1796.) ae 
O’er the bleak moorlands fhall record thy toil, 
Converting barren heath to fertile foil : 
Nor new the theme ; oft with poetic fire 
The bards of old have {wept the founding lyre. 
Warm in his praife whofe patriotic zeal, 
Raifes frefh harvefts for, the public weal, 
Guides the rude peaiant in his firft effay, 
Darts thro’ the foreft-gloom the cheering ray, 
And with new treafares glads the eye of day. 
The fimple pleafures of the golden age, 
Once fung melodious the Afcrean fage ; 
Arcadian Shepherds led their flocks along, 
Charm’d by the mufic of the poet’s fong, 
To rural cares and to the thepherd’s praife 
Theocritus attuned his Doric lays. 
In verfe majeftic, melody divine, 
The Mantuan Bard invokes the Sacred Nine ; 
With nice precifion marks the peafant’s toil, 
And teaches how to ploughand fow the foil. 
The brighteft genius of th’ Auguftan age, 
Selects this theme_to ornament his page. 
From ftagnant pools, where Peftilence refides, 
And meagre Famine her wan vifage hides, 
See Defolation quit her dark domain, 
And feek in foreign climes fome diftant reign. . 
Where late the folitary bird of prey, 
Wing’d his bold flight along the lonely way, 
The defert fmiles, in richeft garb array’d, 
And Cultivation own her arduous toil repaid; 
So in the wat’ry main, concealed frum day, 
The Ruby long withholds its dazzling ray, 
Thro’ floating fea-weed lights the coral cave, 
And lurks fecure beneath the founding wave, 
Tul fome bold mariner the deep effays, 
Grafps the rich treafure, and his toil repays, 
At yonder hut, clofe by the moorland’s fide, 
A hoary fwain and numerous race refide; 
Whe aged cottager delights to hear 
The jocund plough-boy whittling in his ear ; 
While the long train of reapers crofs the plain, 
The joyful fight revives his youth again ; 
Complacent imiles the venerable {wain, 
Bleffes his offspring and their infant train, 
Points tothe upland crown’d with waving corn, 
Recites how long, thro’wint’ry months forlorn, 
The rude wind whiftl’d o’er the barien fern : 
How oft the gloomy heath he travers’d o’er, 
Gath’ring from diftant fcenes a fcanty ftore : 
Nor yet forget: how thro’ the tracklefs fhow, 
With wearied fteps, uncertain where to gO, 
Bewilder’d, diftant from his wife and cot, 
Chill’d by the freezing blaft, he mourn’d his 
haplefs lot. : | 
Where long the Woodman’s axe alone wash eard, 
And filent Echo {carce pronounc’d a word, 
Cheer’d by the carols of the fportive {wains, 
The groves refound the mufic of the plains. 
Th’ impetuous ftream at will no longer roams, 
Nor with deftructive force the torrent foams, 
Confin’d by Art it glads the flow’ry meads, 
find 1icheft verdure the coarfe grafs fucceeds ; 
A double crop the mower’s tafk repays, : 
4nd well rewards the toil which guides its fer- 
tile waves. 
Genius of Albion! laden with thy ftores, 
See numereys veflels crowd thy chalky fhores, 
Original Poetry. 
Boy 
To foreign climes fee thy bright harvefts born, _ 
While Heav’n propitious fends a rich return. 
Oh! blot from mem’ry the tragic tale ! 
Nor deem that Famine ever could prevail 
O’er the rich bleffings of all-bounteous Heay’n3 
Would man improve what God has freely giv’n! ° 
Methinks I fing of Zembla’s frozen fhore, 
Ox of fome favage tribe the fate deplore ; 
Yet have we heard our Northern neighbours 
tell, 
In one fad year how numerous viGtims fell, 
By pinching Want confumed; the fcanty blads 
Cropt from the cattle lent penurious aid ; 
But when the roots and juicy herbage failed, 
Famine in all her horrid forms aflailed ; 
Far from his home the fainting peafant lies, 
Aud fearce to Heav’n can raife his dim funk 
eyes 5 
On the wild heath the ftiff ning corpfe was found; 
Expiring orphans prefs the flerile ground ; 
In vain the mether her thrunk bo/om tries, 
Clafp’d in her arms, the pining infant dies. 
Prepare, ye Nine, th’ unfading bay psepare, 
Fiafte, crowrm the patriot band, whofe generous 
care, 
Like fome bold centinel, preferves its ftand, 
To guard from Famine’s fcourge their native 
land. 
Long fhall Britannia hold in memory dear 
- The name of Bakewell, long his worth revere, 
While her rich meads, improved in comely form, 
The fheep, the fteer, and gen’rous fteed adorn. 
No’mean applaufe induftrious Young may claim, 
Who points to Britifh Youth the path of fame; 
“Nor can we foon forget a Ducket’s toil, 
Whofe fertile genius beft fubdues the foil. 
No more fhall trav’llers eye the barren wafte, 
Nor with freth fpeed, o’er fick’ning deferts hatte, 
Charm’d with the blooming pea and fragrant 
bean, 
Where thick’ning ranksof corn enrich the feene, 
They gaze delighted and forget their toil, 
While cultivation cheers the barren foil 
So from Amboyna blows the fpicey gale, 
Luxuriant breezes ff the pafling fail, 
Th’ enraptur’d feamen hail the welcome fhore; 
And dream of thipwreck and of ftermsno more. 
“Enfield, O&. 19, 1796. 
Grorcius Dyer, Vriro  Docrissima 
GiLBERTO WAKEFEELD, 
TL. Lucretii Cari Libros de Rerum Naturd, emen= 
datos, et commentariis ciluflratos, edituro. 
UNT qui in Romanos, folenni more colentes, 
Scriptores inhiant, qui Graios carmine lzte 
Toilunt, quippe acres, do€tos, artifque perisos 
Pierize, facros, folos ct Apolline dignos : 
Fautores veterum, nihilum prefentia curant. 
Nec valet ingenium, nifi fanciat ipfa vetuftas, 
Indo&i, contra, veteram contemnere multi 
Que non percipiant, audent; ftulteque lequaces 
« Cedite, Romani feriptores, cedite Graii,” 
Conclamant, equé veterum ignarique novorum, 
Ag 




