THE FAIR MORALIST.

AS late by Thames's verdant side,
With solitary pensive air,

Fair Chloe search'd the silver tide,
With pleasing hope and patient care :
Forth as she cast the silken fly,

And musing stroll'd the bank along;
She thought no list'ning ear was nigh,

While thus she tun'd her moral

song:

"The poor unhappy thoughtless fair,
"Like the mute race are oft undone;
"These with a gilded fly we snare,
"With gilded flatt'ry those are won.
"Careless, like them, they frolic round,
"And sportive toss th' alluring bait;

"At length they feel the treach'rous wound, "And struggle to be free too late.

"But, ah, fair fools! beneath this shew
"Of gaudy colours lurks a hook!
"Cautious the bearded mischief view,

"And ere you leap, be sure to look."

More she'd have sung, when, from the shade Rush'd forth gay Damon, brisk and young; And, whatsoe'er he did, or said,

Poor Chloe quite forgot her song.

On POPE's having just published his

Dunciad.

AT length Pope conquers; Hervey, Wortley,

yield,

And nameless numbers cover all the field:

Just so of old, or Roman story lies,

Domitian triumph'd o'er a host of flies.

VERSES

BY

SIR C. HANBURY WILLIAMS,

ADDRESSED TO HIS DAUGHTER

THE COUNTESS OF ESSEX.

FANNY, beware of flattery,
Your sex's much-lov'd enemy;
For other foes we are prepar'd,
And Nature puts us on our guard :
In that alone such charms are found,
We court the dart, we nurse the hand;
And this, my child, an Æsop's Fable
Will prove much better than I'm able.

A young vain female Crow,

Had perch'd upon a pine tree's bough,

And sitting there at ease, Was going to indulge her taste,

In a most delicious feast,

Consisting of a slice of cheese.

A sharp-set Fox (a wily creature)

Pass'd by that way

In search of prey;

When to his nose the smell of cheese, Came in a gentle western breeze; No Welchman knew, or lov'd it better: He bless'd th' auspicious wind, And strait look'd round to find, What might his hungry stomach fill, And quickly spied the Crow, Upon a lofty bough,

Holding the tempting prize within her bill.

But she was perch'd too high,

And Reynard could not fly :

She chose the tallest tree in all the wood,

What then could bring her down?

Or make the prize his own?

Nothing but flatt'ry could.

He soon the silence broke,

And thus ingenious hunger spoke :

"Oh, lovely bird,

"Whose glossy plumage oft has stirr'd

"The envy of the grove;

Thy form was Nature's pleasing care,

"So bright a bloom, so soft an air, "All that behold must love.

But, if to suit a form like thine, 66 Thy voice be as divine;

"If both in these together meet,

"The feather'd race must own "Of all their tribe there's none,

"Of form so fair, of voice so sweet. "Who 'll then regard the linnet's note, "Or heed the lark's melodious throat? "What pensive lovers then shall dwell "With raptures on their Philomel? "The goldfinch shall his plumage hide, "The swan abate her stately pride, "And Juno's bird no more display "His various glories to the sunny day : "Then grant thy Suppliant's prayer, "And bless my longing ear

"With notes that I would die to hear!"