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Who saw a substance, but embrac'd a shade!
Oh! then in future, mar not quite his hopes,
Blight not the fruits of genius in their bud,
"Cut not his head off with a golden axe,"
Nor smile upon the murder ye perform;
But with a favouring breeze give golden showers;
So may it flourish to reward your care,
Reveal a tint beyond the garden's boast,
Diffuse a fragrance more than jasmine sweet,
That to the sense may long continue dear.-
And by your lib'ral favours cheer'd and rais'd,
Ye gen'rous Patrons of the Mimic scene !
Some Bards there are, however we deplore,
The low-sunk merit of our modern times,
Who with much skill the lance of satire draw,
The reigning errors dextrously dissect,
Each fluctuating fashion, folly hit,
"And catch the manners living as they rise :-
Unstrain'd and honest is the praise I pour,
To no one author tied-to most unknown.
To prove its independence, thus my Muse,
Bestow'd her plaudits, joins a general sigh,
That still unanswered-fretfully exclaims!
Where is the man, of pelf regardless quite,
Whose soul impatient pants for deathless fame!
Whose nervous mind o'erleaps the critic's pale,
Breaks down the barrier of bounded time,
And sighs to make futurity his own-

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Plodding and pale, by taper's wav'ring beam;
In close unwholesome counting-house confin'd,
Where ne'er a courteous slanting sun-beam play'd,
Where ne'er a vagrant breeze swept cobweb down;
Nor once an age the painter's whit'ning brush,
Illum'd the darkness of the candle's flare;
With assiduity alone his friend,

With grov'ling caution his adviser cold,
And squint suspicion sole controuling clerk;
With band of silk before his weaken'd eyes,
Or Dolland sights upon sustaining nose,
Lank AVARICE sits-rejecting ev'ry joy,
But what arises from his wealth's encrease;
No vast ambition for external shew,
Nor city honours agitate his mind ;
But starv'd and starving-gold his dearest god!
He in cramp'd cunning all the day consumes,
And NIGHT! thy silent hours for rest design'd,
In rack'd invention and continued cares!-
He-when avoided slumber gains at length,
A short controulment o'er his wakeful eye,
The dream distressing, and the tim'rous start;
The sight of murd'ring ruffian at his throat,
And the still greater agony of sense,
His iron chest by stealthy robber forc'd!
For him no charm the civic crown displays,
The aldermanic gown, or golden chain,
"All pomp and circumstance'' of sumptuous feast,
To taste of gorging citizen so dear.-

He leaves to those whom gilded baubles prize,
The full possession and attendant joys;

The ribbon'd horse, the emblematic coach;
The with'ring wreath, the honor of a year-
Transferr'd its title, and bequeath'd its pow'r;
While Heaven, concern'd at man's mutations strange,
Its drizzling tears in large abundance pours.
Things more substantial covets the shrunk soul,
To the last moment of a miser's life-
Falsely by him the source of joy suppos'd,-
To all but lib'ral minds assured bane;
Wealth hardly earn'd-if hoarded when obtain'd,-
Uselessly hoarded, treasured but to breed.-
From man's necessities too frequent wrung,
And once extorted, to his calls denied-
The Miser's wants, all stinted and abridg'd,
And doubting, longer if he shou'd enjoy,
A certain profit front increasing risque;
But fearful more of some disastrous turn,
His short existence never may repair :-
He seeks perhaps at threescore years and ten,
A snug retirement in some country box,
At sweet MILE-END, or distant KENTISH TOWN!
There idly dreams neglected health will come,
With ev'ry fresh kiss of the balmy breeze;
Powers long lost with wond'rous art restore,
And give him relish for ten thousand sweets,
Which courted once,-but can no more return:
Or e'en obtainable,-he cou'd not taste.

For life's decay, and nature's techy stuff,
Must long ere that have worn and fretted out,
Each silken thread entwisted with his cares:
But more to deaden his remaining days, -
For him no shoeless orphan, shiv'ring pours
(Cloth'd with his bounty,) the unpractis'd prayer,
To give sweet solace in the lone retreat :
No widow'd mother, straining to her breasts
Her half-fed bantlings, perishing with cold,
Whose father likely in his service toil'd,
And unrewarded in his service died,
Lifts up her grateful streaming eyes to Heaven,
His life to lengthen, and his days to bless :-
No needy veteran, silver-hair'd and bald,
By hunger pinch'd, and tottering in decay,
Whose alter'd mien but ill conceals the past,
Whose silent grief yet tells of better days,
With keen regret his hurried absence mourns,
And for him draws th' effectual blessing down!
No! ev'ry child of misery passing by,
Must in unruly transport leap to see
That house untenanted-where erst and oft,
In humblest posture lean distress hath stood,
Sent many a sigh and many a plaint within,
Which ne'er with pity or redress return'd :-
Day after day must gambol and rejoice;
Wait anxious, hov'ring round the spot, to hail
The next new comer, whosoe'er he be !-
Reflection coolly pond'ring on the past,

His selfish profits, and his certain loss,
Compar'd and balanc'd with minutest care,
See! the sum total of the Miser's joys!
Who having pass'd the opening spring of life,
In cold contracted objects, and pursuits,
All new and most unnatural to the time;
The summer scenes-the high-day of his blood,
Without enlargement suffer'd to escape;
His autumn's harvest greedily got in,
No scanty gleanings left to greet and glad
The eye of want, wide wand'ring to and fro-
One only shelter from the storm he finds;-
His wealth the wrapper from the wint'ry sky!-
A chilling sun that may the outside warm-
But reach no corner where the comforts freeze:
Unlock no pleasure-perish'd if entire.
His wealth! in all its produce and extent,
(Scarcely enough for some ungracious boy,一
While rots the unmourn'd father in his shroud,
In idle moment thoughtlessly to spend,-
Yes, in one year-the savings of an age!)
But just sufficient to insure the gout;
To lengthen pain, and pay a doctor's bill!
At best unenvied-miserable state-!
Curst by the injur'd-pitied by the poor;
Bane to the bad, and to the good unknown.

With different views by principle embrac'd, Determin'd to pursue, the TRADESMAN starts,

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