The Gentleman's Magazine

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LONDON, Printed by NICHOLS and SON,

at Cicero's Head, Red Lion Pafage, Flet-Street ;
where LETTERS are particularly requested to be sent, Post Paid.
And sold by J. HARRIS (Successor to Mrs. NEWBERY),
the Corner of St. Paul's Church ran, Ludgate-Street. 1803.

ON COMPLEATING HIS LXXIII VOLUME.

Y
Blytbe as the Laureate on New

year's day,
Or School-boy on the wing;
Now solitary fits at home,
For rheumatism forbids to roam,

Tho pot at times to fing.
A blank all Naturs hence would seem,
Were it not oer fome books to dream,

Where retrospective fcone
And filent friends chear up the mind,
Who were by Heaven, I think, design'd,

Afiction's confolating mcans.
Then mufing o'er my ways and means,
I toru o'er URBAN's Magazines,

His Chronicles of lore;
Stoln from the budget of old Time,
Like Gold, are always in their prime,

And pleale us o'er and o'er.
Farewell alarming scenes of fear,
No more let's dread Invasion neat,

Too long the Tyrant's boast;
Impotent in their vart designs,
With envy view our loyal Lilles

Embroider all our Coast.
While we affert our native claim,
In UNION JOND one and the same,

Triumphant as before ;
COLssy and AGINGOURT may cell,
What we'll repeat-how fait they fell,

Should they provoke us more.
But, lioping Peace with smiling grace
May with this New Year take a place,

And beal she wouuds of War';
Chearfully trust for future good,
That Providence which has withftood,

For us a Nation's bar.

Then farewell E1CHTEN HUNDRED

THREE,
No more beheld by you or me,

In future life's career,
Remor'd to join the ages past,
Gothic, or Gold, or Iron, lait

Oblivion's countless tier : But unimpror'd let nothing fade, Though Winter yieldslo Spring's mild shade

And May's reviving dews; We not like those, when youth declines, No fun nor scafon e'er that things

Our Spring of life renews.
Rememb'ring here that life's but lent,
Where (carcely thines the ray Content,

In high or lowest sccne ;
And life Iteals on with subtle pace,
Deceiving us in ev'ry race,

Like April skies serene.
Avoid that cager, yaio pursuit,
That rashness for Hefperian fruit,

So dangerous to behold;
Since e'en from Ovid's page you know,
From înch what ills and plagues may flow,

Whilft dragons guard the gold.
Hence let us learn this leflon right,
To walk by Virtue's awful light,

With wisdom to the end ;
So Mall our hopes to worlds on high
Enroll as there before we die ;

And Hope's our dearest friend.
Thither when call’d to share that feast,
By troubles and by pain increas'd,

Extracting good from all;
When Time thall give our end to meer,
And push from oar uncertain feet,
This false enamour'd ball.

HEXRY LEMOINE.

Dec. 31.

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AFTER having endeavoured for "SEVENTY-THREE YEARS to deserve the public favour, and, with pride and gratitude it may be added, after having uninteruptedly obtained that highly-desireable object; without entering into a retrospect of what has already been our conduct, or into idle professions of any fururc plan of operation ; we unfeignedly acknowledge our obligations for the unprecedented patronage so long experienced, and for those ipontaneous contributions of many of the first literary characters of the age, which have uniformly been among the most prominent of our features - Unusquisque studiis propriis favet & plaudit, non quòd optima funt, sed quod fua *.

In the highly-eventful situation in which our Country is at present placed, and in which with dignified preeminence the awaits the threatened storm; whilít the hearts of the whole Einpire are knit together as one man, and not an individual from the Sovereign to the lowest mechanic or peasant but " burns to meet his vaunting foe in arms;" all ideas of party difference have totally fublided; and not a conteft exists, but of "who shall serve his King and Country beft.” If in this glorious cause SYLVANUS URBAN has volunteered his services, he trusts that it will not be interpreted as a momentary effufion ; but rather as a continuity of that loyal attachment to the House op BRUNSWICK which induced him in 1745 to exert his utmost faculties against an attempt, more feeble indeed, but not less rash, than that with which these envied Realms are at present threatened. We shall not recapitulate instances of our uniform attachment to that matchless Conftitution which is the envy and admiration of the World ; but refer to the pages of Seventy-THREE large Volumes to speak for us what we are “ unable to express."

The times call loudly for action, not for words; and we shall demonstrate that, whilst with one hand we join the proud legions which are prepared to hur) vengeance on an insulting foe, we are equally prepared to wield the pen in defence of all that is dear to us as Men and as Bricons ; desirous of being ranked among those not given to change ; as faithful adherents to the mild Laws under which we are protected, as loyal subjects to a Sovereign who reigns in the affections of admiring millions, and as humble but firm believers in the truths of that holy Religion under which, by Divine Favour, thefe Kingdoms have hitherto been moit wonderfully preserved and protected.--Esto perpelua! Dec. 31, 1803.

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* Markland, Epistola Critica ad Harc.

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The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 73, Part 1