The pious pilgrim blefs'd the board,

With coftly viands crown'd,

Regardless of the splendid hoard,
That glitter'd all around.

A pot of fweetmeats near him stood;
On this he cast an eye;

Seem'd quite forgetful of his food,

And drown'd in revery.

But gushing tears, at length, betray'd
The anguish of his breaft;

And heavy fighs their paffage made,
That show'd a heart opprefs'd.
'O! fons of pomp and vanity!'
The prudent fage began,
• In this small veffel you may fee
The hiftory of man.

This pot an emblem true conveys

Of earth and all its joys;

And shows the thousand various ways,

'How man himself deftroys—

'Behold the bufy, anxious flies,

That hover round these sweets,

'See! how, like us, each infect vies, "Till each his ruin meets.

Some on the borders gently tread,

And fip with cautious touch,

'While others eagerly are led

• To plunge, and take too much.

'The

The firft, from danger foon are freed,

By no ftrong tie detain'd;

The second, justly are decreed

The death their rashness gain'd.

'Hence, mortals! wifely learn to fhun • False pleasure's fatal cup:

• Drink lightly; or you'll be undone, Inthral'd and fwallow'd up.

'You, like the one, who gently tafte, When AZIEL calls aloud,

'To blefs'd abodes, with joy shall hafte,

'And quit the giddy crowd:

But if by paffions blindly led,

That no true medium know,

'With quick deftruction on your head,

'You'll fink to endless woe.'

EPIGRAM.

Fructu, non foliis, arborem æftima.

CÆLIA, a friend in speculation,
Was hurt by fome abuse;

She did not want an explanation

She wanted an excufe!!!

OR, AN EASY WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS:

CONVENIENTLY ADOPTED BY CERTAIN PLAUSIBLE DECLAIMERS,
ACCORDING TO A FAVOURITE MORAL MAXIM EXHIBITED
IN PRIOR'S EPIGRAM.

I OWED to JOHN great obligation;

But JOHN, unhappily, thought fit

To publish it to all the nation;

Sure JOHN and I are more than quit.

THE ANSWER.

MAT with my purfe bought food and raiment;

But MAT, my claim to quash, Tenders a fcrap of wit in payment; I wish it had been cash.

ANOTHER, BY R. N. ESQ

WITH gratitude no longer glow,

Since friendship's laws I fo forget;

Yet fure the equivalent you owe,

Renounce the friend-but pay the debt.

THE

MERCHANT'S TALE.

AN affair having occurred in the box-room of the theatreroyal, on Monday evening last, in confequence of an unprovoked attack on my perfon; and a malicious mifrepresentation of that affair having appeared in some public papers, I feel myfelf impelled, however reluctantly, to trefpafs on the public attention, by a fimple narrative of facts.—I am equally stimulated to this by what I conceive a proper respect for the rank of a citizen, which, in a political point of view, I do not confider the object of infult from any profeffion, however diftinguished by the King's commiffion, fupported by the people for their PROTECTION, and not for their DESTRUCTION.

On Monday, the 21st of December, I went with two friends to the box-room of the theatre-royal, and paid for my admiffion; we were shown by the box-keeper into a box, in which were three gentlemen, two of them in regimentals, and three ladies; one of the gentlemen told us, the box was engaged to him and his party, to which he was politely answered, that, the moment his company came, we would withdraw, with which he appeared fatisfied.-Soon after came a third officer, and one of the other gentlemen went out. After fitting some time the laft mentioned officer went out; and after the play, my two friends also retired to another part of the theatre. The officer foon after returned, and fat himself down by me in a manner so abrupt as to push me backward off the seat, which I conceived

li

ceived to be an accident, and therefore did not resent, though the rudeness of the gentleman astonished me much, as he did not offer any apology. My two friends returned before the farce began. On entering the box, by accident, the flap of the feat fell against the officer, for which an immediate apology was offered, which, the officer not regarding, thought proper to say we were troublesome, and that he did not know what business we had there-sharp words enfued-the dispute however fubfided, and civility seemed to be perfectly restored.

A few minutes before the farce ended, the officer who had been fo very rude went out :-my friends and I, when the amusement concluded, were retiring peaceably through the box-room-We there faw fix or feven officers ftanding together; one of them, pointing to me, faid, That is he ;'upon which the officer who had distinguished himself by his rudeness in the box, feized me by the collar, and, with the most abusive language, threatened to break my bones. One of my friends remonftrated on the impropriety of fuch expreffions, and offered to give hin my address, which the other rejected with more fcurrility of language, and then pushed the pummel of his fword with great violence in my eye. A fcuffle enfued, and I made the best defence I was able with a stick which I fortunately happened to have in my hand. The other officers joined in the attack, threatening inftant death, which I have every reafon to apprehend would have been the confequence, (for THEY DREW THEIR SWORDS) had it not been for the interference of fome gentlemen prefent, whofe intrepidity broke into the circle in which they had me encompaffed, and prevented any fatality which might have been intended.

I have been moft unmeritedly traduced, and expreffions alledged to have been applied by me to the ladies in the box, (of which I truft i am incapable) which would have difgraced the meanest of mankind; and which, if really used,

muft