentation." "If that be the case, then," cried he, very gay, "I'm glad I have taken this house in my way. To-morrow you take a poor dinner with me; No words-I insist on't-precisely at three; 40 We'll have Johnson and Burke, all the wits will be there; And, now that I think on't, as I am a sinner, There's,' &c.: Howard, Coley, Hogarth, Hiff. What say you ?-a pasty; it shall, and it must, 53 No stirring-I beg-my dear friend-my dear friend!" Thus, snatching his hat, he brush'd off like the wind, And the porter and eatables follow'd behind. "1 Left alone to reflect, having emptied my shelf, And "nobody with me at sea but myself; Though I could not help thinking my gentleman hasty, Yet Johnson, and Burke, and a good venison pasty, Were things that I never disliked in my life, Though clogg'd with a coxcomb, and Kitty his wife. So next day, in due splendour to make my approach, I drove to his door in my own hackney coach. 60 71 When come to the place where we all were to dine (A chair-lumber'd closet, just twelve feet by nine), My friend bade me welcome, but struck me quite dumb, With tidings that Johnson and Burke would not come ; "For I knew it," he cried, "both eternally fail, The one with his speeches, and t'other with Thrale ; But no matter, I'll warrant we'll make up the party, With two full as clever, and ten times as hearty; The one is a Scotchman, the other a Jew; They're both of them merry, and authors like you; The one writes the Snarler, the other the Scourge; Some think he writes Cinna-he owns to Panurge." While thus he described them by trade and by name, They enter'd, and dinner was served as they came. 80 At the top a fried liver and bacon were seen; At the bottom was tripe, in a swinging tureen; At the sides there were spinach, and pudding made hot; In the middle a place where the pasty-was not. 1 See the Letters between Henry, Duke of Cumberland, and Lady Grosvenor. 12mo. 1769. |