1 to retrieve it by a continual application. So great is the force of love, when - Not of a vicious kind, It does to noblest acts enflame the mind; AND so indeed it proved with our country enamerato: I have already observed that the Latin tongue was the only thing they could beat into his dull brains; he made however no great progress in it till after his acquaintance with this lady, but hearing her repeat with an admirable grace, fome tranflations of the odes of Horace, and other antient poets both Greek and Latin, he was afhamed to think he had not a perfect understanding in those two languages, therefore endeavoured to perfect himself in the one, and begin to study the other with all his might. WHAT will not a mind resolved, and unwearied application be able to produce! The paffion he was inspired with for the amiable Celia, the confciousness how little he was worthy of her as he then was, and the ardent wishes he had to render himself more fo, enabled him to work wonders; and a few weeks accomplished that which the fame number of years had failed to do, and which perhaps had never been, had Celia never come into the country. How } How great a transport this unexpected, this unhoped for alteration gave to his father's heart, none who has not been a parent can conceive; nor was he less satisfied to find it occafioned by fo worthy an object; but though he, and indeed the whole family, perceived that love and love alone had wrought this miracle, none gave the leaft hint of it before him, thinking it most prudent to suffer him to pursue his own method in that point, and contented themselves with encourageing him in his studies, and furnishing him with every thing necessary for the profecution of them. He translated several little pieces out of the claffic authors, highly to the approbation of bis father, and a gentleman who was now appointed for his tutor, and taken into the house for that purpose; among other things, the story of Jupiter and Europa, as he found it in Moscus, very much hit his fancy, and he took more than ordinary pains in putting it into the most elegant English he could; for now, as love had inspired him with an ambition for learning, so it prompted him to make known the motive of his wishes, which yet he had never dared to do even by the most distant hint. The method he took was this : He transcribed his tranflation very fair, ornamented it with many flourishes of the pen, and put all the capitals in gold and red; and when he had made it as fine as poffible, inclosed it with a dedication in verse, the first efiay of his youthful muse, which the reader may fsuppose was obliged to go through many alterations before brought to what it was when he took courage to present it to his adorable Celia. HAVING at last finished it, he shewed it to his tutor, making him a kind of a confidant, not directly of his paffion, but as he intended it a tribute of gallantry to a young lady who was his father's guest; the gentleman laughed within himfelf at the caution and modefty of his pupil, but very well knowing his patron's mind, applauded the design, praised his poem, and encouraged him to present it. BUT I will delay no longer the attention of the public, which, I dare say, have curiosity enough to be impatient for this production. To the most amiable Celia, with the fable of Jupiter and Europa from Moscus. MADAM, The fable in the following lines, will prove How sharp, how poignant are the darts of love: Not only men subscribe to beauty's sway, But charms like your's ev'n gods themselves obey. Europa's fate the truth of this displays; Europa was the Celia of those days : Europa's charm would make e'en Jove forego The joys of heav'n for greater joys below : In a disguise he woo'd, and gain'd the maid, And all the blessings he receiv'd repaid. Her virgin heart at first with tears was prest, Tears fill'd her eyes, fighs heav'd her snowy breaft; She never had yet by experience prov'd, What 'twas at once to love and be belov'd : But foon as e'er the thrilling dart she feels, And warm ideas speechless joys reveals, Tears flow no more, no labouring fighs arife, Love fires her breast, and sparkles in her eyes : Her Her mantling blood a new-born vigour gains, "АССЕРТ, most excellent lady, of this hum"ble offering, as it is the first trial of a muse, " which owes its being to you, and shall ever be " devoted to you, with all zeal and fidelity, by " your adoring STREPHON." THERE is, in my opinion, something of nature in this poem, more touching to the heart than the moft masterly strokes of art. Celia disdained not to accept it with all the sweetness imaginable; but though she was not ignorant of the paffion she had inspired him with, any more than others who faw the effect of it, yet she seemed not to have the leaft fufpicion of it, and feigned to look not only on this dedication, but also on every other token of what he felt, as proceeding from no more than mere complaisance. But the time in which the had always intended to return to London drawing near, poor Strephon began began to be extremely melancholy, and the father apprehending fome ill consequences from this separation, thought it best no longer to defer acquainting his charge, with the effects her beauty had produced; and prevail with her, if poffible, to tarry a little longer with them. He told her, that if his son continued to improve, as he had begun fince she had been their guest, he flattered himself she would not think him unworthy of the happiness to which he found he had aspired, and, that, for his own part, as he had always loved her as a daughter, he wished for nothing fo much as to make her such. CELIA was not at all furprized at this declaration; on the contrary, she had expected it for some time before, therefore was not unprepared with an answer. The person of Strephon had nothing in it disagreeable, and the thoughts that all the pains he took to regulate his behaviour, was late intirely owing to his defire of pleasing her, had more weight than had the found him the most accomplished man on earth Her generofity made her compassionate his love, and her prudence remonstrated to her, that it was not likely she should ever have an offer of more advantage, for, indeed, she had but a small fortune, and he was the heir of a very large estate; so that the had not the leaft repugnance to the match. SHE replied to the old gentleman, that the obligations she had to him for the great care he had taken of her, had made her confider him in the fame light as a father; that the young lady his daughter was extremely dear to her, and that Strephon, as being the fon and brother of two perfons, who were the first in her esteem and love, |