1821.1 



Mr. IVri'ikt on the Poor Laws. 



335 



Locks up its wealth with more thau miser 



care ; 

 The rival roses upon cheeks more fair 

 Thau raoruing- light, each others' claims 



oppose, 

 But on her lips, whose breath the love-sick 



air 

 A\'oos for its violet scent, the crimson rose, 

 Its whole voluptuous bloom in crowned ilo- 



uiiuion throws. 



Ripe as the grape just mellowing- into wine. 

 Her bosom swells to sight ; its lily breasts, 

 Smooth, soft and sweet, Lke alabaster 



slime. 

 Part bare', part hid by her embroideicd 



vests ; 

 Whose Jealous fringe the greedy eye arrests 

 But leaves its fond imaginations free 

 To sport, like doves, in those delicious 



nests, 

 And their most shadowed secrecies to see ; 

 Peopling with beautiful dreams the lively 



phantasy. 

 Ajjain how beautiful arc the follow- 

 ing Hues : — 

 Her fresh cheeks sprinkled with those 



living showers, 

 Which to her vesture's hem down gliding, 



cling, 

 Appear like jasmine and carnation flowers, 

 Humid with May-dews, when romantic 



spring, 

 lu shadow of the green leaves whispering. 

 Spreads their shut bosoms to the laughing 



air, 

 Flowers to which sweet Aurora oft takes 



wing, 

 Which with gay hand she culls with such 



fond care 

 In mom's melodious prime to bind her 



vagrant hair. 

 The einotious painted on the couu- 

 lenaiice of Aruiida. when she at length 

 suecTOds iu her .suit, are thus expres- 

 sed : 

 Theu the dark aspect of her face grew 



fine, 

 With her white veil she dashed the tears 



away, 

 And gave a smile so brilliant and benign. 

 You would have thought th' enamoured 



f jod of day 

 In sunshine kissed her lips, whose sparkling 



shamed his ray. 

 The subsequent passages, iu which 

 th(! se(lll(■(i^(! arts of tlie lovely de- 

 ceiver aie described, are perhaps even 

 superior to wiiat we have .selected ; but 

 •<A'i: must set limits to our extracts. 

 Indeed we siiould (rauscribe the whole 

 pamphlet if we Mere to shew all that 

 ha.s pleased and dt^lighted u.s. The 

 whole is s[>Ieiididly and )io\verfully 

 wrillci;, and the sense and style of the 



original scrupulously preserved. Some 

 of the extracts we have given, beauti- 

 fully as they are versified, are almost li- 

 teral transcripts from Tasso. JMost sin- 

 cerely do we congratulate JMr. V/ifi'en 

 on the success of his laboui's, and we 

 hope tliat it will not be long before he 

 fully realizes the hopes \\Iiic!i so pro- 

 mising a specimen must necessarily 

 excite. 



7'o f/ie Editor of the Monthlij lilagazine. 



.SIR. 



AT a time when tlie distresses of the 

 country are felt in every direction, 

 it becomes every real patriot, and every 

 friend (o humanity and morality, to 

 exert himself to the utmost, to fulfil 

 the duties of any public office to which 

 he may be called, whether it be of a 

 religious or civil nature. The oBice to 

 which I at present advert, for the pur- 

 pose of offering a few observations, is 

 that of overseer of the poor. 



Favouied as we are nationally by 

 providence with a fertile soil, fruitful 

 seasons, agricultural skill, and mecha- 

 nical genius, there is nothing to hinder 

 us from being a great, powerful, indus- 

 trious and haj)py nation, but the mis- 

 niauagemeut of our governors. It is 

 no excuse to saj', that the distresses 

 under which we labour are (he conse- 

 quences of a long war. Wise and ho- 

 nest statesmen would never have en- 

 gaged in a war that would have pro^ 

 tluced (!ven half the evils of the gne 

 just passed. Overwhelming taxation 

 has paralized the government, the 

 industry and the exertions of all 

 classes of the people. The farmers 

 have long been unable to employ the 

 poor so as to keep up their industrious 

 habits, and their lo\e of iu'lejtendeuee. 

 Want of employment has i)roduced 

 indolence of eliaracter ; and every mo- 

 ralist knows, that this will, as a matter 

 of course, generate many new vices. 

 It will make such a peasantry as is now 

 commonly seen in this nation. 'I'hey 

 are envious of each other when relief is 

 obtained ; they endeavour to deceive 

 and over-reach (he parish officers ; 

 .sometimes s])cniliiig tlie money (hey 

 obtain by lying and tieaeliery, in an 

 extravagant manner; ami abusing those 

 who they know must suiqiort them. 

 They are brought (o a stale of mind, 

 in «bieh they glory iu being suj)ported 

 witliout labour; consider i( an achieve- 

 nient to get money by falsehood and 

 dpct,u( ; 



