He might have seen of Hearts the varying kind,
And trac'd the movement of each different Mind:
He might have seen, that not the gentle Maid
Was more than stern and haughty Man afraid;
Such, calmly grieving, will their Fears suppress,
And silent Prayers to Mercy's Throne address;
While fiercer Minds, impatient, angry loud,
Force their vain Grief on the reluctant Crowd:
The Party's Patron, sorely sighing, cried,
"Why would you urge me? I at first denied."
Fiercely they answer'd, 'Why will you complain,
'Who saw no Danger, or was warn'd in vain?'
A few essay'd the troubled Soul to calm,
But Dread prevail'd, and Anguish and Alarm.

Now rose the Water through the lessening Sand, And they seem'd sinking while they yet could stand; The Sun went down, they look'd from side to side, Nor aught except the gathering Sea descried; Dark and more dark, more wet, more cold it grew, And the most lively bade to Hope adieu; Children, by Love then lifted from the Seas, Felt not the Waters at the Parents' Knees, But wept aloud; the Wind increas'd the sound,

And the cold Billows as they broke around.

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"Once more, yet once again, with all our strength

Cry to the Land-we may be heard at length."

Vain hope if yet unseen! but hark! an Oar,

That sound of bliss! comes dashing to their Shore; Still, still the Water rises," Haste!" they cry, "Oh! hurry, Seamen, in delay we die :" (Seamen were these, who in their Ship perc iv'd The drifted Boat, and thus her Crew reliev'd.) And now the Keel just cuts the cover'd Sand, Now to the Gunwale stretches every Hand:

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With trembling Pleasure all confus'd embark, And kiss the Tackling of their welcome Ark; While the most giddy, as they reach the Shore, Think of their Danger, and their God adore.

LETTER X.

CLUBS AND SOCIAL MEETINGS.

Non inter lances mensasque nitentes,
Cùm stupet insanis acies fulgoribus, et cùm
Acclinis falsis animus meliora recusat;
Verum hic impransi mecum disquirite.

Hor. Sat. 2. lib. 2.

O prodiga rerum

Luxuries, nunquam parvo contenta paratu,
Et quæsitorum terrâ pelagoque ciborum
Ambitiosa fames et laut gloria mensæ.

Lucan. lib. 4.

Et quæ non prosunt singula, juncta juvant.

Rusticus agricolam, miles fera bella gerentem,
Rectorem dubiæ navita puppis amat.

Ovid. Pont. lib. 2.

LETTER X.

CLUBS AND SOCIAL MEETINGS.

Desire of Country Gentlemen for Town Associations.Book-Clubs.-Too much of Literary Character expected from them.-Literary Conversation prevented : by Feasting: by Cards. Good, notwithstanding, results. Card-Club with eagerness resorted to.Players.-Umpires at the Whist-Table.-Petulances of Temper there discovered.-Free-and-Easy Club: not perfectly easy or free.-Freedom how interrupted.The superior Member.-Termination of the Evening.Drinking and Smoking Clubs.-The Midnight Conversation of the delaying Members.-Society of the poorer Inhabitants: its Use: gives Pride and Consequence to the humble Character.-Pleasant Habitations of the frugal Poor.-Sailor returning to his Family.-Free-Masons' Club.-The Mystery.—What its Origin.-Its professed Advantages.-Griggs and Gregorians. A kind of Masons.-Reflections on these various Societies.

You

ou say you envy in your calm Retreat Our social Meetings;-'tis with joy we meet: In these our Parties you are pleas'd to find Good Sense and Wit, with Intercourse of Mind; Compos'd of Men, who read, reflect, and write, Who, when they meet, must yield and share Delight: To you our Book-Club has peculiar charm,

For which you sicken in your quiet Farm;

Here you suppose us at our leisure plac'd,
Enjoying Freedom, and displaying Taste;
With Wisdom cheerful, temperately gay,
Pleas'd to enjoy, and willing to display.

If thus your Envy gives your Ease its Gloom, Give Wings to Fancy and among us come. We're now assembled; you may soon attendI'll introduce you-❝ Gentlemen, my Friend." "Now are you happy? you have pass'd a night "In gay Discourse, and rational Delight."

Alas! not so: for how can Mortals think,

'Or Thoughts exchange, if thus they eat and drink? "No! I confess, when we had fairly din'd, 'That was no time for intercourse of Mind; 'There was each Dish prepar'd with Skill t' invite, ' And to detain the struggling Appetite;

'On such Occasions Minds with one consent 'Are to the Comforts of the Body lent;

'There was no pause-the Wine went quickly round, 'Till struggling Fancy was by Bacchus bound; 'Wine is to Wit as Water thrown on Fire, 'By duly sprinkling both are rais'd the higher; 'Thus largely dealt, the vivid Blaze they choke, 'And all the genial Flame goes off in Smoke.'

'But when no more your Boards these Loads contain, { When Wine no more o'erwhelms the labouring Brain, 'But serves, a gentle stimulus; we know, 'How Wit must sparkle, and how Fancy flow.'

It might be so, but no such Club-days come,
We always find these Dampers in the Room;
If to converse were all that brought us here,
A few odd Members would in turn appear;
Who dwelling nigh, would saunter in and out,
O'erlook the List, and toss the Books about;