"And having saved so long, can I
"Give all, for nothing, when I die?
"Launch out, at Folly's beck and call!

145

"Fame!' generous deeds!'-'Tis nonsense all!
"And as I cannot give, when dead,
"The Law shall give it in my stead!
"But, as for Jack, again I swear,
"The rogue shall never be my heir!"

One year is past!-Let thirst of gold
Its object, and its end, behold!—
Whilst none their different lots bewail-
Scrapé-all is dead, and Jack's in jail!

150

MR. BODY'S REMONSTRANCE WITH HIS DISSOLUTE MASTER, MR. MIND.

WRITTEN IN WINTER.

WHY dost thou treat me thus, harsh master, say!
Why, with hard usage, wear me half away?
Perverse of spirit! thou, a jarring wire,

Lov'st what I loathe, and hat'st what I admire.
I like the simple beverage of the spring,
But east, and west, to thee their poisons bring,
And I (oh! woe to tell!) of abject state,
Must ope my mouth and drink, what most I hate.
Now beer, or burton deep, disturbs my crown,
Now porter, gross and heavy, weighs me down,
Now wines, with draught on draught, black, white,

and red,

Before my sight a strange confusion spread;

And now (with grief I tell) comes piping toddy,

Or punch, to torture me afresh, poor body!

Whilst now, at once to undermine my lever,
Up comes sheer brandy, full of fire and fever,
I drink, till madness in my brain I feel,
And to the earth, like lead, instinctive reel !

Now, good my Lord, can I my anguish smother, That I should pull one way, and thou the other? While thou dost wrong on wrong regardless heap, Can I my woes forget, or cease to weep ? Full seventy years compose my mortal day, But thy intemperance steals them half away. From good plain beef and solid mutton sent 'e Thou turnest, and disdain'st the vulgar plenty, While nought but treble courses will content 'e; These, to provide, with scout, and busy rover, Sea, earth, and heaven itself, are ransack'd over, And when they come, the very blind might stare, Such loads of fish and fowl, such dainty fare, Such game and venison, soups and conserves rare! In truth, the groaning board, to fancy's eye, Seems piled, like father Atlas, to the sky!

Thou, while my stomach, stretched, spare inch contains,

Right on dost make me eat, till naught remains
But indigestion, source of aches and pains.
Thence sickness I endure, or surfeit, teasing,
Rheum makes me limp, or asthma sets me wheezing,
And now, to crown the sum of my deploring,
With swoln and bolster'd legs (o'er folly poring,)
Old gout, with horrid twitches, keeps me roaring!
I love the early hour, and when the sky
Darkness o'ercasts, in peaceful sleep to lie ;

Thou scornest day, and (fetter'd still to wrong)
Stunnest dull night with revelry and song,

When, just as others rise, a goodly number,

Thou dragg'st me yawning back, like household lumber,

Amid the sun, in some dark nook to slumber!
Is this the way that we should both agree?
I, suffering, thou, inflicting misery?
Alas! my cruel Lord, that this should be!

I had complain'd that I was forced to go Without surtout, amid this hour of snow, But, ere the words I spake, a damsel fair, Shivering, drew nigh, her arms, her bosom bare, Following the thoughtless crowd (Oh, wisdom brave! Who love, with gauze, to dance it to the grave!) Stamping, I cried, from fashion's slavish chain, Boldly break loose, and clothing bear again; Let prudence sway, let modesty restrain ! The damsel, coughing, cried, "Too late I sigh! My mother taught me how to DRESS and DIE!"

THE SPIRIT.

FOUNDED ON FACT.

"NOW which is the road across the common,

"Good woman! in pity declare ;

"No path can I trace, for the evening is dark,
"And I fear me, before the far turnpike I mark,
"Some grim-visaged Ghost will appear."

"The Ghost never walks till the clock strikes twelve, "And this is the first of the night,"

Cried the woman, "Now why dost thou look at me so ? "And why do thine eye-balls so fearfully glow ? "Good stranger, forbear thy affright.

"I tell thee that hence across the common, “ This cart-track thy horse must pursue; "Till, close by thy feet, two gibbets thou meet, "Where the rains and the tempests the highwaymen beat, "That a traveller once murder'd like you."

The horseman thus answered. "I have no terror "Of men who in midnight plan ;

"But a Ghost that pops on one before or behind, “And around him sees clearly while mortals are blind,—

Aye, that tries the heart of the man.

"Must I go close to those dancing gibbets ?"

"Quite close, Sir," the woman replied.

"But though with the wind each murderer swings,

They both of them are harmless things,

"And so are the ravens beside."

"What are there ravens there? - those creatures

"With feathers so glossy blue!

"But are they ravens? I enquire,

"For I have heard by the winter's fire, "That phantoms the dead pursue."

The woman replied, "They are night-ravens
"That pick the dead men's eyes;
"And they cry, qua, with their hollow jaw;
"Methinks I one this moment saw !

"To the banquet at hand he flies.

"Now fare thee well!" The traveller silent,
Whilst terror consumed his soul,
Went musing on. The night was still,
And every star had drunk his fill,

At the brim of oblivion's bowl.

And now he near to the gibbets approach'd!

The murderers waved in the air;

Though at their black visage he darted a glance,

He heeded them not, though they both seem'd to dance, For he knew that such figures were there.

"Ah wherefore," he cried, "should mortals incline
"To fear, where no danger is found!"

He scarce had thus spoken, when in the dark night,
Beside him appear'd, a SPIRIT in white!

He trembled, but could not look round.

He gallop'd away! the Spirit pursued!

And the irons of the murderers screak!

The gibbets are pass'd, and now fast and more fast,
The horseman and Spirit outstrip the loud blast,
Though neither has courage to speak.

Now both on the verge of the common arrive,
Where a gate the free passage denied.

The horseman his arm outstretch'd to expand
The gate to admit him, when, cold o'er his hand,
The mouth of the Spirit did glide.

He started! and swift through the still-darker lane
Gallop'd fast from the being he fear'd;

But yet, as the shadow the substance pursues,
The Spirit, behind, by a side-glance he views,
And more luminous now it appear'd!