London ingulphs them all! The shark is there, Oh thou, resort and mart of all the earth, Chequer'd with all complexions of mankind, And spotted with all crimes; in whom I see Much that I love, and more that I admire, And all that I abhor; thou freckled fair, That pleasest and yet shock’lt me; I can laugh And I can weep, can hope, and can despond, Feel wrath and pity, when I think on thee ! Ten righteous would have sav'd a city once, And thou hast many righteous.-Well for theeThat falt preserves thee ; more corrupted else, And therefore more obnoxious, at this hour Than Sodom in her day had pow'r to be, For whom God heard his Abr’ain plead in vain. ARGUMENT OF THE FOURTH BOOK, The post comes in.—The news-paper is read. The world contemplated at a distance.--Address to Winter.-The rural amusements of a winter evening compared with the fashionable ones.-Address to evening.--Abrown study.–Fall of snow in the evening.-The waggoner. -A poor family-piece.-The rural thief.- Public houses. The multitude of them censured. The farmer's daughter : what she was—what he is.-The fimplicity of country manners almost lojt.-Causes of the change.-Defertion of tbe country by the rich.Negleet of magistrates.—The militia principally in fault.-T be new recruit and bis transformation.Reflection on bodies corporate.—The love of rural objects natural to all, and never to be totally extinguished. THE TA S K. BOOK IV. THE WINTER EVENING. Hark! 'tis the twanging horn o’er yonder bridge, That with its wearisome but needful length Bestrides the wintry food, in which the moon Sees her unwrinkled face reflected bright; He comes, the herald of a noisy world, With spatter'd boots, strapp'd waist, and frozen locks, News from all nations lumb’ring at his back. True to his charge, the close-pack'd load behind, Yet careless what he brings, his one concern Is to conduct it to the destin'd inn; |