Alike the Busy and the Gay
But Alutter thro' Life's little day,

In Fortune’s varying colours drest: Brush'd by the hand of rough Mischance, Or chill’d by Age, their airy dance

They leave, in dust to rest.

Methinks I hear, in accents low,

The sportive kind reply:
Poor Moralist! and what art thou?

A solitary fly!
Thy joys no glittring female meets,
No hive hast thou of hoarded sweets,

No painted plumage to display:
On hasty wings thy youth is flown;
Thy sun is set, thy spring is gone-

We frolic while 'tis May.

ON
THE DEATH OF A FAVOURITE CAT,

DROWNED IN A TUB [2] OF GOLD FISHES.

"TWAS on a lofty vase's side,
Where China's gayest art had dy'd

The azure flowers, that blow;
Demurest of the tabby kind,
The pensive Selima, reclin'd,

Gaz'd on the lake below.

Her conscious tail her joy declar'd ;
The fair round face, the snowy beard,

The velvet of her påws,
Her coat, that with the tortoise vies,
Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes,

She saw; and purr'd applause.

Still had she gaz'd; but ʼmidst the tide Two angel forms were seen to glide [3],

The Genii of the stream: Their scaly armour's Tyrian hue Thro' richest purple to the view

Betray'd a golden gleam.

The hapless Nymph with wonder saw: A whisker first, and then a claw,

With many an ardent wish, She stretch'd, in vain, to reach the prize, What female heart can gold despise?

What Cat's averse to fish?

Presumptuous Maid! with looks intent Again she stretch'd, again she bent,

Nor knew the gulf between. (Malignant Fate sat by, and smild) The slipp’ry verge her feet beguild,

She tumbled headlong in.

[3] Var.-Two beauteous forms.

First edition in Dodsley's Misc.

Eight times emerging from the flood,
She mew'd to ev'ry wat’ry God,

Some speedy aid to send.
No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr’d:
Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heard.

A Fav'rite has no friend!

From hence, ye Beauties, undeceiv'd, Know, one false step is ne'er retriev'd,

And be with caution bold. Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes And heedless hearts is lawful prize,

Nor all that glisters gold.

ON A

DISTANT PROSPECT OF ETON COLLEGE.

"Ανθρωπος' ικανή πρόφασις εις το δυςυχέιν.

MENANDER.

[This was the first English production of Mr. Gray that appeared in

print, and was published in folio, by Dodsley, in 1747. About the same time, at Mr. Walpole's request, Mr. Gray sat for his picture to Echart; in which, on a paper which he held in his hand, Mr. Walpole wrote the title of this Ode; and to intimate his own high and just opinion of it, as a first production, he added this line of Lucan by way of motto: Nec licuit populis parvum te, Nile, videre.

Pharsalia, lib. *. l. 296.)

Y E distant spires, ye antique towers,

That crown the wat’ry glade,
Where grateful Science still adores

Her Henry's holy shade (e);
And ye, that from the stately brow
Of Windsor's heights th’expanse below

Of grove, of lawn, of mead survey,
Whose turf, whose shade, whose flowers among
Wanderš the hoary Thames along

His silver-winding way:

re) King Henry the Sixth, founder of the College.