[[Competition Piece.] 

 To the Editor of the Bee. 

 SIR, 



jb a period when I had much more leifure than experience, 

 •ventured to attempt fomething in verfe, ivhich <was not de- 

 Jigned to exceed two or three hundred lines ; the fubjed I chofe 

 ivas a neighbouring country villa, remarkable for its natural 

 beauties rather than the embellijhments of art. It is fituated 

 on the border of a very extenjiue lake, beautified with nume- 

 rous little wood-groWn ijlands, and is furrounded with an in- 

 finity of ijjoods and groves. After defcribing (as 'tvell as I 

 could) the villa and fome of its particular beauties, I ventur- 

 ed into a defcription of the lake and its ifJands, where T could 

 not but indulge myfelf in the following reflections. Whether 

 they have any thing of nature in them or no, is left to your 

 determination. HiBERNicys. 



CHILDHOOD. 



Ye happy ifles I full many a chearful day, 

 Beneath your /hades I fpent in thoughtlefs play. 

 Where (for a barge conveyed us fafely o'er) 

 Oft have I wander'd from the reedy Ihore, 

 With fallow children chas'd the humming bee. 

 That led us heedlefs on from tree to tree; 

 Or pryed induTlrious where the berries lay, 

 Conceal'd beneath fome downward-bending fpray. 

 How glad ! how fwift ! we ran, when joyous cries 

 Convok'd the wand'rers to the juicy prize ; 

 Oft from her leafy den the tim'rous hare 

 Would ftart affrighted, — ftop, and turning flare; 

 Still we purfued her with our wand'ring fight, 

 And mark'd her feeming lamenefs in the flight. 



But fports like thefe can now delight no more, 

 Nor former plays fo pleafing once before ; 

 Far other fcenes our ripen'd years employ. 

 And care and labour damp our rifmg joy ; 

 .No more we faunter o'er the neighb'ring plain, 

 A loud, a noify, gay, unthoughtful train. 

 Some, once the partners of our youthful play, 

 |«>'jpt in the bloom, have clos'd their little day ; 

 Vol. V. E e * 



