Then since we cannot idly say to Time
"Restore lost moments, or suspend our prime;"
Nor vainly bid revolving seasons stay
Their annual course, that we may not decay;
Let us this moment, which we call our own,
Sedately pause on those for ever flown;
Peruse life's various volume o'er with care,
And see how much we stand a debtor there.
Then let us pause, nor longer act like fools,
To study wisdom, yet reject its rules.
What's all philosophy, to you and me,
That does not shield us from adversity;
Or make us, if we must receive its dart,
With fortitude of temper bear the smart?
Reason and conscience tell us what to do,
Survey old tollies, and correct them too.
For what wise husbandman would sow his
seeds

In worthless ground, already chok'd with weeds?

In curing wounds, is not the surgeon's care
To amputate what may be rotten there?
Or if you build, would you the pile debase,
By choosing sand or rubbish for its base?
Then fit your mind, by innocence, to find
A firm and lasting basis for the mind:
Without it, what from books can we obtain,
But what is useless, frivolous, and vain?
Not but that books may yield a useful store,
When busy bustling days of youth are o'er.
By these, again life's checker'd map survey,
And haply meet new blossoms in our way.
Learning, like cobwebs, may be superfine,
And too oft unprofitably shine.

Should genius aid, we call it then sublime-Our taste bat yields what yet must fade by time:

Authors, like plants, for ever rise to view,
Like them they vegetate and perish too.
Something of import every bookimplies,
To vex, amuse us, or to make us wise.
Amidst the tinsel and the dress of sense,
Let us collect what's worthy permanencé.
Even these lowly rhymes perhaps produce
Something that's moral, something fit for use.
Observe the vulgar tow'ring nettle bloom,
Which neither beauty boasts, nor yields
perfume,

And yet the bee, that roving chymist, will
Some balmy essence glean, and sweet distil.
Advert to human evils-you will find
The bee resembled in a patient mind,
Which bends to ev'ry storm, and even sees
Some latent good in all calamities.
By patience we the magic wand may hold,
To metamorphose pebbles into gold:
Troubles, like insects, wing their various flight;
On all, alternate troubles will alight;
Receive them mildly, and they will not crave
A footing there, but take a hasty leave.
What roughly comes, if we but gently take,
We check the torrent, and the evil break:
Contrary-wise they always seek to dwell
With those who vex, or buffet, or repel.

While we, my friend, with Epictetus see
Kingdoms convuls'd by rigid Fate's decree,
And that all evil must be understood
As hidden seeds of universal good,

To have things as we wish, is not our care→→→
Let us be pleas'd to have 'em as they are;
However rapid Fortune's wheel may turn,
Her blanks or prizes are not our concern.
Most of the evils we impute to Fate,
We court by folly, or by vice create,
Examine truly, and it will be found
Blessings and comforts ever most abound :,
But minds diseas'd make every thing appear
(E'en real pleasures) in the shape of care.
Fortune, we find, bestows with muffled
eyes,

Her gifts on fools, as well as on the wise.
Let you and me our better fortune make,
With wealth which Fate can neither give nor
take;

Let all our passing years and efforts tend
To gain content, by making God our friend.
We must, we ought, we will while we have
pow'r,

Nor wait, like fools, beyond th' eleventh hour.
And now, my friend, in life's declining

"Come, Mem'ry, to thy victim bring The hours when life was young; When Beauty woke the tuneful string, And Hope her carols sung.

"When ELLEN, flow'r of Scotia's maids,
Adorn'd the Kirtle's side;
And breath'd her spells thro' Anan's shades,
And spread her conquests wide!

"Alas! on me those spells too soon

Prevail'd with sportive bent;
I pray'd-she half-deny'd the boon-
I kuelt-she sigh'd consent!

"But straight a jealous rival's hate
The buds of bliss destroy'd:
As Eurus bears Pomona's fate,

And leaves the orchard void.

"One luckless eve, when Cynthia's beau
Smil'd, conscious of our vows,
Th' assassm stole across the stream,
Conceal'd by pendant boughs.

"Then strove my ELLEN, first alarm'd,

My breast with her's to shade;
That breast, which savage rage had charm'd,
Receiv'd the guilty blade!

She shriek'd she fell! how pale the rose,
When life her cheek forsook!

So round the thorn the woodbine blows-
So meets the pruner's hook!

"But grief like mine complaint disdains,
While murder blasts my sight,

His heart-blood straight my faulchion stains,
Who plung'd my soul in night!

"An exile now from hope and home,
I seek the ranks of war:
For death, and not for glory roam
Alas! that friend was far!

"Here, to its goal return'd at last,
My spirit seeks its mate;
These arms shall clasp her image fast,
One grave be our's-one fate!"
Then on the stone which bore her name
He stretch'd his limbs, and dy'd.
Kirkonnel still records their flame,
Whose truth was Scotia's pride!

ODE TO HEALTH,

A Lyric in imitation of Erisna,

BY MRS. BAYLEY.

EVER welcome, ever new,

O, Accept the tutiful boon I bring;
Hygeia strings my lyre anew-
For her I sing.

A million graces round her throng,
Time's wing imbibes th' orient ray;
The Hours, transported, hail my song,
And round her play.

Hail! once again, thou darling pow'r,
To thee I vow'd my boon to bring,
Whene'er thou'dst deign a smiling hour,
My lyre to string.

Dear welcome source of sportive play,
Of blooming beauty, love, and joy,
Thy worth, transcending every lay,
Shall mine employ.

But while the voice thy favour gave,
I strain, thy peerless worth to sing,
Still o'er my little cottage wave
Thy downy wing.

Till, charm'd, the nine in triumph come,
To prompt, for thee, my votive lays;
While loud the timbrel, harp, and drum
Resound thy praise.

SIR,

IAM a bee; and as your labours, like ours,

consist in culling the sweets from every quarter, I have the more hope that you will give this a place in your excellent Magazine. I have to complain of the injury done to our nation by a modern author, who appeared last month in your poetical department. I will unfold it as soon as my passion will permit; for let me tell you, Sir, we have a good spirit, though small, and we wish our enemies to know that we have stings as well as honey. I have also to complain of injuries done to the Woodbine or Honeysuckle, an old family friend, the most grievous of which is the calling it by the name of Lonicera. I have heard the curate of the parish say, that though he has got two Latm dictionaries, he could never find the word in either of them; and that he believed in his conscience that the word was taken from Millar's dictionary, or Abercrombie. A good name, Mr. Editor-but I need not quote Shakespeare to you-is every thing; and who knows, in the end, what name he may put upon us; perhaps that of Apicu laria or Melittena: but I assure him, if he does, he shall have no pleasure either in

smelling Loniceras, or playing on the flute, et writing verses, as long as I am a bee, Omnibus umbra locis adero; dabis, improbe,

penas.

The bees, since the times of Aristotle and Virgil, as I hear from tradition, have been a well-ordered commonwealth, or rather a

mrsed government. We never meet together in crowds, excepting on great state emer gencies, such as the formation of colonies. We never assemble in a tumultuous manBer for any predatory purpose, as the following lines seem to imply-

"See bees in swarming clusters hither fly, And to their work with ferrent ardour ply."

I know that the times are replete with danger. I know that statesmen dislike crowds; and I justly fear lest some statute should confine us, together with our infant swarms, in the same live, and thus make room for some of the most terrible of Mr. Maltbus's positive checks to population. I am afraid there is some hidden meaning in the first four lines, as I am not learned enough to understand the words Flora and zephyrs; nor do I well know what is meant by" tasting odours." Now for my friend the Woodbine, whose opinion I consulted, and who promised me, as far as in him lay, "The precious treasures of the blooming spring;"

be told me, he considered his name, Woodbine, as the most expressive of all, as giving an idea of his naturally helpless state, and the means he takes to remedy it by binding himself to the wood of the first tree he meets with; but having done this, his ambition is satisfied, and he begs me to assure you from him, that he has no idea of boldly aathing to kiss the azure sky; and the highest bliss he aspires to, is to be touched by the hands and placed near the lips of the. beautiful Fanny D→→→→→. He knows not what feats are performed by the Essex honey-suckles; but as to himself, he modestly disclaims all pretensions to soothing every. care and calming every passion. Thus much with regard to a poet, who, if he would pay a little more attention to accuracy, I should not scruple to call, for his harmony and sweetness, the very bee of Duunow

The rest of my letter relates to a few observations which I heard a friend of my master say ought to be sent to the Euroropean Magazme. He says, a poet of your hive, who goes by the name of Milton, borrowed his thoughts respecting Satan's invention of cannon, from these words of another poet, who calls himself Spencer-Book 1, canto 7, stanza 13:

As when that dev'lish iron engine, wrought In deepest hell, and fram'd by furies' skill, With windy nitre and quick sulphur fraught, And ramen'd with bullet round, ordam'd to kill.

Of pearl and precious stone, that earthly tongue

Cannot describe, nor wit of man can tell
Too high a ditty for my simple song,
The city of the great king hight it well.
Wherein eternal peace and happiness doth
dwell.

He wished also that your ingenious correspondent J. N. would look over the paper in the Guardian once more. He will find that it is an ingenious irony against Philips and in favour of Pope, and that the Cornish pastoral was no doubt invented for the accasion.

APIS ĮRCASH'ENSIS.

Prepare the master of the hat to meet;
Ye who in windows peep or in the church,
Take care this time not to be left in larch:
Draw out this day, dismissing idle fears,
The Sunday finery of many years;
So shall your doors with morning calls re-
bound,

And many a card upon your rack be found 7
So shall no dinner that is giv'n be miss'd.
And many a supper crown the game of
whist;

Or else prepare, what shall your bosoms taine
To play alone the solitary game,
And in your morning dress from little sash,
Behold the triumphs of the proud Galash-
The proud Galash well formed to whisper

news,

And guard its mistress from the evening dews;

Else in the morn, some dame, with spiteful

care,

Shall call with smiles to tell you who was there;

While you, pretending illness, shall declare With gloomy face, you dread the even ag air, Else shall your sous with smarting tales regret That you the mighty master had not met.

CHORUS OF VIRGINS.

Ye moony sprites that guard the air,
See that every thing be fair,
That no breezes from the main
Dare brush the hat against the grain,

Lest the fur should parting fly,
Like corn fields when the wind is high.

CHORUS OF YOUTHS.

Ye furious winds, that with your boisterous train,

Upraise the billows of the raging main, Where icy mountains meet with dread rebound,

And distant navies tremble at the sound,
Let mossy castles, by your force o'erthrown,
Lie on the ground neglected and alone:
Ye winds that shake the pole, be thiş your
task,

Spare the three-corner'd hat, 'tis all we ask.

CHORUS OF VIRGINS.

Methinks already with a prophet's eye,
I see the hat into its corner hie,
There for months and months to lie,
Till called out by destiny.

CHORUS OF YOUTHS.

The mountains with their forests tall

Are doom'd perchance in time to fall,
And rivers glide away.

But yet dismiss each idle fear,
The hat that's used but once a year,
Shall never feel decay.

CHORUS OF VIRGINS.

Lo! the procession glides along.

Fit subject for the muses' song:

town,

times,

Stood pale spectatress of the tyrant's crimes!
By fraud deluded, or by fear oppress'd
No gen'rous feelings warm'd her torpid breast;
ENGLAND alone opposed his iron reign,
And now THE TORCH OF HONOUR beams in
Spain !

Brightly it beams-a beacon to inspire
And warm IBERIA's sons with patriot fire:
Spaniards! the noble flame through Europe
spread,

And break your fetters on your tyrant's head!
Glorious your struggle! in a glorious cause;
For wives, religion, liberties, and laws;
For all the soft endearments that can bind
And tune to harmony the human mind !
Then fire each heart, and arm each manly
hand,

To drive the Gallic bloodhounds from your land!

Your slaughter'd brethren call you to the field,

Where SPAIN shall triumph, and where GAUL shall yield:

Heroes in arms! pursue your glorious plan, And vindicate the REAL RIGHTS OF MAN, Not those proclaim'd by FRANCE, and wrote in blood,

But those, like ENGLAND's, built on PUBLIC GOOD!

"THE MIGHTY ISLAND" is your foe no more, But brings you succour from fair freedom's

shore;

And while she makes your gen'rous cause her

own,

The BLOOD-NURS'D DEMON trembles on his

throne:

MAY 9.

THE Bishop of Exeter brought in a bill, the object of which was, to render valid marriages in certain public chapels in England, without having the banns published.

10. Lord Sidmonth explained the object of his intended motions relative to the Danish ships to be declaratory of the sense of the House; that the ships detained previous to the commencement of hostilities, and which had voluntarily entered our ports, should not be considered lawful prizes; that all proceedings against them in prize courts should besuperseded; and that the practice alluded to should be declared illegal.

Lord Hawkesbury moved the second reading of the Reversion bill, to which he gave his support, as being now definite in its na

ture.

Lords Redesdale and Morton objected to the bill, as dangerous to the constitution; and Earl Moira, as being completely ineffi

cient.

It was supported by Lords Grosvenor, Holland, and Somers, and read a second time without a division.

11. Lord Hawkesbury presented a message from his majesty relative to an establishment for the Duchess of Brunswick.

The Reversion bill went through a com-2 mittee.

The Scotch Judicature bill was read a third time, and passed.

12. An address to his majesty, which was, as usual, an echo of the message, on the subject of a provision for the Duchess of Bruns wick, was unanimously agreed to. [See Com mous.]

The Reversion bill was read a third time, and passed.

13. On the second reading of the Debtors' Relief bill, Earl Moira objected to its principle, seeming, as it did, to sanction the plea that twelve months imprisonment was no more than an adequate punishment for a debt of from 101. to 201.

Lords Ellenborough, Erskine, and the Lord Chancellor, supported the bills which gave the debtor, at the expiry of that time, a right to demand his liberty.'

16. After a few words from the Lord Chancellor, who considered the bill as of importance, and from Earl Stanhope, who declared it to be the most infamous bill that had ever come from the Commons, the second reading of the Indictment bill was postponed till the 19th.

17. Lord Sidmouth brought forward his promised motions on the subject of the Danish vessels detained previous to the breaking out of hostilities. The objects of these mo tions we have already stated.

The Lord Chancellor moved the previous question, in which he was supported by Lord Hawkesbury.

Lords Erskine, Ellenborough, Stanhope, and Lauderdale spoke in favour of the origi nal motions; which were negatived, the numbers being on one of the resolutions, 16 to 36; and on another, 16 to 37.

19. The bill for rendering valid marriages in certain chapels where beans could not legally be published, was read a second time, after some conversation.

The second reading of the Indictment bill being moved, the same was opposed by Lords