ON A SIMILAR OCCASION,

FOR THE YEAR 1793.

De sacris autem hoc sic una sententia, ut conserventur.

CIC. de Leg.

But let us all concur in this one sentiment, that things sacred be inviolate.

He lives, who lives to God alone

And all are dead beside,
For other source than God is none
Whence life can be supplied.'

To live to God is to requite

His love as best we may :
To make his precepts our delight,
His promises our stay.

But life, within a narrow ring
Of giddy joys compris'd,

Is falsely nam'd, and no such thing, ·
But rather death disguis'd.

Can life in them deserve the name,
Who only live to prove

For what poor toys they can disclaim
An endless life above.

Who much diseas'd, yet nothing feel;
Much menac'd, nothing dread,
Have wounds, which only God can heal,
Yet never ask his aid?

Who deem his house a useless place,
Faith want of common sense;
And ardour in the Christian race,
A hypocrite's pretence?

Who trample order; and the day,
Which God asserts his own,
Dishonour with unhallow'd play,
And worship chance alone?

If scorn of God's commands, impress'd
On word and deed, imply
The better part of man unbless'd
With life that cannot die;

Such want it, and that want uncur'd
Till man resigns his breath,
Speaks him a criminal, assur'd
Of everlasting death.

Sad period to a pleasant course!
Yet so will God repay

Sabbaths profan'd without remorse,

And mercy cast away.

INSCRIPTION,

FOR THE TOMB CF MK. HAMILTON.

PAUSE here, and think: a monitory rhyme Demands one moment of thy fleeting time.

Consult life's silent clock, thy bounding vein;
Seems it to say-" Health here has long to reign?"
Hast thou the vigour of thy youth? an eye
That beams delight? a heart untaught to sigh?
Yet fear. Youth, ofttimes healthful and at ease,
Anticipates a day it never sees;

And many a tomb, like Hamilton's, aloud
Exclaims, "Prepare thee for an early shroud."

EPITAPH ON A HARE.

HERE lies, whom hound did ne'er pursue,
Nor swifter grayhound follow,
Whose foot ne'er tainted morning dew,

Nor ear heard huntsman's halloo,⚫

Oid Tiney, surliest of his kind,
Who, nurs'd with tender care,
And to domestick bounds confin'd,
Was still a wild Jack-hare

Though duly from my hand he took
His pittance ev'ry night,

He did it with a jealous look,

And, when he could, would bite,

His diet was of wheaten bread,
And milk, and oats, and straw;
Thistles, or lettuces instead,

With sand to scour his maw.

On twigs of hawthorn he regal'd,
On pippen's russet peel,

And, when his juicy salads fail'd,
Slic'd carrot pleas'd him well.

A turkey carpet was his lawn
Whereon he lov'd to bound,
To skip and gambol like a fawn,
And swing his rump around.

His frisking was at ev'ning hours,
For then he lost his fear,

But most before approaching show'rs,
Or when a storm drew near.

Eight years and five round rolling moons
He thus saw steal away,

Dozing out all his idle noons,
And ev'ry night at play.

I kept him for his humour's sake,
For he would oft beguile

My heart of thoughts, that made it ache,
And force me to a smile.

But now beneath this walnut shade

He finds his long last home,

And waits, in snug concealment laid,
Till gentler Puss shall come

He, still more aged, feels the shocks,
From which no care can save,
And, partner once of Tiney's box,
Must soon partake his grave.

EPITAPHIUM ALTERUM.

Hic etiam jacet,

Qui totum novennium vixit,

Puss.

Siste paulisper,

Qui præteriturus es,

Et tecum sic reputa-
Hunc neque canis venaticus,
Nec plumbum missile,
Nec laqueus,

Nec imbres nimii,

Confecere :

Tamen mortuus est

Et moriar ego.