A Familiar Epistle

To * * Esq. of * * with a Life of the late Ingenious Mr. W M. Hogarth.     Dear Cosmopolitan,--I know     I should address you a Rondeau,     Or else announce what I've to say     At least en Ballade fratrise;     But No: for once I leave Gymnasticks,     And take to simple Hudibrasticks;     Why should I choose another Way,     When this was good enough for GAY?     You love, my FRIEND, with me, I think,     That Age of Lustre and of Link;     Of Chelsea China and long "s"es,     Of Bag-wigs and of flowered Dresses;     That Age of Folly and of Cards,     Of Hackney Chairs and Hackney Bards;     --No H--LTS, no K--G--N P--LS were then     Dispensing Competence to Men;     The gentle Trade was left to Churls,     Your frowsy TONSONS and your CURLLS;     Mere Wolves in Ambush to attack     The AUTHOR in a Sheep-skin Back;     Then SAVAGE and his Brother-Sinners     In Porridge-Island div'd for Dinners;     Or doz'd on Covent Garden Bulks,     And liken'd Letters to the Hulks;--     You know that by-gone Time, I say,     That aimless easy-moral'd Day,     When rosy Morn found MADAM still     Wrangling at Ombre or Quadrille,     When good Sir JOHN reel'd Home to Bed,     From Pontack's or the Shakespear's Head;     When TRIP convey'd his Master's Cloaths,     And took his Titles and his Oaths;     While BETTY, in a cast Brocade,     Ogled MY LORD at Masquerade;     When GARRICK play'd the guilty Richard,     Or mouth'd Macbeth with Mrs. PRITCHARD;     When FOOTE grimac'd his snarling Wit;     When CHURCHILL bullied in the Pit;     When the CUZZONI sang--     But there!     The further Catalogue I spare,     Having no Purpose to eclipse     That tedious Tale of HOMER'S Ships;--     This is the MAN that drew it all     From Pannier Alley to the Mall,     Then turn'd and drew it once again     From Bird-Cage Walk to Lewknor's Lane;--     Its Rakes and Fools, its Rogues and Sots;     Its brawling Quacks, its starveling Scots;     Its Ups and Downs, its Rags and Garters,     Its HENLEYS, LOVATS, MALCOLMS, CHARTRES;     Its Splendour, Squalor, Shame, Disease;     Its quicquid agunt Homines;--     Nor yet omitted to pourtray     Furens quid possit Foemina;--     In short, held up to ev'ry Class     NATURE'S unflatt'ring looking-Glass;     And, from his Canvass, spoke to All     The Message of a JUVENAL.     Take Him. His Merits most aver:     His weak Point is--his Chronicler!     Nov^r. 1, 1879.