WOMAN Speaker. In decent dress and coarsely clean, The pious matron next was seen, Clasp'd in her hand a godly book was borne, Oh! where shall weeping want repair, Too late in life for me to ask, And shame prevents the deed, But all my wants, before I spoke, She still relieved, nor sought my praise, But every day her name I'll bless, SONG. By a WOMAN. Each day, each hour, her name I'll bless, MAN Speaker. The hardy veteran after struck the sight, At last the impetuous sorrow fir'd his breast. "Wild is the whirlwind rolling The raging deep, the whirlwind's roar, Oh, let me fly a land that spurns the brave, And lay my body where my limbs were lost." SONG. By a MAN. Old Edward's sons unknown to yield, For thine and Britain's wrongs they feel, Again they snatch the gleamy steel, WOMAN Speaker. In innocence and youth complaining, In sweet succession charm'd the senses, "The garland of beauty" ('tis this she would say), "No more shall my crook or my temples adorn, From Collins' "Ode to a Lady on the Death of Colonel Ross : Again for Britain's wrongs they feel, I'll not wear a garland-Augusta's away, The echoes of Thames shall my sorrows proclaim, 'Twas Death,-'twas the death of my mistress that came. But ever, for ever, her image shall last, I'll strip all the spring of its earliest bloom; On her grave shall the cowslip and primrose be cast, And the new blossom'd thorn shall whiten her tomb." SONG.-By a WOMAN.-Pastorale. With garlands of beauty the Queen of the May, On the grave of Augusta these garlands be plac❜d, Chorus. On the grave of Augusta this garland be plac'd, SONG,' INTENDED TO HAVE BEEN SUNG BY MISS HARDCASTLE IN THE COMEDY OF "SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER." Air "The Humours of Ballamagairy." 2 Ан me! when shall I marry me? Offers to love, but means to deceive me. Not a look, nor a smile shall my passion discover. Makes but a penitent, and loses a lover.3 "To the Editor of The LONDON MAGAZINE.' "SIR,-I send you a small production of the late Dr. Goldsmith, which has never been published, and which might perhaps have been totally lost, had I not secured it. He intended it as a song in the character of Miss Hardcastle, in his admirable comedy of 'She Stoops to Conquer,' but it was left out, as Mrs. Bulkley, who played the part, did not sing. He sung it himself in private companies, very agreeably. The tune is a pretty Irish air called 'The Humours of Balamagairy,' to which, he told me, he found it very difficult to adapt words; but he has succeeded very happily in these few lines. As I could sing the tune, and was fond of them, he was so good as to give me them, about a year ago, just as I was leaving London, and bidding him adieu for that season, little apprehending that it was a last farewell. I preserve this little relic, in his own hand-writing, with an affectionate care. I am, Sir, your humble servant, JAMES BOSWELL." 2 This air was, long after, more appropriately employed by Colman for Looney Mactoulter in his farce of "The Wags of Windsor." Mr. Moore has since tried to bring it into good company in the ninth number of his "Irish Melodies."CROKER (Boswell by Croker, p. 251). 3 "We (13 April, 1773) drank tea with the ladies [after a dinner at General Oglethorpe's], and Goldsmith sang Tony Lumpkin's song in his comedy 'She Stoops to Conquer,' and a very pretty one to an Irish tune, which he had designed for Miss Hardcastle; but as Mrs. Bulkley, who played the part, could not sing, it was left out. He afterwards wrote it down for me, by which means it has been preserved, and now appears among his poems."-BOSWELL by CROKER, p. 251. LETTER, IN PROSE AND VERSE, TO MRS. BUNBURY.' MADAM: I read your letter with all that allowance which critical candour could require, but after all find so much to object to, and so much to raise my indignation, that I cannot help giving it a serious answer. I am not so ignorant, Madam, as not to see there are many sarcasms contained in it, and solecisms also, (solecism is a word that comes from the town of Soleis in Attica among the Greeks, built by Solon, and applied as we use the word Kidderminster for curtains from a town also of that name; but this is learning you have no taste for.)—I say, Madam, there are sarcasms in it and solecisms also. But, not to seem an ill-natured critic, I'll take leave to quote your own words, and give you my remarks upon them as they occur. You begin as follows:- "I hope, my good Doctor, you soon will be here, And your spring velvet coat very smart will appear, good Pray, Madam, where did you ever find the epithet applied to the title of Doctor? Had you called me learned Doctor, or grave Doctor, or noble Doctor, it might be allowable, because they belong to the profession. But, not to cavil at trifles, you talk of my spring velvet coat, and advise me to wear it the first day in the year, that is in the middle of winter;-a spring velvet in the middle of winter!!! That would be a solecism indeed; and yet, to increase the inconsistence, in another part of your letter you call me a beau: now, on one side or other, you must be wrong. If I am a beau, I can never think of wearing a spring velvet in winter; and if I am not a beau-why-then-that explains itself. But let me go on to your two next strange lines: : "And bring with you a wig that is modish and gay, To dance with the girls that are making of hay." 1 See note 2, p. 110. An invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Bunbury, in a rhyming and jocular strain, to spend some time with them at their seat at Barton in Suffolk, brought from the Poet the above reply, printed for the first time in 1837 by Messrs. Prior and Wright, though written in 1772. |