IMITATION OF THE STYLE OF ****.

Hermit hoar, in solemn cell
  Wearing out life’s ev’ning grey,
Strike thy bosom, sage, and tell
  What is bliss, and which the way.

Thus I spoke, and speaking sigh’d,
  Scarce repress’d the starting tear,
When the hoary sage reply’d,
  Come, my lad, and drink some beer.

BURLESQUE
OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF LOPEZ DE VEGA. 
AN IMPROMPTU.

Se a quien los leones vence
  Vence una muger hermosa,
O el de flaco avergonze,
  O ella di ser mas furiosa.

If the man who turnips cries,
Cry not when his father dies,
’Tis a proof, that he had rather
Have a turnip than his father.

TRANSLATION
OF THE FOLLOWING LINES AT THE END OF BARETTI’S
EASY PHRASEOLOGY.

AN IMPROMPTU.

Viva, viva la padrona! 
Tutta bella, e tutta buona,
La padrona e un’ angiolella
Tutta buona e tutta bella;
Tutta bella e tutta buona;
Viva! viva la padrona!

Long may live my lovely Hetty! 
Always young, and always pretty;
Always pretty, always young,
Live, my lovely Hetty, long! 
Always young, and always pretty,
Long may live my lovely Hetty!

IMPROVISO TRANSLATION
OF THE FOLLOWING DISTICH ON THE DUKE OF MODENA’S
RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMET IN 1742 OR 1743.

Se al venir vostro i principi sen’ vanno
Deh venga ogni di—­durate un’ anno.

If at your coming princes disappear,
Comets! come every day—­and stay a year.

IMPROVISO TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF M. BENSERADE A SON LIT.

Theatre des ris, et des pleurs,
Lit! ou je nais, et ou je meurs,
Tu nous fais voir comment voisins
Sont nos plaisirs, et nos chagrins.

In bed we laugh, in bed we cry,
And, born in bed, in bed we die;
The near approach a bed may show
Of human bliss to human woe.

EPITAPH FOR MR. HOGARTH.

The hand of him here torpid lies,
  That drew th’ essential form of grace;
Here clos’d in death th’ attentive eyes,
  That saw the manners in the face.

TRANSLATION
OF THE FOLLOWING LINES, WRITTEN UNDER A PRINT
REPRESENTING PERSONS SKATING.

Sur un mince cristal l’hiver conduit leurs pas,
  Le precipice est sous la glace: 
  Telle est de nos plaisirs la legere surface: 
Glissez, mortels; n’appuyez pas.

O’er ice the rapid skater flies,
  With sport above, and death below;
Where mischief lurks in gay disguise,
  Thus lightly touch and quickly go.

IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF THE SAME.

O’er crackling ice, o’er gulfs profound,
  With nimble glide the skaters play;
O’er treach’rous pleasure’s flow’ry ground
  Thus lightly skim, and haste away.