LETTER XXV.

MyratoHarriot.

(WRITTEN BEFORE SHE HAD RECEIVED THE PRECEDING.)

Boston.

YOUR sorrowful little history has infected me with grief. Surely there is no human vice of so black a die—so fatal in its consequences—or which causes a more general calamity, than that ofseducinga female from the path of honour. This idea has been improved by my brother, on the hint of your favour—as an acknowledgement for which I inclose you his production.

(THE INCLOSED.)The Court of Vice.AnAPOLOGUE.VICE “on a solemn night of state,In all her pomp of terrour sate,”Her voice in deep, tremendous tone,Thus issu’d from her ebon throne:‘This night at our infernal court,Let all our ministers resort;Who most annoys the human race,At our right hand shall take his place,Rais’d on a throne—advanc’d in fame—YE CRIMES now vindicate your claim.’Eager for praise, the hideous host,All spake, aspiring to the post.PRIDE said, to gain his private ends,He sacrific’d his dearest friends;Insulted all with manners rude,And introduc’d ingratitude.’Twas he infus’dDOMESTICKhate,And party spirit in the state;Hop’d they’d observe his mystick plan,Destroy’d all confidence in man;And justifi’d his high pretentions,By causing envy and dissentions.INTEMPERANCE loud, demands the place,He’d long deceiv’d the human race;None could such right as he maintain,Disease and death were in his train.THEFT next appears to claim the station,E’er constant in his dark vocation;He thought the place might well repay,TheCRIMEwho labour’d night and day.FRAUD own’d (tho’ loth to speak his praise)He gain’d his point by secret ways;His voice in cities had been heard,And oft in senates been preferr’d!Yet much derision had he borne,Treated by honest fools with scorn;His influence on the western shoreWas not so great as heretofore:He own’d each side alike assail’d,Complain’d how sadly he was rail’d,Curst by the name in ev’ry street.Of Paper, Tendry, Rogue and Cheat:Yet if some honour should requiteHis labour—things might still go right.MURDER before the footstool stood,With tatter’d robe distain’d in blood.‘And who,’ he cry’d, with daring face,‘Denies my title to the place?My watchful eyes mankind survey,And single out the midnight prey;No cowardlike I meet the foe,With footsteps insecure and slow,Or cause his death by languid strife—Boldly this dagger ends his life.Give back, ye CRIMES, your claims resign,For I demand the post as mine.’AV’RICE declar’d his love of gold;His nation, or himself he sold;He taught the sin of PRIDE betimes;Was foster-father of allCRIMES:He pawn’d his life; he sak’d his soul,And found employment for the whole:Acknowleg’d that he gain’d his wealth,By FRAUD, by MURDER; and by STEALTH:On one so useful to her cause,VICE well might lavish due applause.The hagger’d host bow’d low the head,TheMONSTERrose, and thus she said:‘YeMINISTERSof VICE, draw near,For fame no longer persevere;No more your various parts disclose,MenSEE, AND HATE YOU ALL AS FOES.One yet remains among your crew,Then rise, SEDUCTION! claim your due.Your baleful presence quickly partsThe tie that holds the happiest hearts;YouROB—whatWEALTHcan ne’er repay;LikeJUDASwith a kissBETRAY:Hence come the starving, trembling train,Who prostitute themselves for gain,Whose languid visages impartA smile, while anguish gnaws the heart;Whose steps decoy unwary youth,From honour, honesty, and truth,Which follow’d ’till to late to mend,In ruin, and the gallows end—Be thine the post. Besides, who knowsWhen all thy consequences close?With thee, SEDUCTION! are ally’dHORROUR, DESPAIR and SUICIDE,You wound—but theDEVOTEDheartFeels not alone—the poignant smart:You wound—th’ electrick pain extendsTo fathers, mothers, sisters, friends.MURDER may yet delight in blood,And deluge round the crimson flood:But sure his merits rank above,Who murders in the mask of love.’

(THE INCLOSED.)

The Court of Vice.

AnAPOLOGUE.

VICE “on a solemn night of state,In all her pomp of terrour sate,”Her voice in deep, tremendous tone,Thus issu’d from her ebon throne:‘This night at our infernal court,Let all our ministers resort;Who most annoys the human race,At our right hand shall take his place,Rais’d on a throne—advanc’d in fame—YE CRIMES now vindicate your claim.’Eager for praise, the hideous host,All spake, aspiring to the post.

VICE “on a solemn night of state,

In all her pomp of terrour sate,”

Her voice in deep, tremendous tone,

Thus issu’d from her ebon throne:

‘This night at our infernal court,

Let all our ministers resort;

Who most annoys the human race,

At our right hand shall take his place,

Rais’d on a throne—advanc’d in fame—

YE CRIMES now vindicate your claim.’

Eager for praise, the hideous host,

All spake, aspiring to the post.

PRIDE said, to gain his private ends,He sacrific’d his dearest friends;Insulted all with manners rude,And introduc’d ingratitude.’Twas he infus’dDOMESTICKhate,And party spirit in the state;Hop’d they’d observe his mystick plan,Destroy’d all confidence in man;And justifi’d his high pretentions,By causing envy and dissentions.

PRIDE said, to gain his private ends,

He sacrific’d his dearest friends;

Insulted all with manners rude,

And introduc’d ingratitude.

’Twas he infus’dDOMESTICKhate,

And party spirit in the state;

Hop’d they’d observe his mystick plan,

Destroy’d all confidence in man;

And justifi’d his high pretentions,

By causing envy and dissentions.

INTEMPERANCE loud, demands the place,He’d long deceiv’d the human race;None could such right as he maintain,Disease and death were in his train.

INTEMPERANCE loud, demands the place,

He’d long deceiv’d the human race;

None could such right as he maintain,

Disease and death were in his train.

THEFT next appears to claim the station,E’er constant in his dark vocation;He thought the place might well repay,TheCRIMEwho labour’d night and day.

THEFT next appears to claim the station,

E’er constant in his dark vocation;

He thought the place might well repay,

TheCRIMEwho labour’d night and day.

FRAUD own’d (tho’ loth to speak his praise)He gain’d his point by secret ways;His voice in cities had been heard,And oft in senates been preferr’d!Yet much derision had he borne,Treated by honest fools with scorn;His influence on the western shoreWas not so great as heretofore:He own’d each side alike assail’d,Complain’d how sadly he was rail’d,Curst by the name in ev’ry street.

FRAUD own’d (tho’ loth to speak his praise)

He gain’d his point by secret ways;

His voice in cities had been heard,

And oft in senates been preferr’d!

Yet much derision had he borne,

Treated by honest fools with scorn;

His influence on the western shore

Was not so great as heretofore:

He own’d each side alike assail’d,

Complain’d how sadly he was rail’d,

Curst by the name in ev’ry street.

Of Paper, Tendry, Rogue and Cheat:Yet if some honour should requiteHis labour—things might still go right.

Of Paper, Tendry, Rogue and Cheat:

Yet if some honour should requite

His labour—things might still go right.

MURDER before the footstool stood,With tatter’d robe distain’d in blood.‘And who,’ he cry’d, with daring face,‘Denies my title to the place?My watchful eyes mankind survey,And single out the midnight prey;No cowardlike I meet the foe,With footsteps insecure and slow,Or cause his death by languid strife—Boldly this dagger ends his life.Give back, ye CRIMES, your claims resign,For I demand the post as mine.’

MURDER before the footstool stood,

With tatter’d robe distain’d in blood.

‘And who,’ he cry’d, with daring face,

‘Denies my title to the place?

My watchful eyes mankind survey,

And single out the midnight prey;

No cowardlike I meet the foe,

With footsteps insecure and slow,

Or cause his death by languid strife—

Boldly this dagger ends his life.

Give back, ye CRIMES, your claims resign,

For I demand the post as mine.’

AV’RICE declar’d his love of gold;His nation, or himself he sold;He taught the sin of PRIDE betimes;Was foster-father of allCRIMES:He pawn’d his life; he sak’d his soul,And found employment for the whole:Acknowleg’d that he gain’d his wealth,By FRAUD, by MURDER; and by STEALTH:On one so useful to her cause,VICE well might lavish due applause.

AV’RICE declar’d his love of gold;

His nation, or himself he sold;

He taught the sin of PRIDE betimes;

Was foster-father of allCRIMES:

He pawn’d his life; he sak’d his soul,

And found employment for the whole:

Acknowleg’d that he gain’d his wealth,

By FRAUD, by MURDER; and by STEALTH:

On one so useful to her cause,

VICE well might lavish due applause.

The hagger’d host bow’d low the head,TheMONSTERrose, and thus she said:‘YeMINISTERSof VICE, draw near,For fame no longer persevere;No more your various parts disclose,MenSEE, AND HATE YOU ALL AS FOES.One yet remains among your crew,Then rise, SEDUCTION! claim your due.Your baleful presence quickly partsThe tie that holds the happiest hearts;YouROB—whatWEALTHcan ne’er repay;LikeJUDASwith a kissBETRAY:Hence come the starving, trembling train,Who prostitute themselves for gain,Whose languid visages impartA smile, while anguish gnaws the heart;Whose steps decoy unwary youth,From honour, honesty, and truth,Which follow’d ’till to late to mend,In ruin, and the gallows end—Be thine the post. Besides, who knowsWhen all thy consequences close?With thee, SEDUCTION! are ally’dHORROUR, DESPAIR and SUICIDE,You wound—but theDEVOTEDheartFeels not alone—the poignant smart:You wound—th’ electrick pain extendsTo fathers, mothers, sisters, friends.MURDER may yet delight in blood,And deluge round the crimson flood:But sure his merits rank above,Who murders in the mask of love.’

The hagger’d host bow’d low the head,

TheMONSTERrose, and thus she said:

‘YeMINISTERSof VICE, draw near,

For fame no longer persevere;

No more your various parts disclose,

MenSEE, AND HATE YOU ALL AS FOES.

One yet remains among your crew,

Then rise, SEDUCTION! claim your due.

Your baleful presence quickly parts

The tie that holds the happiest hearts;

YouROB—whatWEALTHcan ne’er repay;

LikeJUDASwith a kissBETRAY:

Hence come the starving, trembling train,

Who prostitute themselves for gain,

Whose languid visages impart

A smile, while anguish gnaws the heart;

Whose steps decoy unwary youth,

From honour, honesty, and truth,

Which follow’d ’till to late to mend,

In ruin, and the gallows end—

Be thine the post. Besides, who knows

When all thy consequences close?

With thee, SEDUCTION! are ally’d

HORROUR, DESPAIR and SUICIDE,

You wound—but theDEVOTEDheart

Feels not alone—the poignant smart:

You wound—th’ electrick pain extends

To fathers, mothers, sisters, friends.

MURDER may yet delight in blood,

And deluge round the crimson flood:

But sure his merits rank above,

Who murders in the mask of love.’

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