9 Ah! once to fame and bright dominion born, The earth and smiling ocean saw me rise, With time coeval and the star of morn, The first, the fairest daughter of the skies. 10 Then, when at Heaven's prolific mandate sprung The radiant beam of new-created day, Celestial harps, to airs of triumph strung, Hailed the glad dawn, and angels called me May. 11 Space in her empty regions heard the sound, And hills, and dales, and rocks, and valleys rung; The sun exulted in his glorious round, And shouting planets in their courses sung. 12 For ever then I led the constant year; Saw youth, and joy, and love's enchanting wiles; 13 No winter frowned. In sweet embrace allied, Three sister seasons danced the eternal green; And Spring's retiring softness gently vied With Autumn's blush, and Summer's lofty mien. 14 Too soon, when man profaned the blessings given, 15 Saw bursting clouds eclipse the noontide beams, While sounding billows from the mountains rolled, With bitter waves polluting all my streams, My nectared streams, that flowed on sands of gold. 16 Then vanished many a sea-girt isle and grove, Their forests floating on the watery plain: Then, famed for arts and laws derived from Jove, My Atalantis sunk beneath the main. 17 No longer bloomed primeval Eden's bowers, With all their fountains, fragrant fruits and flowers, 18 No more to dwell in sylvan scenes I deigned, 19 And every echo taught my raptured name, 20 But chief in Europe, and in Europe's pride, My Albion's favoured realms, I rose adored; 21 Ah me! for now a younger rival claims My ravished honours, and to her belong 22 O say what yet untasted beauties flow, And warbles Philomel a softer strain? 23 Do morning suns in ruddier glory rise? Does evening fan her with serener gales? 24 Ah! no: the blunted beams of dawning light 25 Pale, immature, the blighted verdure springs, 26 Nor wonder, man, that Nature's bashful face, And opening charms, her rude embraces fear: The sickly daughter of the unripened year? 27 With showers and sunshine in her fickle eyes, 28 Is this the fair invested with my spoil By Europe's laws, and senates' stern command? 29 Again revive, on Asia's drooping shore, My Daphne's groves, or Lycia's ancient plain; Embowering shades, and Lybian Ammon's fane: 30 Or haste to northern Zembla's savage coast, There hush to silence elemental strife; Brood o'er the regions of eternal frost, And swell her barren womb with heat and life. 31 Then Britain-Here she ceased. Indignant grief, And parting pangs, her faltering tongue suppressed: FRANCIS FAWKES. THIS 'learned and jovial parson,' as Campbell calls him, was born in 1721, in Yorkshire. He studied at Cambridge, and became curate at Croydon, in Surrey. Here he obtained the friendship of Archbishop Herring, and was by him appointed vicar of Orpington in Kent, a situation which he ultimately exchanged for the rectory of Hayes, in the same county. He translated various minor Greek poets, including Anacreon, Sappho, Bion and Moschus, Theocritus, &c. He died in 1777. His 'Brown Jug' breathes some of the spirit of the first of these writers, and two or three lines of it were once quoted triumphantly in Parliament by Sheil, while charging Peel, we think it was, with appropriating arguments from Bishop Philpotts'Harry of Exeter.' 'Dear Tom, this brown jug that now foams with mild ale, THE BROWN JUG. 1 Dear Tom, this brown jug that now foams with mild ale, (In which I will drink to sweet Nan of the Vale,) Was once Toby Fillpot, a thirsty old soul As e'er drank a bottle, or fathomed a bowl; In boosing about 'twas his praise to excel, 2 It chanced as in dog-days he sat at his ease 3 His body, when long in the ground it had lain, A potter found out in its covert so snug, And with part of fat Toby he formed this brown Now sacred to friendship, and mirth, and mild ale; JOHN LANGHORNE. THIS poetical divine was born in 1735, at Kirkby Steven, in Westmoreland. Left fatherless at four years old, his mother fulfilled her double charge of duty with great tenderness and assiduity. He was educated at Appleby, and subsequently became assistant at the free-school of Wakefield, took deacon's orders, and gave promise, although very young, of becoming a popular preacher. After various vicissitudes of life and fortune, and publishing a number of works in prose and verse, Langhorne repaired to London, and obtained, in 1764, the curacy and lectureship of St John's, Clerkenwell. He soon afterwards became assistant-preacher in Lincoln's Inn Chapel, where he had a very intellectual audience to address, and bore a somewhat trying ordeal with complete success. He continued for a number of years in London, maintaining his reputation both as a preacher and writer. His most popular works were the 'Letters |