"M I. Y time, O ye Mufes, was happily fpent, When Phoebe went with me wherever I 66 went; "Ten thousand sweet pleasures I felt in my breast: "Sure never fond fhepherd like Colin was bleft! "But now she is gone, and has left me behind, "What a marvellous change on a fudden I find! "When things were as fine as could poffibly be, "I thought 'twas the fpring; but alas! it was fhe. II. "With fuch a companion, to tend a few sheep, "To rife up and play, or to lie down and fleep, "I was fo good-humour'd, fo cheerful and gay, "My heart was as light as a feather all day. "But now I fo crofs and fo peevish am grown, "So trangely uneafy as never was known. "My fair-one is gone, and my joys are all drown'd, "And my heart-I am fure it weighs more than a "pound. deacon and Prebendary of Ely, Regius Profeffor and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, who died in 1742. She was afterwards married to Dr. Denison Cumberland, bishop of Clonfert in Killaloe in Ireland, and grandfon of Dr. Richard Cumberland, bishop of Peterborough. The author, Mr, John Byrom, was, when he wrote this poem, a student at Cambridge, and a candidate for a fellowship. This writer affirms, on good authority, that it answered its purpose effectually, which was not fo much to win the daughter's affections, as to fecure her father's intereft on the occafion abovementioned. As the poet was not in reality smitten with the charms of Phoebe, he is, perhaps, more pardonable for the introduction of fome ludicrous inftances of puerility of fentiment and expreffion which are introduced into his piece; at leaft this information, which may be depended upon, ferves to account for them. III. III. "The fountain that wont to run fweetly along, "And dance to foft murmurs the pebbles among; "Thou know'it, little Cupid, if Phoebe was there, "'Twas pleasure to look at, 'twas mufic to hear: "But now he is abfent I walk by its fide, "And still as it murmurs do nothing but chide; "Muft you be fo cheerful while I go in pain? "Peace there with your bubbling, and hear me com"plain. IV. "When my lambkins around me would oftentimes 66 play, "And when Phobe and I were as joyful as they, "How pleasant their fporting, how happy their time, "When fpring, love and beauty, were all in their "prime? "But now in their frolics when by me they pafs, "I fling at their fleeces an handful of grafs; "Be ftill then, I cry, for it makes me quite mad, "To see you fo merry while I am fo fad. V. My dog I was ever well pleased to fee "Come wagging his tail to my fair-one and me; "And Phoebe was pleas'd too, and to my dog faid, "Come hither, poor fellow; and patted his head. "But now, when he's fawning, I with a four look "Cry, Sirrah; and give him a blow with my crook: "And I'll give him another; for wh "Be as dull VI. "When walking with Phoebe, what fights have I "feen! "How fair was the flower, how fresh was the green! "What a lovely appearance the trees and the fhade, "The corn fields and hedges, and every thing made? "But now fhe has left me, though all are ftill there, They none of them now fo delightful appear: ""Twas nought but the magic, I find, of her eyes, "Made fo many beautiful profpects arise, VII. "Sweet mufic went with us both all the wood thro', "The lark, linnet, throftle, and nightingale too; "Winds over us whisper'd, flocks by us did bleat, "And chirp went the grafhopper under our feet. "But now the is abfent, though ftill they fing on, "The woods are but lonely, the melody's gone: "Her voice in the concert, as now I have found, "Gave ev'ry thing elfe its agreeable found, VIII. "Rofe, what is become of thy delicate hue? "And where is the violet's beautiful blue? "Does aught of its sweetness the bloffom beguile? "That meadow, thofe daifies, why do they not fimile? "Ah! rivals, I fee what it was that you dreft, "And made yourselves fine for; a place on her breast: "You put on your colours to pleasure her eye, "To be pluck'd by her hand, on her bofom to die. IX. "How flowly time creeps, till my Phoebe return! "While amidst the foft zephyr's cool breezes I burn! "Methinks "Methinks if I knew whereabouts he would tread, "I could breathe on his wings, and 'twould melt "down the lead. "Fly swifter ye minutes, bring hither my dear, "And reft fo much longer for't when she is here, "Ah, Collin! old Time is full of delay, "Nor will budge one foot fafter for all thou canst say. X. "Will no pitying power that hears me complain, "Or cure my difquiet or foften my pain? "To be cur'd, thou must, Collin, thy paffion remove; "But what fwain is fo filly to live without love? "No, deity, bid the dear nymph to return, "For ne'er was poor fhepherd fo fadly forlorn. "Ah! what fhall I do? I fhall die with despair! "Take heed, all ye fwains, how ye love one fo fair." N° 604. Friday, October 8, 1714. Tu ne quæfieris (feire nefas) quem mihi, quem tibi, HOR. I Od. xi 1. Ah, do not ftrive too much to know, 'My dear Luconoe, What the kind gods defigns to do, TH CREECH. HE defire of knowing future events is one of the ftrongeft inclinations in the mind of man. Indeed an ability of foreseeing *By Mr. John BYROM. See SPECT, N° 586, and Note, N° 587, and N° 593. probable probable accidents is what, in the language of men, is called wifdom and prudence; but, not fatisfied with the light that reafon holds out, mankind hath endeavoured to penetrate more compendiously into futurity. Magic, oracles, omens, lucky hours, and the various arts of fuperftition, owe their rife to this powerful caufe. As this principle is founded in self-love, every man is fure to be folicitous in the first place about his own fortune, the courfe of his life, and the time and manner of his death. If we confider that we are free agents, we shall discover the abfurdity of fuch inquiries. One of our actions, which we might have performed or neglected, is the caufe of another that fucceeds it, and fo the whole chain of life are linked together. Pain, poverty, or infamy, are the natural product of vicious and imprudent acts, as the contrary bleffings are of good ones; fo that we cannot fuppofe our lot to be determined without impiety. A great enhancement of pleasure arifes from its being unexpected; and pain is doubled by being foreseen. Upon all thefe, and several other accounts, we ought to reft fatisfied in this portion beftowed on us; to adore the hand that hath fitted every thing to our na ture, and hath not more difplayed his goodness in our knowledge than in our ignorance. It is not unworthy obfervation, that fuperftitious inquires into future events prevail more or lefs, in proportion to the improvement of liberal arts and useful knowledge in the feveral parts of the world. Accordingly, we find that magical |