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Bid Harbours open, public Ways extend,
Bid Temples, worthier of the God, afcend;
Bid the broad Arch the dang'rous Flood contain,
The Mole projected break the roaring Main;
Back to his bounds their fubject fea command,
And roll obedient Rivers thro' the Land:
These Honours, Peace to happy Britain brings,
These are Imperial Works, and worthy Kings.

breach had done very great mischiefs; when the propofal of building a bridge at Westminster had. been petitioned against, and rejected; when many of the highways throughout England were hardly paffable, and most of those which were repaired by turnpikes made jobbs for private lucre, and infamoufly executed, even to the entrances of London itfelf. At this time there had been an uninterrupted peace in Europe for above twenty years.

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FROM THE

DISPENSARY.

CANTO

VI.

This fixth canto of the Difpenfary, by Dr. Garth, has more merit than the whole preceding part of the poem, and, as I am told, in the first edition of this work it is more correct than as here exhibited; but that edition I have not been able to find. The praises bestowed on this poem are more than have been given to any other; but our approbation, at prefent, is cooler, for it owed part of its fame to party..

A

ND now the Delegate prepares to go

And view the wonders of the realms below. Thrice did the goddess, with her facred wand, The pavement strike; and strait, at her command, The willing furface opens, and defcries

A deep defcent, that leads to nether skies.

Hygeia to the filent region tends;

And, with his heav'nly guide, the Charge defcends
Thus Numa, when to hallow'd caves retir'd,

Was by Egeria guarded and inspir'd.
Within the chambers of the globe they fpy
The beds where fleeping vegetables lie,
Till the glad fummons of a genial ray
Unbinds the glebe, and calls them out to day.

Hence

Hence Pancies trick themselves in various hue,
And hence Junquils derive their fragrant dew;
Hence the Carnation, and the bashful Rofe,
Their virgin blushes to the morn disclose.
Hence the chafte Lilly rifes to the light,
Unveils her fnowy breasts and charms the fight.
Hence arbours are with twining greens array'd,
T'oblige complaining lovers with their fhade:
And hence on Daphne's laurel'd forehead grow
Immortal wreaths for Phoebus and Naffau.

The infects here their ling'ring trance survive:
Benumb'd they feem, and doubtful if alive.}
From Winter's fury hither they repair,
And stay for milder skies and softer air.
Down to these cells obfeener reptiles creep;
Where hateful Nutes and painted Lizzards fleep.
Where fhiv'ring Snakes the fummer Solftice wait,
Unfurl their painted folds, and slide in state.
Here their new form the numb'd Erucæ hide,
Their num'rous feet in flender bandage ty'd;
Soon as the kindling year begins to rife,
This upftart race their native clod defpife,
And, proud of painted wings, attempt the fkies..
Now thofe profounder regions they explore,

Where metals ripen in vaft cakes of oar.
Here, fullen to the fight, at large is spread,
The dull unwieldy mafs of lumpish Lead.
There, glimm'ring in their dawning beds, are seen
The aspiring feeds of sprightly Tin.

The Copper sparkles next in ruddy ftreaks;

And in the gloom betrays its glowing cheeks.

The Silver, then, with bright and burnish'd grace,
Youth, and a blooming luftre in its face,

To th' arms of thofe more yielding metals flies,.
And in the folds of their embraces lies:

So close they cling, so stubbornly retire,
Their love's more vi'lent than the chymift's fire.
Near these the Delegate, with wonder, fpies
Where floods of living filver ferpentize :
Where richest metals their bright looks put on,
And golden ftreams through amber channels run-
Where Light's gay God descends to ripen gems,
And lend a luftre brighter than his beams.

Here he obferves the fubterranean cells,
Where wanton nature sports in idle fhells.
Some helicoeids, fome conical appear;
These mitres emulate, those turbans are
Here marcafites in various figure wait,
To ripen to a true metallic state:

Till drops, that from impending rocks defcend,,
Their fubftance petrify, and progrefs end.
Nigh, livid feas of kindled fulphur flow,
And whilft, enraged, their fiery furges glow,
Convulfions in the lab'ring mountains rife,
And hurl their melted vitals to the fkies.
He views, with horror, next, the noify cave,
Where, with hoarfe dinns, imprifon'd tempefts rave;
Where clam'rous hurricanes attempt their flight,.
Or, whirling in tumultuous eddies, fight.
The warring winds, unmov'd, Hygeia heard,
Brav'd. their loud jars, but much for Celfus fear'd.-
Andromeda,

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