342 
Fragments .of near three hundred writers” 
are preferved by him, of whom the greateft 
number hase fo nearly fered their final 
diffolution,.that no veltiges of them: re- 
main any where elfe, particularly thofe 
of the many comic writers of Menander’s 
ichool, which (perhaps beyond any other 
circu ances) tend to make us regret the 
cruel depredations of time. I fhail, in 
the courfe of my prefent undertaking, pre- 
fent a few of thefein an Englith drefs.— 
Their ferious and mora! turn, united toa 
force and energy of expreffion which en- 
titles them to a very high poetical eftima- 
tion, will afford a pleafing variety from 
the ligliter and more alluring lays of Me- 
leager, Agathias, and Antipater. 
I have-now finifhed the fketch which T 
thought neceflary to prefix to my Eflays ; 
and it is with pleafure that, after this de- 
tail, Ireturn to the work itfelf, and again 
open the little cafket, which, during the 
lapfe of fo many centuries, and delivered 
into the cuftody of fo many guardians un- 
able to appreciate the value of the truft, 
has, come down tous unrifled. 
PROLOGUE. 
Thou little wreathe, by Fancy twin’d 
in fummer’s funs and winter’s wind, 
That thro’ an age of deepeft, gloom 
Haft kept thy fragrance and thy bloom, » 
Tho’ now whole centuries haye roll’d, 
And nations, fince thy birth, grown ald; 
Tho’ time have wither’d many a leaf, 
And filent Envy play’d the thief, 
And clowns have breath’d in evil hour 
A poifon into thy fweet flow’r,— 
Yet doft thou live—nor tyrant’s rage 
Hath nipt thee quite, nor wars, nor age. 
Yet not, as once, the gentle earth 
Thou doft adorn that gave thee birth, 
When, all unforced by pains and toil, 
Wild. fhooting in thy native foil, 
The fweeteft buds that deck’d the land 
Were pluck’d by Meleager’s hand, 
Who curl’d Anacreon’s blufhing vine 
Around Erinne’s‘eglantine, __ 
And Myro’s lillies call’d, to thade 
The rofes of the Lefbian Maid, 
#nd/pluck’d the myrtle from thy grove, 
Callimachus, the fprig of love. 
Be mine to wreathe, thefe fweets amOnE 
(Menander, prince of comic fong), 
Some honours, fpar’d by age and.clime, 
That live to grace an after-time, 
Pluck’d from thy many garlands bright, 
So charming once and new to fight. 
Our unavailing forrows mourn 
Thy rofes pale, thy lillies torn, 
Thy garden rifled of its bloom, 
Thy violets robb’d of their perfume 5 
Thy-gaudy tulips now have loft 
Their fmiles by:many a chilling fro ; 
Thy {pring’s rich. wardrobe now is feant, 
And now fome fad and wintry plant, — 
a 
Objervations on Modern Tours in Wales, ce. 
cemented. 
joy the 
_ diverfified, about the feventh mile ftone, 
fMay a4 
Some wither’d fhrub, of pow’ uses 
(Of all that grac’d thy garden fine), 
Remains of thee, or fickly yew 
(Where buds of heavenly fragrance grew) 
Or mourner cyprefs fpreads a fhade, 
Or plant of Daphne, haplefs maid ! 
Yet, *miaf the melancholy night, 
Some featter’d honours give delight, 
And ‘hereand there a rofe is found 
Negleéted. on theichilly ground, 
And a chance-lilly fheds ics fhow 2 
Beneath the darker fhrubs of woe. 
Ch, not as erft, thou modeft wreathe, 
Shalt thou of all thy fragrance breathe ! 
Oh, not as erft, when Genius knew 
To give thy colours to the view, 
And Tafte was ready to difplay 
The flow’rs that fellin Fancy’s way! 
An Tron-age hath nipp’d thee fore, See 
While cold neglect thy honours tore. *h 
For zepbyrs foft that fann’dthy youth, © 
How wilt thou meet the gale uncouth ? 
Torn from a genial fummer’s {mile, ©.) 
How wilt thou bear a northern ifle ? 
Far from:thy home and native fky, 
Meek flranger, wilt thou live og. die? 
NARVAa, 
NN. B. Erratum in the laft Number.-For 
Implicuit Meleager opus, charoque.Diocli 
Pignusamicitiz, &c. 
Read, 
Implicuit Meleager, honorat toque Diocli 
Munus amicitiz, &c. 
(To be continued.) — 
See b aes 
For the Montily Magazine. 
- OBSERVATIONS 92 MODERN TOURS, i 
and the MODRS of TRAVELLING iz 
WALES, with EXTRACTS from areal 
ITINERARY. 
126, Page 136,) 
HE ruins of the cattle of ‘Aberyit- 
with confitt merely of the barbican, 
or watch tower, and large mafles.ftrongly 
It is apparently on a fimilar 
plan to others, built by Edward the Firft, 
and a very plealant walk hes been made 
among its ruins, from which the Bay of 
Catdigan is very advantageoufly viewed, 
Mr. Wedall Price has built, on the fhore, © 
what he would be the fArft to notice had . 
Repton built it. The hotel was fuil. 
We therefore availed ourfelves of a neat. 
lodging-houle, where we were reminded 
of Englifh comfort, and had leifure to en- 
On our departure we learned that’ 
the demon of extertion which pervades 
the Englifh watering-places, had found 
his. way into Wales. For two days and 
threee nights, with very flender dinners, 
and only two bottles of port, wine for two 
gentlemen and three ladies,, the charge 
amounted to eight guineas! _ 
The road to Machynleth is pleafingly 
as 
(Concluded. from Na. 
{ 
