Poetical Works Comprising Elegies Sketches From Life Pathetic A
Chapter 2
When e'er you walk the hill or street, A flaunting dressing thing you'll meet; Her wanton air would fain beguile, A thoughtless youth to stray awhile: Her conversation gross he'll find, Chaste modesty she leaves behind; That Goddess seldom now appear, Where people walk to take the air. She daily must in Laces dress, Altho' her parents in distress: She'll get them any way she can, To marry some unthinking man. When he the flaunter do obtain, On pleasure's wings she fix her brain; His shirts or stockings she can't mend, But must them to a neighbour send; And tells her husband, he must stray With her to see a merry play. He must comply, or else he'll find She teazes much his gloomy mind; Often she does the man reproach, Because he cannot keep a Coach: Tells him she cannot rest at home, And do with finer people roam; The husband now alarm'd appears, Too just his reason for his fears: Truth silence now his sad alarms, She's fled into another's arms. Parents oft cause a girl's distress, By letting her devote to dress; Time which they should frequent spend, At house-work, or their clothes to mend: A watch must now adorn the side, To fill their minds with erring pride; Tells her that every fop admire, And soon she'll gain a Country squire; Again I say a boarding school, Too often makes sweet Miss a fool; Put such strange notions in her brain, As she cannot good sense retain: When Miss is taken from the school, She wants in every thing to rule; There she perhaps may learn to dance, Alike the paltry things from France: This plain truth I dare to tell, But few from them correctly spell; Too often write so bad a hand, That scarce one line you understand; Their education often makes, Them only fit for lords or rakes. To Miss and schools I bid adieu, And will another tale pursue. Many a tradesman in this place, Brings on themselves their own disgrace; Politics engross their mind, And cause their friends to be unkind: The horns anounce the papers in, His daily pleasures now begin; Two hours are wasted in this day, Which time he should to business pay; Customers too frequent call, And cannot see the man at all: Each one declares he'll call no more, As he had been there oft before. No wonder that he cannot pay, As thus he trifles time away: We often do our fate bewail, When adverse gales do us assail; The money that we waste away, Frequent we should to others pay; Careless of our neighbours grief, We only seek our own relief; The cause we have such dismal times, Is chiefly owing to our crimes. The pipe and bottle frequent stay, The man who should attention pay; To business, or to any thing Which may perhaps a profit bring; Insteads of wine, drink humble ale, Drop fine gigs thus ends my tale.
ON SEEING COLOURS CONSECRATED: PRESENTED BY MRS. BERKLEY.
Berkley, the female champion of our cause, While gratitude exists demands applause; The morn was fine and pleasant was the scene, The sons of Briton met on Writtle green: To church repair'd with fervency and grace, And loyalty appear'd on every face; Prayers were read with energy and truth, To give instructions to the British youth; The same good order then was plainly seen, When they return'd advancing to the green: The line was form'd and music now begins, To offer praises to the best of kings; The Captain with due modesty and grace, Marches the ensigns to their proper place. With manners pleasing and with accents just, The worthy fair one yields the sacred trust; Speaks of their duty in the hour of strife, Never to yield those colours but with life: With manliness the Captain quick replies, No man will yield them! madam, till he dies; Ensigns receiv'd them from the Captain's hand, May God protect them ever in this land.
FINIS.
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LANE AND WALKER, PRINTERS.