XXVII. From Poverty spring half our being's joys! "Tis indigence,-necessity,-employs The hands that charm our tastes, our ears, our eyes; The impulse that no love of ease destroys, The power whose inspiration never dies! She makes the painter toil,-the soldier fight,- XXVIII. No footpad takes the pains to dog my path; Who, bad I gold, in change would give me death! What I have not, too soon resigns his breath; When I walk, rest, or sleep, without alarm,My coat a passport and defence from harm. XXIX. I need no locks, nor bars, nor bolts at home; Such as when rich men go abroad have reft them Of worldly goods, whose loss has made them foam; Secured by doors and chains,-till the rogues cleft them: I have so little moveables in store, "Twere nothing if I never found them more. XXX. There's something charming in variety; 'Tis said so, and I try to find it true: To gaze on one scene breeds satiety, And therefore do I often change the view; Friends, prospects, resting-places ever new; XXXI. How many thousands are undone by wealth! XXXII. And gold not only ruins men, but nations; Thus even destitution makes men glorious. XXXIII. Ah, Rome! hadst thou been filled with ragged gentry, Not all possess'd one talent of their own,- XXXIV. Nature herself has set her curse on gold, While poorer lands see harvests smile around; XXXV. Who'd wish to live, when others wish him dead? And deem that he must soon have run his race: When some rich grey-beard dies, are set by th' ears; Sister hates sister,-brother laws with brother, And strife bursts forth coeval with their tears: Th' unequal legacies all fondness sinother, And heart-congealing gold affection sears; While he who dies and leaves his kindred nought, Is mourn'd, and they in love are closer brought. * As a fact, true enough-at Icast for poetry. XXXVII. Some labour half their pilgrimage below, But, growing somewhat wiser when they're old, They turn to spendthrifts when their hairs are grey, And haply live to waste the whole away. XXXVIII. Some count the greatest grief of life, taxation; And thus their money like a vapour passes! · Why let them wince-my "withers are unwrung!" I move, untax'd, a taxed host among. XXXIX. That law's a torment is by all confest ; XL. Where there is little wealth, the suit soon ends; XLI. The know nothing of this paper woepoor For, in the first place, none will give them credit; And, in the second, if they should, they know That, as for suing, they have cause to dread it ; For then their money would not come-but goAnd few, in losing law-suits, care to spread it: Thus debtors, without cash, or house, or land, May safe 'midst lawyers, bailiffs, jailors stand. XLII. A writer says, when he beholds a table Cover'd with many and luxurious dishes, To which the guests do honour while they're able; For, while they charm their epicurean wishes, Then, by the way of change, as I suppose, Upon unwilling patients-mortal foes To stomachs that still doat upon the best; XLIV. And that's the reason why their customers Which would be libelling a whole profession,- XLV. Where there is money, doctors will send physic, And then the case goes regularly through: And each prescription that she sends me nice is, XLVI. It often strikes me that the Chinese way Their's is still better, as must be confest; XLVII. Short meals, the doctors tell us, sharpen wit; Seeing it serves in place of house or land: The rich, when they have dined, will sometimes sit While I, by chance it happens, miss a dinner, Yet feel not much the worse, nor much the thinner. XLVIII. If every station has its share of bliss, Then what is pleasure, differs but in name; And I have mine, though some may deem it lame : XLIX. But here we close the theme-perchance too long; If nothing wont content us, yet a little May make us blest-with raiment, home, and victual. J. B. DISCUSSION ON THE USURY LAWS. THIS subject was several years ago powerfully investigated by Mr. Bentham, in a treatise, entitled "the Defence of Usury." An able and elaborate article has also been written upon it in the Supplement to the Encyclopædia Britannica:" and it has peculiarly engaged the public attention by the annual introduction into parliament of a bill to repeal the whole of the laws which limit the rate of interest. Although the question may not be very interesting in a literary aspect, it is obviously of the first importance to the public interest; and, more or less, to every individual in the country. |