By BEILBY PORTEUS, M.A.
Fellow of Chrift's College.

CAMBRIDGE,

Printed by J. BENTHAM Printer to the UNIVERSITY, for T. & J. MERRILL,
Bookfellers at Cambridge; Sold by BENJ. DOD, J. WHISTON & B. WHITE,
and J. DODSLEY in London; J. POTE at Eton; J. FLETCHER, & D. PRINCE
in Oxford; and S. STABLER at York.

7

A Clause of Mr. SEATON's Will,

Dated Oct. 8. 1738.

Give my Kiflingbury Eftate to the University of Cambridge for ever: the Rents of which shall be difpofed of yearly by the Vice-Chancellor for the time being, as he the Vice-Chancellor, the Mafter of Clare Hall, and the Greek Professor for the time being, or any two of them shall agree. Which three persons aforefaid fhall give out a Subject, which Subject shall for the first Year be one or other of the Perfections or Attributes of the Supreme Being, and fo the fucceeding Years, till the Subject is exhaufted; and afterwards the Subject shall be either Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, Purity of heart, &c. or whatever else may be judged by the Vice-Chancellor, Mafter of Clare Hall, and Greek Professor to be most conducive to the honour of the Supreme Being and recommendation of Virtue. And they fhall yearly dispose of the Rent of the above Eftate to that Mafter of Arts, whofe Poem on the Subject given shall be best approved by them. Which Poem I ordain to be always in English, and to be printed; the expence of which shall be deducted out of the product of the Eftate, and the refidue given as a reward for the Compofer of the Poem, or Ode, or Copy of Verses.

E the underwritten, do affign Mr. SEATON's Reward to Mr. PORTEUS, M. A. for his Poem on DEATH, and direct the faid Poem to be printed, according to the tenor of the Will.

O&. 8. 1759.

L. Caryl Vice-Chancellor. 7.Wilcox Mafter of Clare Hall. M. Lort Greek Profeffor.

DE AT H:

A

POETICAL ESSAY.

FRIEN

'RIEND to the wretch, whom every friend forfakes,
I woo thee, DEATH! In Fancy's fairy paths
Let the gay Songster rove, and gently trill
The strain of empty joy. - Life and its joys
I leave to those that prize them. At this hour,
This folemn hour, when Silence rules the world,
And wearied Nature makes a gen❜ral pause,
Wrapt in Night's fable robe, through cloysters drear
And charnels pale, tenanted by a throng

Of meagre phantoms shooting cross my path
With filent glance, I seek the fhadowy vale
Of DEATH.

Deep in a murky cave's recess

Lay'd