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CHA P. XXXI.

N O V E L TY.

ALL now to mind what high capacious pow'rs
Lie folded up in man; how far beyond.
The praise of mortals, may th' eternal growth
Of nature to perfection half divine,

Expand the blooming foul. What pity then
Should foth's unkindly fogs deprefs to earth.
Her tender bloom; choak the freams of life,
And blaft her fpring! Far otherwife defign'd
Almighty wifdom; nature's happy cares
Th' obedient heart far otherwife incline.
Witness the fprightly joy when ought unknown.
Strikes the quick fenfe, and wakes each active pow'r
To brifker measures: witness the neglect

Of all familiar profpects, tho' beheld

With transport once; the fond attentive gaze
Of young astonishment; the fober zeal
Of age, commenting on prodigious things..
For fuch the bounteous providence of Heav'n,
In every breaft implanting this defire
Of objects new and strange, to urge us on
With unremitted labour to pursue

Thofe facred ftores that wait the ripening fouly
In truth's exhauftlefs bofom. What need words
To paint its pow'r? For this, the daring youth
Breaks from his weeping mother's anxious arms,
In foreign climes to rove; the penfive fage,
Heedlefs of fleep, or midnights harmful damp,
Hangs o'er the fickly taper; and untir'd

The

The virgin follows, with inchanted step,
The mazes of fome wife and wond'rous tale,
From morn to eve; unmindful of her form,
Unmindful of the happy drefs that stole
The wishes of the youth, when every maid
With envy pin'd. Hence finally by night
The village-matron, round the blazing hearth,
Sufpends the infant-audience with her tales,
Breathing aftonishment! of witching rhimes,
And evil spirits; of the death-bed call
Of him who robb'd the widow, and devour'd
The orphan's portion; of unquiet fouls
Ris'n from the grave to eafe the heavy guilt
Of deeds in life conceal'd; of fhapes that walk
At dead of night, and clank their chains, and wave.
The torch of hell around the murd’rer's bed.

At every folemn pause the croud recoil

Gazing each other speechlefs, and congeal'd
With fhiv'ring fighs: till eager for th' event,
Around the beldame all erect they hang,
Each trembling heart with grateful terrors quell'd.

AKENSIDE.

ROOK

BOOK VIII.

PATHETIC PIECES.

IT

CHA P. I.

THE STORY OF LE FEVER.

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T was fome time in the fummer of that year in which Dendermond was taken by the allies, which was about feven before my father came into the country,and about as many, after the time, that my uncle Toby and Trim had privately decamped from my father's house in town, in order to lay fome of the fineft fieges to fome of the fineft fortified cities in Europe-when my uncle Toby was one evening getting his fupper, with Trim fitting behind him at a small fideboard; The landlord of a little inn in the village came into the parlour with an empty phial in his hand to beg a glass or two of fack; 'Tis for a poor gentleman, —I think, of the army, faid the landlord, who has been taken ill at my houfe four days ago, and has never held up his head fince, or had a desire to tafte any thing, till just now, that he has a fancy for a glass of fack and a thin toaft,

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-I think, fays he, taking his hand from his forehead,

it would comfort me.

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-IF I could neither beg, borrow, or buy such a thing, added the landlord, I would almost steal it for the poor gentleman, he is fo ill.I hope in God he will still mend, continued he- we are all of us concernedfor him.

THOU art a good-natured foul, I will anfwer for thee, cried my uncle Toby; and thou shalt drink the poor gentleman's health in a glass of sack thyself, and take a couple of bottles with my fervice, and tell him he is heartily welcome to them, and to a dozen more if they will do him good.

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THOUGH I am perfuaded, faid my uncle Toby, as the landlord shut the door, he is a very compaffionate fellowTrim, yet I cannot help entertaining a high opinion of his guest too; there must be fomething more than common in him, that in fo fhort a time fhould win fo much upon the affections of his hoft; And of his whole family, added the corporal, for they are all concerned for him.Step after him, faid my uncle Toby,- do Trim,-and alk if he knows his name.

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I HAVE quite forgot it, truly, faid the landlord, coming back into the parlour with the corporal,—but I can afk his fon again: Has he a fon with him then? faid my uncle Toby.-A boy, replied the landlord, of about eleven or twelve years. of age;-but the poor creature has tasted almost as little as his father; he does nothing but mourn and lament for him night and day : —— He has not ftirred from the bed-fide thefe two days.

My uncle Toby laid down his knife and fork, and thruft his plate from before him, as the landlord gave him the ac

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count; and Trim, without being ordered, took away without faying one word, and in a few minutes after brought him his pipe and tobacco.

—STAY in the room a little, faid my uncle Toby.—— TRIM!faid my uncle Toby, after he lighted his pipe, and fmoaked about a dozen whiffs.Trim came in front of his mafter and made his bow ;-my uncle Toby fmoaked on, and faid no more. Corporal! faid my uncle Toby -the corporal made his bow. My uncle Toby proceeded no farther, but finished his pipe.

TRIM! faid my uncle Toby, I have a project in my head, as it is a bad night, of wrapping myfelf up warm in my roquelaure, and paying a vifit to this poor gentleman. Your honour's roquelaure, replied the corporal, has not once been had on, fince the night before your honour received your wound, when we mounted guard in the trenches before the gate of St. Nicholas; and besides it is fo cold and rainy a night, that what with the roqueFaure, and what with the weather, 'twill be enough to give your honour your death, and bring on your honour's torment in your groin. I fear fo: replied my uncle Toby, but I am not at reft in my mind, Trim, fince the account the landlord has given me. much of this affair, -added had known more of it: Leave it, an't please your honour, to me, quoth the corporal;' take my hat and ftick, and go to the houfe and reconnoitre, and act accordingly; and I will bring your honour a full account in an hour.- -Thou fhalt go, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, and here's a fhilling for thee to drink with his fervant.- I fhall get it all out of him, faid the corporal; fhutting the door.

I wish I had not known so my uncle Toby,—or that. I How fhall we manage it?

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