TO MISS W.

WITH MY PICTURE,

THOU child of painting's mimic pencil go,

A well known face to dear Alicia shew,
And could thy lips by magic influence move,
Thou should'st declare my cordial friendly love.
Tho' not encircled with the diamond's blaze,
The glowing ruby, or the em'rald's rays,

I know to souls like her's, a faithful friend
Does all luxurious grandeur's gems transcend,
And she the humble gift will fondly prize,
That holds a friend's resemblance to her eyes.
Oh! may it call our social hours to mind,
Revive each pleasing trace they left behind;
While faithful images of past delight,

Rise in succession to her mental sight;

Our

Our winter ev'nings rational, and gay,

Which converse, books, so sweetly stole away;
When fair historic Truth enlarg❜d our views,
Or tun'd to rapture by the heav'nly muse,
We tasted pleasures only friendship knows,
Beyond whate'er from dissipation flows.

And sure my friend's affection will suggest,
The same fond ardent wish which warms my breast,

That we may shortly meet, and Friendship's pow'r
Again lend downy wings to many an hour.

yet I have endeavoured occasionally to supply the want of his cherishing beams, by working up my poetical fervor to an unusual glow; from thinking, whatever other people may imagine, that I have by fits and starts, a tolerable good knack at versifying, and possess some small share of poetic fire.

I shall incorporate Mrs. Day's poetry with her Husband's, by numbering the pages as if it were a continuation of his, (though all Mr. Day's detached pieces of poetry worth publishing I have now printed,) because, as in life their whole souls were wrapped up in each other, I think it congenial with their mutual ardent affection, that their minds embodied, as it were, by printing their poetry, should appear united upon paper; and I am sure, if their departed spirits could see what was doing here below, and had no objection to my printing a few of their poetical blossoms, they would approve of such an union.

It was from the extraordinary similarity in their taste, disposition, and understanding, from their hearts and minds being so exactly in unison, that I have not written

an

an epitaph or memento of Mrs. Day's death, and not from want of poetic inspiration, or zealous affection; I considered an epitaph on her, would be only an enumeration of similar virtuous qualities with those of her deceased Husband, and therefore, though her death was as heartfelt, irreparable a loss to her friends as her flusband's to his, I did not give way to the impulse of grief by writing one, supposing what I had said of Mr. Day's mind and disposition in my epitaph upon him, would apply as much to his surviving wife, as to himself, touching all those excellent and great mental qualifica tions, which may be alike possessed by either sex. I have therefore always considered my verses on Mr. Day's death, in some measure as applicable to both.

The pleasing simplicity which prevails through Mrs. Day's poetry, whatever its poetical merits may be, is an exact and faithful representation of the genuine goodness of her heart, and the unaffected simplicity of her manners, as all who had the pleasure of knowing her will acknowledge; which characteristic occasioned her an unusual number of sincere female friends, ardent in their friendship to her, as the sun at noon-day. Her piety

D 2

piety too, which forms so distinguishing a feature in almost all her juvenile productions, appears as ardent as their friendship: Dorado

That her friendship kept pace with that of her friends, and throbbed with as strong and quick pulses, I am thoroughly convinced of from my own experience.