Thus, half-accomplish'd ere he yet begin
To fhow the peeping down upon his chin;
And, as maturity of years comes on,
Made juft th' adept that you defign'd your fon;
T'enfure the perseverence of his course,
And give your monstrous project all its force,
Send him to college. If he there be tam'd,
Or in one article of vice reclaim'd,
Where no regard of ord'nances is shown
Or look'd for now, the fault must be his own.
Some fneaking virtue lurks in him, no doubt,
Where neither ftrumpets' charms, nor drinking-bout,
Nor gambling practices, can find it out.
Such youths of fpirit, and that fpirit too,
Ye nurs❜ries of our boys, we owe to you !
Though from outfelves the mischief more proceeds,
For public schools 'tis public folly feeds.
The flaves of custom and establish'd mode,
With pack-horfe constancy we keep the road,
Crooked or ftraight, through quags or thorny dells,
True to the jingling of our leader's bells.
To follow foolish precedents, and wink
With both our eyes, is easier than to think :
And fuch an age as ours baulks no expence,
Except of caution and of common-sense;
Elfe, fure, notorious fact and proof fo plain
Would turn our steps into a wiser train.
I blame not those who with what care they can
O'erwatch the num'rous and unruly clan;
Or, if I blame, 'tis only that they dare
Promise a work of which they must despair.
Have ye, ye fage intendants of the whole,
An ubiquarian prefence and controul—
Elifha's eye, that when Gehazi stray'd,
Went with him, and faw all the game he play'd?
Yes-ye are confcious; and on all the shelves
Your pupils strike upon, have ftruck yourselves.
Or, if by nature sober, ye had then,
Boys as ye were, the gravity of men;
Ye knew at least, by conftant proofs addrefs'd
To ears and eyes, the vices of the rest.
But ye connive at what ye cannot cure,
And evils, not to be endur'd, endure,
Left pow'r exerted, but without fuccefs,
Should make the little ye retain ftill lefs.
Ye once were justly fam'd for bringing forth
Undoubted scholarship and genuine worth;
And in the firmament of fame still shines
A glory bright as that of all the figns,
Of poets rais'd by you, and ftatefmen, and divines.
Peace to them all! thofe brilliant times are fled,
And no fuch lights are kindling in their stead.
Our striplings fhine, indeed, but with fuch rays
As fet the midnight riot in a blaze;
And feem, if judg'd by their expreffive looks,
Deeper in none than in their furgeon's books..
Say, mufe, (for education made the song,
No mufe can hefitate or linger long)
What causes move us, knowing, as we must,
That these menageries all fail their trust,
To fend our fons to fcout and feamper there,
While colts and puppies coft us fo much care?
Be it a weakness, it deferves fome praife; We love the play-place of our early daysThe scene is touching, and the heart is stone That feels not at that fight, and feels at none. The wall on which we tried our graving skills The very name we carv'd, fubfisting still; The bench on which we fat while deep employ'd, Though mangled, hack'd, and hew'd, not yet deftroy'd: The little ones, unbutton'd, glowing hot, Playing our games, and on the very spot; As happy as we once, to kneel and draw
The chalky ring, and knuckle down at taw;
To pitch the ball into the grounded hat,
Or drive it devious with a dex'trous pat→→
The pleafing fpectacle at once excites
Such recollection of our own delights,
That, viewing it, we feem almoft t' obtain
Our innocent fweet fimple years again,
This fond attachment to the well-known place,
Whence first we started into life's long race,
Maintains its hold with fuch unfailing fway,
We feel it ev'n in age, and at our latest day.
Hark! how the fire of chits, whose future share
Of claffic food begins to be his care,
With his own likeness plac'd on either knee,
Indulges all a father's heartfelt glee;
And tells them, as he strokes their filver locks,
That they must foon learn Latin, and to box;
Then, turning, he regales his lift'ning wife
With all th' adventures of his early life;
His skill in coachmanship, or driving chaise,
In bilking tavern bills, and spouting plays;
What shifts he us'd, detected in a scrape,
How he was flogg'd, or had the luck t' escape;
What fums he lost at play, and how he fold
Watch, seals, and all-till all his pranks are told.
Retracing thus his frolics, ('tis a name
That palliates deeds of folly and of thame)
He gives the local bias all its fway;
Refolves that where he play'd his sons shall play,
And destines their bright genius to be shown
Juft in the scene where he difplay'd his own.
The meek and bafhful boy will foon be taught
To be as bold and forward as he ought;
The rude will scuffle through with ease enough,
Great schools fuit best the sturdy and the rough.
Ah, happy defignation, prudent choice,
Th' event is fure; expect it, and rejoice!
with fulfill'd in either childmade perter, and the tame made wild.
The great, indeed, by titles, riches, birth,
Excus'd th' incumbrance of more folid worth,
Are beft difpos'd of where with most fuccefs
They may acquire that confident addrefs,
Thofe habits of profufe and lewd expence,
That fcorn of all delights but thofe of fenfe,
Which, though in plain plebeians we condemn,
With fo much reafon all expect from them.
But families of lefs illuftrious fame,
Whose chief distinction is their spotless name,
Whofe heirs, their honours none, their income small,
Must shine by true defert, or not at all--
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