Q52 
him that it would create him many enes 
mies, but this zeal drew from him no- 
thing but reproaches. Let me afk you 
all, whether you do not think it the 
heicht of imprudence in him to reprefent 
Pluto ordering a proétor-general to be 
flead, and covering his feat with the 
fkin? And only think at-what time he 
hazarded fuch a ttroke of fatire: at the 
very time he was under profecution at 
the Chatelet, and in parliament ; and, 
moreover, when every thing was going 
Original Poeiry. 
fApril f, 
againft him. The application fpoke for 
itfelf ; no proétor-general would be flead. 
Rouffeau had forgot the maxim, “‘ We 
are not to fight naked with thofe who 
have arms in their hands.” 
' Friend—This poem it was that flut 
him out of France; and yet Paris was 
become the only place of refuge left him, 
for after his difgrace with the Duke 
d’Aremberg, Bruifels was no longer an 
afylum. [To be continued.] 
ORIGINAL POETRY. 
soe, Sie 
TO THE MEMORY OF THE AUTHOR OF The playhoufe Momus, and his noify court, 
THE *6 CURFEW.” 
WRITTEN BY MR. PRATT, IMMEDIATELY 
AFTER HAVING SEEN THE REPREQGEN- 
TATION OF THAT ADMIRABLE PRO- 
DUCTION. 
BEEST by Nature, arm’d with every art, 
To woo, command, or agonize the heart ! 
Thou who haft proudly dar’d to lift thy page 
Above the mockery that infults the flage; 
To fpurn the ribbald jeft, the fenfe to raife 
High o’er thofe motley mifnomers called plays, 
Drolls and buffooneries, which, aét by act, 
All thought confound, and memory diftract 5 
Thou, who haft fkill the paffions to controul, 
Or bid them awe and footh the du@tile foul ; 
How do the fofteft feelings own thy fway ! 
How do the fterneft tremble and obey ! 
How does thy full-plum*d pinion, born to 
tower, 
Of force fublime, and con{cious of its power, 
Leave the weak wing, that impotently tries 
To gain, O Genius! thy unclouded fkies! 
Ah! loft too foon, ere time had lent its aid, 
To fix the fubftance and difpel the fhade ; 
To mark, high-favour’d youth! the bounty 
given, 
—Spark of the God, a lambent flame of 
heav’n— 
The potent magic of thy fun-bright ftrain, 
From the thin vapours of the mifty brain— 
The exhalations of the low-born mind, 
From duft proceeding and to duft confign’d ! 
What tho’, to emulate each future bard, 
His bright example, as his be? reward, 
Part of thy facred mantle caught his eye, 
Ere yet thy fpirit fought its native fky ; 
And ev’ry colour ** dipt in heaven” confet 
The genuine Mufe alone could form the veft; 
And none but her true fons prefume to wear, - 
For naught but Genius to the Mufe is dear. 
Yet ah! the Drama’s rabble-rout again, 
Thalia-~Columbine, and all her train” 
Of Tragi-Comic, Farfic, Pantomime, 
Scorn of the Mufe and error of the time, 
2 
Where Whim, not Wit, where Trick, not 
Tafte difport ; 
Where fome cant word, or flang, the fcenes 
engage, 
The Quiz, the Go, the Twavpte, and 
the RacrE— ’ 
Too foon will thefe, in Folly’s patch-work 
drefs 
The public voice, the public fhout poffefs ; 
While the ftrong charm, which now thy ge- 
nius draws ; ; 
Nature’s rich ftores, too vaft for hand-ap- 
plaufe ; 
The deep fufpence which waits thy potent art, 
And checks awhile the current of the heart ; 
Then hurried onward with impetuous force, 
That threatens to exhauft its ruddy fource ; 
The gen’rous terror, the refiftlefs fighs, 
Which in obedience to thy mandate rife ; 
All thefe muft yield to fafhions light and 
vain, 
And of thy fpirit not a trace remain! 
Yet Time will come, and as it draws more 
near, 
Nature fhall hail it with her fmile and tear: 
All booth-born jefts to Smithfield’s feenes re- 
fign’d, 
By Truth up-born fhall mummery leave be- 
hind ; 
When mental manhood fhal] again afpire, » 
Aud catch from flame thine ele@tric fire! 
Then fhall the Drama re-affume its pride, 
And Wifdom fpread her facred influence wide, 
Then fhall the race ephemeral be o’er, 
To ** ftrut their hour upon the fage” no more: 
The genuine bards their future fate fhall tell, © 
Bards, fuch as thee and Colman, toll thei 
Knell. 
EE 
THE NEGRO’s PRAYER. 
By Mr. THELWALL, 
O SPIRIT?! that rid’ in the whirlwind and 
ftorm, 
Whofe voice in the thunder is heard, 
If ever from man, the poor indigent worm, 
The prayer of affli€tion was heard ; 
