tune equal to what fuch a Voyage, as they must have liv'd at great Expence, would have requir'd; for difcourfing of these Things, their Refolution if they had gone, was to have pafs'd the first Summer in Tufcany, and the whole Winter at Rome, where they would have found it Time little enough to fee only the choiceft Part of the Curiofities, and converfe with the Learned; but as Mr. Pope could not accompany him, who was chiefly alfo to have born the Expence, thefe Thoughts were turn'd another Way.

Among many fniall Pieces of Mr. Gay's, Trivia, or, the Art of walking the Streets, has had a very great Number of Admirers; but particularly the Rife of the Patten, and its being made by Vulcan, for a Lincolnshire Girl, and the more witty, and more humourus Birth of the Shoe-boy, from nothing lefs than a Goddefs: It deferves to be quoted.

LIKE mortal Man, great Jeve (grown fond of

Of old was wont the nether World to range
To feek Amours; the Vice the Monarch lov'd
Soon thro' the wide Ætherial Court improv'd..
And ev❜n the proudeft Goddess now and then
Would lodge a Night among the Sons of Men;
To vulgar Deities defcends the Fashion,
Each, like her Betters, bad her Earthly Paffion.
Then Cloacina (Goddefs of the Tide
Whofe fable Streams beneath the City glide).
Indulg'd the modifh Flame: the Town the rov'd,
A mortal Scavenger fhe faw, fhe lov’d;

*

The

Cloacina was a Goddefs, whofe Image Tatius, a King of the Sabines, found in the Common-fewer; and not knowing what Goddess it was, he call'd it Cloacina, from the Place in which it was found, and paid to it divine Honours. Lactant. 1, 20, Minuc. Fel. 07. p. 23.2

The muddy Spots that dry'd upon his Face,
Like Female Patches, heighten'd ev'ry Grace :
She gaz'd; the figh'd, for Love can Beauties spy,
In what seem Faults to ev'ry common Eye.

;

Now had the Watchman walk'd his fecond Round, When Cloacina hears the rumbling Sound Of her brown Lover's Cart, for well fhe knows That pleafing Thunder: Swift the Goddess rofe, And thro' the Streets purfu'd the distant Noise, Her Bofom panting with expected Joys. With the Night-wandring Harlot's Airs fhe past, Brush'd near his Side, and wanton Glances caft In the black Form of Cinder-wench fhe came, When Love, the Hour, the Place, had banish'd Shame, To the dark Alley, Arm in Arm they move; O may no Link-boy interrupt their Love! When the pale Moon had nine Times fill'd her Space, The pregnant Goddefs (cautious of Disgrace) Defcends to Earth; but fought no Midwife's Aid, Nor midft her Anguifh to Lucina pray'd; No chearful Goffip wifh'd the Mother Joy, Alone, beneath a Bulk, fhe dropt the Boy.

The Child, thro' various Rifques, in Years improv'd At firft a Beggar's-brat, Compaffion mov'd; His Infant-tongue foon learnt the canting Art, Knew all the Pray'rs and Whines to touch the Heart.

O happy unown'd Youths, your Limbs can bear The fcorching Dog-star, and the Winter's Air, While the rich Infant, nurs'd with Care and Pain, Thirfts with each Heat, and coughs with ev'ry Rain!

The Goddess long had mark'd the Child's Distress, And long had fought his Sufferings to redress; She prays the Gods to take the Fondling's Part, To teach his Hands fome beneficial Art, Practis'd in Streets: The Gods her Suit allow'd, And made him useful to the walking Crowd,

To cleanse the miry Feet, and o'er the Shoe
With nimble Skill the gloffy Black renew.
Each Pow'r contributes to relieve the Poor:
With the strong Briftles of the mighty Boar
Diana forms his Brush; the God of Day
A Tripod gives, amid the crowded Way
To raise the dirty Foot, and ease his Toil;
Kind Neptune fills his Vafe with foetid Oil,
Prefs'd from th' enormous Whale; the God of Fire;
From whofe Dominion fmoaky Clouds afpire,
Among these gen'rous Prefents joins his Part,
And aids with Soot the new japanning Art:
Pleas'd fhe receives the Gifts; fhe downward glides,
Lights in Fleet-Ditch, and fhoots beneath the Tides.
Now dawns the Morn, the sturdy Lad awakes,
Leaps from his Stall, his tangled Hair he shakes,
Then leaning o'er the Rails, he mufing flood,
And view'd below the black Canal of Mud,
Where Common-Sewers a lulling Murmur keep,
Whofe Torrents rufh from Holbourn's fatal Steep:
Penfive, thro' Idlenefs, Tears flow'd apace,
Which eas'd his loaded Heart, and wafh'd his Face;
At length he fighing cry'd; That Boy was bleft,
Whofe Infant-Lips have drain'd a Mother's Breast ;
But happier far are those (if such be known)
Whom both a Father and a Mother own:
But I, alafs! hard Fortune's utmost Scorn,
Who ne'er knew Parent, was an Orphan born!
Some Boys are rich by Birth beyond all Wants,
Belov'd by Uncles, and kind good old Aunts;
When Time comes round a Chriftmas-Box they bear,
And one Day makes 'em rich for all the Year.
Had I the Precepts of a Father learn'd,
Perhaps I then the Coachman's Fare had earn'd;
For leffer Boys can drive; I thirsty ftand,
And fee the double Flaggon charge their Hand,

See

See 'em puff off the Froth and gulp amain,
While with dry Tongue I lick my Lips in vain.
While thus he fervent prays, the heaving Tide
In widen'd Circles beats on either Side;
The Goddess rofe amid the inmoft Round,
With wither'd Turnip-Tops her Temples crown'd;
Low reach'd her dripping Treffes, lank and black
As the smooth Jet, or gloffy Raven's Back;
Around her Waift a circ'ling Eel was twin'd,
Which bound her Robe that hung in Rags behind.
Now beck'ning to the Boy; the thus begun :
Thy Pray'rs are granted; weep no more, my Son:
Go thrive. At fome frequented Corner ftand;
This Brush I give thee, grafp it in thy Hand,
Temper the Soot within this Vase of Oil,
And let the little Tripod aid thy Toil;
On this, methinks, I fee the walking Crew,
At thy Requeft fupport the miry Shoe; [brown'd,
The Foot grows black, that was with Dirt im-
And in thy Pocket jingling Ha'pence found.
The Goddefs plunges fwift beneath the Flood,
And dafhes all around her Show'rs of Mud;
The Youth ftrait chofe his Poft; the Labour ply'd,
Where branching Streets from Charing-Cross divide;
His Treble Voice refounds along the Meufe,

And Whitehall ecchoes--clean your Honour's Shoes.

The latter Part of this Quotation, we think, bears a very strong Refemblance to fome Lines in the Dunciad.

1

The Comedy of Three Hours after Marriage, came out in Mr. Gay's Name, but Dr. Arbuthnot and Mr. Pope were both faid to be concern'd in it: It was levell'd at Dr. Woodward, who was pointed at in it under the Name of Foffile, acted by the beft Comedian, but could not fupport itself, for indeed it was

H 3

but

but a poor Performance; Mr. Pope never own'd to
have had any Share in the Compofition of it: But a
Letter from Mr. Gay to him, while it was yet under
Condemnation, will give a little Light into this
Affair.

To

00 late I fee, and confefs myself mistaken, in Relation to the Comedy, yet I do not think had I follow'd your Advice, and only introduc'd the Mummy, that the Abfence of the Crocodile had fav'd it. I can't help laughing myself, (though the Vulgar do not confider that it was defign'd tolook very ridiculous) to think how the poor Monster and Mummy were dash'd at their Reception, and when the Cry was loudeft, thought that if the Thing had been wrote by another, I fhould have deem'd the Town in fome Measure mistaken, and as to your Apprehenfion that this may do us future Injury, do not think it; the Doctor has a more valuable Name than can be hurt by any Thing of this Nature, and yours is doubly fafe; I will (if any Shame there be) take it all to myself, as indeed I ought, the Motion being firft mine, and never heartily approv'd of by you: As to what your early Enemy faid at the Duke of Dorfet's and Mr. Pulteney's, you will live to prove him a falfe Prophet, as you have already a Liar, and a Flatterer, and Poet in Spight of Nature; whether I fhall do fo or no, you can beft tell, for with the Continuance of your dear Friendship and Assistance, never yet withheld from me, I dare promife as much.

Dear Pope,

I beg of you not to fuffer this, or any Thing else, to hurt your Health. As I have publickly faid, that I was affifted by two Friends, I fhall still continue in the fame Story, profeffing obftinate Silence about

Dr.