The First of April | Page 4

that harbours strife
With mortal Natures.--Pallid, pining
Care, }
Pain, griping Penury, with black
Despair, }
And agonizing Death, in all his sable pomp, were there. }
Next _Melancholy_ came, with solemn pace;
A purple veil
o'er-spread her moisten'd face.
And now she fix'd her eyes upon the
ground;
Now with dejected air, she turn'd around,
As if to view the
sad approaching Train,
Degraded by unfeeling FOLLY'S chain.

Pale _Science_ follow'd;--to the sky she bore
Her fasten'd looks, as
eager to explore
Some great design; nor did she seem to hear
The
cruel scoffings, and th' insulting sneer,
Of brazen Ignorance and her
foul-mouth'd crew,
Who at the Holy Maid their venom threw.

Grave _Wisdom_, next, with wrinkled brow appear'd,
White was his
head, and white his flowing beard.
By the right hand _Religion_'s self
he led;
Who, as she pass'd along, devoutly read
In that _Celestial
Book_, whose sacred page
Shall pass unhurt through every distant
Age.
Meek _Resignation_ with her Mistress came,
And gentle
_Patience_, and unsullied _Fame_:
Onward they went, nor fear'd the
assailing cry
Of frontless _Vice_ and barking _Calumny_.
I mourn'd the piteous fight, and curs'd the hour
When FOLLY first
assum'd her fatal power:
And much I sorrow'd that she dare maintain

The shameful show of her fantastic reign.
But as I wip'd away the
silent tears,
With rout and revelry the QUEEN appears.
On a gay
car the painted _Mischief_ rode,--
Her pride a _Feather_, and her
grace a _Nod_.
A flaunting, party-colour'd vest she wore,
With
many a glittering star bespangled o'er.
Upon her cap, in order, plac'd

around,
The bells send forth an emblematic sound.
Her right-hand
did a wooden sword embrace,
Known to the Chiefs of _Pantomimic_
Race;
Whose magic powers, to please a silly Age,
She first
encourag'd on the _British_ Stage;
And, driving _Sense_ and
_Reason_ to despair,
Her _duteous Delegates_ continue there.
Her
eyes no penetrating gleam betray'd,
Upon her face no gentle graces
play'd.
The _Harlot_'s smile,--the _Ideot_'s vacant stare,
And
_Baby_ vehemence, were blended there.
An _Ostrich_ drew the
gilded weight along,
Whose harness'd plumage charm'd th' admiring
Throng.
Methought I saw her from the car descend,
While her
surrounding vot'ries lowly bend;
And, with loud, pealing bursts of
laughter, own
Their Monarch seated on her _Annual Throne_.
And now, in crowds, press'd through the yielding doors, High Lords,
deep Statesmen, Dutchesses, and Whores;
All ranks and stations,
Publicans and Peers,
Grooms, Lawyers, Fiddlers, Bawds, and
Auctioneers;
Prudes and Coquettes, the Ugly and the Fair,
The Pert,
the Prim, the Dull, the Debonnair;
The Weak, the Strong, the Humble
and the Proud,
All help'd to form the motley, mingled Crowd.
With curious eye, attentive I survey'd
Each busy Figure of the
Masquerade.
A Mask it might be call'd, tho', free from shame,
All
shew'd their Faces, and each told his Name.
For FOLLY's presence
spoils the attractive grace
That plays around the most bewitching face.

Where'er she reigns, beneath her magic sway
Each charm, each
envied beauty melts away.
Where'er she governs, WISDOM will
descry
In the fair form a foul deformity.
--There tottering Old Age
essay'd to prance
With feeble feet, and join'd th' imperfect dance.

There supercilious Youth assum'd the air
And reverend grace which
hoary Sages wear.
There I beheld full many a youthful Maid,

Like
colts for sale to public view display'd,
Shew off their shapes and ply
their happiest art,
While the old Mother acts the Jockey's part;
Who,
well-instructed in the World's great School,
Knows how to trap the

rich and noble Fool.
Bold Prostitution look'd with downcast eye,

And veil'd her painted cheeks with modesty;
While wedded Dames a
bold demeanour wear,
And think their eyes resistless when they stare.

The shameless Gamester shook the loaded die, }
Nor fear'd the
Stripling's unsuspecting eye, }
That knows not to discern th'
approaching ruin nigh. }
Old powerless _S----_ still essay'd to charm
The Whore that dangled
on the Dotard's arm.
Bold _P----_ made Appointments with the Fair,

Certain he should not meet his _Countess_ there.
Pale _G----_, as
he stroll'd about to chuse
Some _unbroke Filly_ for his favourite
_Meuse_,
Where faithful _W----n_ for his ---- _ship's gain_,
With
pliant hand breaks in th' unruly Train,
Fix'd on his _frisky
Wife_,--and, in her eye,
Saw the _mild beams of artless Modesty_.

--There _H----'s Countess_ views the _ducal Heir_, } With silent
caution does the toils prepare, } And with her _raw-bon'd_ Daughters
baits the _snare_. } The wretched _B---- sneaks_ behind to wait
The
doubtful progress of his _S----r's fate_.[a]
The Maiden's Piety,--the
boasted smiles
Of Royal Favour, and the secret wiles
Of hoary
Artifice, at length, succeed;
And _the flow_[b] _L----_ to the Altar
lead.
--There filly D---- mourn'd, in briny floods,
His lessen'd
Household, and diminish'd Woods.
Thus as I gaz'd,--the Hautbois shrieking sound,
With swelling
Clarions through the Dome resound;
And, in brisk, airy, measure,
lightly play
A Prelude to the business of the day.
The Music
ceas'd--and, in a treble tone,
Thus spake the Royal Puppet on the
Throne:
"Ye High, ye Low,--ye Vulgar and ye Peers!
Ye youthful Dames, and
you of riper Years!
Ye longing