EPIGRAMS.

EPIGRAMS.

I.

THE PREFERENCE.

Or two fair daughters, both her boast,
CANIDIA loves the elder most.

Yet every one, except the mother,
Esteems as best by far the other.
Abroad no beauty with her vies,

The Cynosure of neighbouring eyes';

All rival banners near her furl'd,

She gathers round her all the world.

Ah, there it is! The minx! confound her!

She gathers all the world around her.

II.

EUTHANASIA.

EXPIRING, EUTHANASIA lies,

Yet while the breath of life still lingers,

On sleek MACHÁON turns her eyes,

Who holds her wrist between his fingers : "Doctor".. the dying lady sighs.

"Dear madam !

say what

your

command is!"

With her last breath, she low replies,

"O dear! how very white your hand is !"

III.

THE PRUDE.

GROWN old, pure MELINDROSA prays,
And fain would keep her friends from sliding.
Experience qualifies for guiding;

She knows the evil of her ways.

IV.

A VIRGIN.

RUTH boasts her virtue unassail'd :

She 's kept the path where most have fail'd. Who 'd said she 'd not, had sore bely'd her; For, God knows, no man ever try'd her.

V.

TO HY WH L-GFW,

ON READING IN THE N. Y. American ▲ PANEGYRIC OF HIS POEMS.

O L-GF-w, thy Voices of the Night
Shall long, true Philomels, in Harvard sing ;
For K-G has heard their murmurs with delight;
And everybody knows the taste of K-G.

VI.

TO ROBERT SOUTHEY.

Go on! in face of all thy peers

Who 've writ for twice nine-hundred years,

Damn VIRGIL, and, with painful sneers,

Revile the shade of PoPE:

Æsop the dirty cause shall teach;
The fox the grapes he could not reach
Despis'd, and thou dost wit impeach

Wherewith thou canst not cope.