Familiar letters and poems on several occasions :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Four following Pieces were written for Four Boys of the Free Grammar School at Norwich, to be spoken before the Mayor in Public, as is usual on the Day of his being sworn into his Office, the Mayor and Aldermen being Trustees for the School; the Boys richly dress'd, attend the Mayor in his grand Procession, and two or three Days after repeat their Speeches in the Guildhall before the Ladies.

HOPE.

The first Speech.

Amidst the various Scenes of anxious Life,
Of Sickness, Sorrow, Poverty and Strife:

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One sweet Companion still attends the Mind,
From whose kind Hints we secret Comfort find:
Fair-speaking Hope, that ever-welcome Guest,
The gentlest Inmate of the human Breast;
With future Bliss our present Care beguiles,
And cheats and chears us with her pleasing Smiles:
Nor transient are her Smiles, for to her Praise,
While Life remains the dear Deluder stays;
When most we languish, sunk in deep Distress,
When sharp Afflictions most the Soul depress;
Depriv'd of all, of ev'ry Good bereft,
When not one Pleasure nor one Friend is left;
The kind Indulger Hope alone remains,
Hushes our Griefs and moderates our Pains;
Bids us prepare a milder Fate to meet,
Smooths the rough Paths, and makes our Bitters sweet;

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In smiling Fortune, or in Adverse ill,
This subtil Flatterer is ready still:
As Rich and Poor are equally her Friends,
Her Favors she impartially extends;
Confirms the Happy in their happy State,
And adds new Honours to th'ambitious Great;
Raises the Humble from their low Degree,
Combats Despair, and sets the Captive free;
Stands by the Miser while he counts his Store,
Laughs o'er the glitt'ring Heaps, and gives him more.
By her assisted, nothing seems too hard,
Go on she cries, and take a full Reward;
Prompted by Her, ev'n I can banish Fear,
And boldly hope to meet with Favor here.

Bowing to the Court.

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DESPAIR.

The second Speech.

[_]

At the Beginning of this Speech the Boy who speaks it turns, and looks at him that spoke last.

In vain you talk of Hope's endearing Wiles,
Her ample Blessings, and her lasting Smiles;
That she to ev'ry Breast can Joy impart,
And sweetly solace the afflicted Heart:
All this I know th'Enchantress will pretend,
And flatters high and imitates the Friend;
But few that trust her find the Dame sincere,
Her Gifts are Shadows, and her promise Air:
That her Dominion's large must be confest,
Yet let her not lay Claim to ev'ry Breast;
For some there are who scorn her gentle Sway,
Court black Despair, and his stern Laws obey.

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Despair that keeps with Hope eternal War,
A Tyrant he, but more rever'd by far;
Such true Obedience do his Slaves afford,
They'll pour their Blood to please their cruel Lord.
Reverse of Hope that softly-soothing Dame,
By diff'rent Methods he aspires to Fame;
He robs the Rich, and does the Poor oppress,
Sows Discontent, adds Terror to Distress;
Confirms the Wretched, makes all Comfort fade,
And throws Dishonour on th'ambitious Head:
Plunders the Miser of his ill-got Pelf,
Who oft, to save his Money, starves himself;
His gloomy Subjects no soft Pleasures know,
Strangers to Ease, and Devotees to Woe:
In painful Anguish tedious Days are past,
And Sighs and Tears, Night's ling'ring Moments waste.

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This sullen Pow'r averse to ev'ry Joy,
Does all the blissful Hours of Life destroy;
Blasts our best Wishes in their rising Bloom,
And shocks the tim'rous Mind with Ills to come.
To you, great Sirs, with low Respect I bend,
And ardent wish in each to find a Friend;
Long have I sigh'd your Favour to obtain,
But cold Despair assures me 'tis in vain.

LOVE.

The third Speech, by a little Boy, address'd to the Ladies.

Attend ye Fair, while I attempt to prove,
The Pains, the Pleasures, and the Pow'r of Love:
Love the great King whom other Kings obey,
Imperious rules with universal Sway;

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The Proud, the Vain, the Humble and the Good,
His Vassals are in equal Servitude.
The Great, the Wise, the Coward and the Brave,
All sink alike in Love, and in the Grave:
Nor think ye fair ones in the peaceful Hour,
To live exempt from his all-ruling Pow'r;
In vain with Frowns you Arm the beauteous Brow,
Sooner or later, you, yourselves, must bow:
Like Death impartial, he presents his Dart,
And sure to conquer, aims at ev'ry Heart:
The Heart once touch'd by Love no longer knows,
An ever Tenor and a calm Repose;
But ever in extremes, freezes or burns,
And Joy, and Grief, and Rage succeed by turns.

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Oh! who can dictate, or what Tongue reveal,
The strong Delight which favour'd Lovers feel;
When fancy'd Joys their ravish'd Thoughts inspire,
Elate with Hope, and fed with fond Desire!
Now pleasing Transports fill the youthful Breast,
The Charmer smiles, and we are more than blest!
But should she frown, that Frown our Bliss destroys,
Dashes our Hopes and dissipates our Joys:
Or to another should the heedless Dame,
Give one kind Glance,—our Souls are all in Flame;
Then Doubts and Fears the tortur'd Bosom move,
With Jealousy! the stretching Rack of Love.

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'Twere endless to recount the various Woe,
Which sad despairing Lovers undergo;
What vast Distress, what strange distracting Pains,
Are caus'd by faithless Nymphs and perjur'd Swains!
But Man the cruel Shock can better bear,
Bus'ness, or Wine, or Sports, divert his Care;
Whilst the forsaken melancholy Maid,
Seeks out the Covert of a secret Shade;
And in the close Recesses of the Grove,
With Sighs and Tears, bewails her injur'd Love.
My little Heart melts at the sad Review,
And can no more the piteous Tale persue;
Hard-hearted Men!—too much to change inclin'd,
That can to faithful Beauty prove unkind!

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Ladies, for once believe me whilst I swear,
When I'm a Man, I vow I'll be sincere.
'Till then let your sweet Smiles reward my Song,
For you may safely smile on one so young.

CONTENT.

The fourth Speech.

Since Love's short Joys soon yield to lasting Woe,
Since more of Pain than Pleasure Lovers know;
Since forward Hope deludes us to believe,
And then, like other Beauties, will deceive;
Since dark Despair rules yet with sterner Sway,
And leaves us not one comfortable Ray:
Grant me some better Aid, immortal Pow'rs,
To regulate my Life and cheer my Hours:

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To charm all Cares, all anxious Thoughts prevent;
And what can do it like divine Content;
Content alone can harmonize the Soul,
Can rash Attempts and vain Desires controul;
Curb the loose Sallies of unbounded Will,
And keep the wild impetuous Passions still.
She checks our eager Hopes, dispels our Fears,
And gives a Truce to Love's perplexing Cares;
Brightens the Mind and beautifies the Mien,
While all is easy, placid and serene;
Content can solid Happiness impart,
And form a little Heav'n in ev'ry Heart;
In ev'ry Heart that is so highly blest,
To entertain the fair celestial Guest.
Happy the Man that can this Treasure find,
This calm Companion of the humble Mind,

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Un-chang'd he bears blind Fortune's wild Excess,
Her Smiles transport not, or her Frowns depress;
Blest with Content, how smoothly runs his Glass,
How soft and sweet the chearful Minutes pass!
Such be the Lives of all our Patrons here,
Those worthy Patrons we so much revere;
Health, Wealth, and Honour, may they all possess,
And true Content their ev'ry Moment bless.