Countess de Luftanou.". This lady was His Majesty's miftrefs, and no doubt knew the value of the fecret too well not to sell it for a handsome bribe. She was banished from the capital after the King's death.Such are the effects of fecret influence.

THE TURF.

[From the British Prefs.]

TO BE SOLD, AT THE HACKNEY REPOSITORY,
GRUB STREET,

COURIER, a dark brown horfe, late the property of
Efq. a hot fiery animal, extremely vicious,
apt to lash out behind, and a great biter. Courier was
got by Jacobin, dam by Guillotine, grand-dam by Regi-
cide, and great-grand-dam by Robespierre, out of an old
Cade mare.
In 1793, Courier proved himself a colt of
great promise, having distanced Telegraph, a capital
horfe of the day, for the fweepstakes over the Revolu-
tion courfe. After long performance, with various
fuccefs, he broke down in a match againit Loyalty, Bri-
tannia, and John Bull. It is a curious circumstance
in the hiftory of the turf, that Courier, in his prime,
was always rode by a French jockey, and was never
once backed by a true Englithman. He is very awk-
ward in his paces, fteps badly, difhes, and throws up
the dirt in every direction. He is hard mouthed, and
has more than once fwallowed the bit in running. It
is, therefore, very unfafe to ride him, unlefs with a
curb. For fome time he has been driven in a tandem,
took the whip kindly, and was found to go tolerably
well in harnefs. Laft feafon he was hunted with a
pack of Fox hounds; but he wanted both speed and
bottom; was dull and fluggish, and thrown out in the
chase. In a recent plunge, Courier ran against a very
ftrong Cabinet, by which he broke his cheft, and is

now

now confidered by the knowing ones quite down before. Since that accident, he certainly ftands very awkwardly, and appears alfo touched in the wind, or what the jockies call a roarer. His owners are anxious to have his ears foxed; but we think he is more in need of cropping and decking, and that these operations would greatly improve his appearance. Under thefe circumstances, it is evident that Courier is no longer fit for the road, the car, or the courfe; but as he is in good condition, and has a deal of hard food in his belly, he may be worthy the notice of fome cat and dog's meat man. is, befides, not impoffible, that with good keeping, a hackney coachman, who is a good whip, might be able to work a few jobs out of him ftill.

It

LOVE ABUSED.

BY COWPER.

[From his Pofthumous Works.]

WHAT is there, in the vale of life,
Half fo delightful as a wife,
When friendship, love, and peace combine,
To ftamp the marriage bond divine?
The ftream of, pure and gennine love
Derives its current from above;
And earth a fecond Eden fhows,
Where'er the healing water flows:
But, ah! if from the dikes and drains
Of fenfual nature's fev'rith veins,
Junt like a lawiefs, headstrong flood,
Impregnated with ooze and mud,
Defcending faft on ev'ry fide,
Once mingles with the faced tide-
Farewell the foul-enliv'ning icene!
The banks that wore a fining green,
With rank defilement overspread,
Bewail their flow`ry beauties dead.

The

THE BACCHANALIAN RIVALS.

TWO Actors who jovially bow to the fhrine

Of the god who prefides o'er the fruit of the vine, In order the bill most attractive to make,

Difputed what plays they fhould mutually take;

Till at length (furely tippling gives exquifite pleasure)
They fate down, and agreed to take "Meafure for Measure."
Garrick's Head.

BIBO.

THE DREAM OF ANACREON.

AS

FROM THE GREEK.

Παλιν ήθελον καθεύδειν.

S full of joy-infpiring grape,
On purple down I fleeping lay,

With nymphs of foul-bewitching shape,
In am'rous fport I feem'd to play.

Now

Now blooming youth around appear,
All envious of the blits I prove,
And taunt me fore with jeft and jeer,
Because I ftil prefumie to love!
Infenfible to ev'ry joke,

At length I ftrove a kifs to gain,
When, woe is me, a wretch! I woke-
Oh! how I long'd to fleep again!!!

THE SWALLOW.

FROM THE SAME.

Συναισώς δε τις ήξει ονειρος

Ροδανθείοις πηχεσιν αμφίβαλοι. —Anthol. Β. 7.

WHAT wouldft thou I should do, I pray,

What wouldst thou, twitt'ring Swallow, fay!

Shall I feize thee, noify bird,

And let thee ne'er again be heard;

Cut, of thy faucy tongue, the ftrings *,*

And clip, in fpite, thy airy wings?

Why with thy matin notes-no!-hideous screams,
Why didft thou ravish Helen from my dreams?

THE ARGUMENT.

FROM THE GREEK OF ANACREON.

Mn me pryns.

AH! fly me not, thou lovely fair!
But let my paffion be return'd,
Though cruel Time my golden hair
Has all to filver ringlets turn'd t.

*According to the Greek, Cut off your tongue, as Tereus formerly did.-The fable is well known.

Ille- --comprenfam forcipe linguam,
Abftulit enfe ferox.--Metam. 1. 5. f. 9.

This idea is an improvement on Anacreon, borrowed from Petrarch, who talking of his Laura's growing old, makes this pretty antithefis :

E i cape' d'oro fin farfi d'argento.-Son. xi.

Ir

In thee the flow'rs of beauty breathe,
Yet ne'er defpife thefe locks of mine;
For think in chaplet or in wreath
How sweet the rose and lily twine! ́

WAR.

Μεσ' αρ' αοιδόν ανηκεν, αειδεμεναι κλεα ανδρων. --Hom. Od. 8.

A PARODY ON ANACREON'S ODE ON HIS LYRE.

OF Bacchus fair I fain would sing,

And rapt'rous ftrike the founding ftring;

But ah! alas! I ftrike in vain!

War, blood-ftain'd war, fills ev'ry strain.
Defeated, crofs'd-my breaft on fire,
Afide I fling the golden lyre;
Another feize, and all along

Its chords I fweep, and raife the fong:
To love! to love, my foul's delight!
But hark! what founds the ear affright!
Still mingled with love's foft alarms,
The clang of war refounds to arms!
Farewell to love then, and to wine-
My lyre alone, O Mars! is thine!

IMPROMPTU

FROM A GENTLEMAN, IN REPLY TO THE REBUKE OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, TO WHOM HE HAPPENED TO MAKE A VISIT IMMEDIATELY AFTER HAVING PAID HIS DEVOTIONS 10 THE JOLLY GOD.

[From the Morning Chronicle.]

HY thus, lovely Venus, on Bacchus look cold?

WHY

This lovei eft when young-that brightest when old ::

But thy rofes, fair Venus, will foon cease to biow,
While thine will, O Bacchus, eternally głów.

BATH