English

THE AIMS-HOUSE AND TRUSIEES

Leave now our streets, and in yon plain behold
Those pleasant seats for the reduced and old;
A merchant's gift, whose wife and children died,
When he to saving all his powers applied;
He wore his coat till bare was every thread,
And with the meanest fare his body fed
He had a female cousin, who with care
Walk'd in his steps, and learn'd of him to spare;
With emulation and success they strove,
Improving still, still seeking to improve,

PLAYERS .

Drawn by the annual call, we now behold
Our troop dramatic, heroes known of old,
And those, since last they march'd, inlisted and enroll'd:
Mounted on hacks or borne in wagons some,
The rest on foot (the humbler brethren) come.
Three favour'd places, an unequal time,
Join to support this company sublime:
Ours for the longer period — see how light
Yon parties move, their former friends in sight,
Whose claims are all allow'd, and friendship glads the night.

INNS .

Much do I need, and therefore will I ask,
A Muse to aid me in my present task;
For then with special cause we beg for aid,
When of our subject we are most afraid:
Inns are this subject — 't is an ill-drawn lot,
So, thou who gravely triflest, fail me not.
Fail not, but haste, and to my memory bring
Scenes yet unsung, which few would choose to sing;
Thou mad'st a Shilling splendid; thou hast thrown
On humble themes the graces all thine own;

CLUBS AND SOCIAL MEETINGS .

You say you envy in your calm retreat
Our social meetings; — 't is with joy we meet:
In these our parties you are pleased to find
Good sense and wit, with intercourse of mind;
Composed of men, who read, reflect and write,
Who, when they meet, must yield and share delight:
To you our Book-club has peculiar charm,
For which you sicken in your quiet farm;
Here you suppose us at our leisure placed,
Enjoying freedom, and displaying taste;
With wisdom cheerful, temperately gay,

AMUSEMENTS

O F our amusements ask you? — We amuse
Ourselves and friends with sea-side walks and views,
Or take a morning ride, a novel, or the news;
Or, seeking nothing, glide about the street,
And so engaged, with various parties meet;
Awhile we stop, discourse of wind and tide,
Bathing and books, the raffle, and the ride:
Thus, with the aid which shops and sailing give,
Life passes on; 't is labour, but we live.

When evening comes, our invalids awake,

PROFESSIONS — LAW.

" Trades and Professions " — these are themes the Muse,
Left to her freedom, would forbear to choose;
But to our Borough they in truth belong,
And we, perforce, must take them in our song.

Be it then known that we can boast of these
In all denominations, ranks, degrees;
All whom our numerous wants through life supply,
Who soothe us sick, attend us when we die,
Or for the dead their various talents try.

(From " The Borough " )

Yes , our Election's past, and we've been free,
Somewhat as madmen without keepers be;
And such desire of Freedom has been shown,
That both the parties wished her all their own:
All our free smiths and cobblers in the town
Were loth to lay such pleasant freedom down;
To put the bludgeon and cockade aside,
And let us pass unhurt and undefied.
True! you might then your party's sign produce,
And so escape with only half the abuse:
With half the danger as you walked along,

SECTS AND PROFESSIONS IN RELIGION

" Sects in Religion? " — Yes, of every race
We nurse some portion in our favour'd place;
Not one warm preacher of one growing sect
Can say our Borough treats him with neglect:
Frequent as fashions, they with us appear,
And you might ask, " How think we for the year! "
They come to us as riders in a trade,
And with much art exhibit and persuade.

Minds are for sects of various kinds decreed,

THE VICAR — THE CURATE, ETC

Where ends our chancel in a vaulted space,
Sleep the departed vicars of the place;
Of most, all mention, memory thought are past-
But take a slight memorial of the last.

To what famed college we our Vicar owe,
To what fair country, let historians show;
Few now remember when the mild young man,
Ruddy and fair, his Sunday-task began;
Few live to speak of that soft soothing look
He cast around, as he prepared his book;

THE CHURCH

" What is a Church? " — Let Truth and Reason speak,
They would reply, " The faithful, pure, and meek,
From Christian folds, the once selected race,
Of all professions, and in every place. "

" What is a Church? " — " A flock, " our vicar cries,
" Whom bishops govern and whom priests advise;
Wherein are various states and due degrees,
The bench for honour, and the stall for ease;
That ease be mine, which, after all his cares,