written in
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES
 
 UiNIV 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 LIBRARY 
 
 1
 
 A N 
 
 ELEGY 
 
 WRITTEN IN 
 
 An Empty ASSEMBLY-ROOM. 
 
 _.__ Semperque relinqui 
 
 Solafibi VIRG. 
 
 THE THIRD EDITION. 
 
 92290 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for R. and J. DODSLEY, in Pall-mall. 
 
 M.DCC.LVI.

 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 HP HIS Poem being a Parody on the moft 
 -* remarkable Paflages in the well-known 
 Epiftle of Eloifa to Abelard, it was thought un- 
 neceflary to tranfcribe any Lines from that 
 Poem, which is in the Hands of all, and in the 
 Memory of moft Readers.
 
 
 
 .
 
 A N 
 
 ELEGY 
 
 WRITTEN IN 
 
 An Empty ASSEMBLY-ROOM. 
 
 IN Scenes where HALLET'S Genius has combined 
 With BROMWICH to amufe and chear the Mind; 
 Amid this Pomp of Coft, this Pride of Art, 
 What mean thefe Sorrows in a Female Heart ? 
 5 Ye crowded Walls, whofe well enlighten'd Round 
 With Lovers Sighs and Proteftations found, 
 Ye Pictures flatter'd by the learn'd and wile, 
 Ye Glaffes ogled by the brighteft Eyes, 
 
 Ye
 
 Ye Cards, whom Beauties by their Touch have bleft, 
 20 Ye Chairs, which Peers and Minifters have preft, 
 
 How are ye chang'd ! like you my Fate I moan, 
 
 Like you, alas ! neglefted and alone 
 
 For ah ! to me alone no Card is come, 
 
 I muft not go abroad and cannot Be at Home. 
 1 5 Bleft be that fbcial PowY, the firft who pair'd 
 
 The erring Footman with th' unerring Card. 
 
 Twas VENUS fure; for by their faithful Aid 
 
 The whifp'ring Lover meets the blufhing Maid ; 
 
 From Solitude they give the chearful Call 
 20 To the choice Supper, or the fprightly Ball ; 
 
 Speed the fbft Summons of the Gay and Fair, 
 
 From diftant Bloomfbury to Grofvenor's Square ; 
 
 And bring the Colonel to the tender Hour, 
 
 From the Parade, the Senate or the Tower. 
 
 Ye
 
 (7 ) 
 
 25 Ye Records, Patents of our Worth and Pride! 
 Our daily LefTon, and our nightly Guide, 
 Where'er ye ftand difpos'd in proud Array, 
 The Vapours vanifh, and the Heart is gay ; 
 But when no Cards the Chimney-Glafs adorn, 
 
 30 The difmal Void with Heart- felt Shame we mourn; 
 Confcious Negleft infpires a fallen Gloom, 
 And brooding Sadnefs fills the flighted Room. 
 
 If but fbme happier Female's Card I've feen, 
 I (well with Rage, or ficken with the Spleen ; 
 
 35 While artful Pride conceals the burfting Tear, 
 With fbme forc'd Banter or affefted Sneer : 
 But now grown defp'rate, and beyond all Hope, 
 
 I curfe the Ball, the D fs and the Pope. 
 
 And as the Loads of borrow'd Plate go by, 
 
 40 Tax it ! ye greedy Ministers, I cry. 
 
 How
 
 ( M > 
 
 Htfw (halt I feel when SOL refigns his Light 
 To this proud (plendid Goddefs of the Night ! 
 Then when her awkward Guefts in Meaiure beat 
 The crowded Floors which groan beneath their Feet ! 
 45 What Thoughts in Solitude (hall then pofTefs 
 My tortur'd Mind, or foften my Diftrefs ! 
 Not all that envious Malice can (uggeft 
 Will Iboth the Tumults of my raging Bread. 
 (For Envy's loft amidft the numerous Train, 
 50 And hiffes with her hundred Snakes in vain) 
 Though with Contempt each defpicable Soul 
 Singly I view, - 1 muft Revere the Whole. 
 
 The Methodift in her peculiar Lot, 
 The World forgetting, by the World forgot, 
 ^5 Though fmgle happy, tho' alone is proud, 
 
 She thinks of Heav'n ((he thinks not of a Crowd) 
 
 And
 
 (9 ) 
 
 And if fhe ever feels a vap'rifh Qualm, 
 
 Some f Drop of Honey > or fbme holy Balm, 
 
 The pious Prophet of her Se& diftils, 
 60 And her pure Soul feraphic Rapture fills ; 
 
 Grace fhines around her with fereneft Beams, 
 
 And whiip'ring WHITF D prompts her golden Dreams. 
 
 And now convinc'd all human Pow'rs are vain, 
 
 Alike the IRISH and the BRITISH Swain; 
 dc An heav'nly Sponfe alone fhe deigns t' approve, 
 
 And melts in Vifions of eternal Love. 
 Far other Dreams my fenfiial Soul employ, 
 
 While confcious Nature taftes unholy Joy : 
 
 I view the Traces of experienc'd Charms, 
 70 And claip the Regimentals in my Arms. 
 
 i 
 
 f The Title of a Book of Modern Devotion. 
 
 ' 
 
 B To
 
 To dream laft Night I clos'd my blubber'd Eyes ; 
 
 Ye loft Illufions, dear Deceits arife : 
 
 Alas ! no more ; methinks I wand ring go 
 
 To diftant Quarters 'midft the Highland Snow, 
 7*5 To the dark Inn where never Wax-light burns, 
 
 Where in finoak'd Tap'ftry faded DIDO mourns; 
 
 To fbme Affembly in a Country Town, 
 
 And meet the Colonel in a Parfbn's Gown 
 
 I ftart Ifhriek - 
 80 O ! could I on my waking Brain impoie, 
 
 Or but forget at leaft my prefent Woes ! 
 
 Forget 'em- how! each rattling Coach fuggefts 
 
 The loath'd Ideas of the crowding Guefts. 
 To vifit were to publifh my Diigrace ; 
 85 To meet the Spleen in ev'ry other Place > 
 
 To join old Maids and Dowagers forlorn ; 
 
 And be at once their Comfort and their Scorn I 
 
 For
 
 ( II ) 
 
 For once to read with this diftemper'd Brain, 
 
 Ev'n modern Novels lend their Aid in vain. 
 90 My MANDOLINE what Place can Mufick find 
 
 Amid the Difcord of my reftlels Mind ? 
 
 How fhall I wafte this Time which flowly flies I 
 . . How lull to Slumber my reluftant Eyes ! 
 
 This Night the Happy and th' Unhappy keep 
 95 Vigils alike, N # # has murder d Sleep. 
 
 FINIS. 
 92290
 
 

 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below 
 
 Form L-9-20m-8,'3~
 
 PR 
 3339 
 
 Gl3e 
 
 [Cambridgej 
 An elegy 
 
 written 
 
 in on 
 
 assembly-room. 
 
 PR 
 
 3339 
 C13e 
 
 
 A 000000873 o 
 
 UNI 
 
 LOS Ais 
 LIBRARY