Near to the wardrobe stairs, one story high, Where ermined robes and jewels caught the eye; Dull is that dressing-room――by Quin inspir’d, Where, once, choice wits after the play retir’d; When play-house statesmen talk’d, with looks profound, And apt quotations――meant for wit――went round; Imagination fondly stoops to trace, The tinsell’d splendours of the motley place; The warlike truncheon, prone upon the floor, The herald’s coat, that hung behind the door: The clothes――their different duties made to pay, To deck the stage by night, the street by day; The pictures slyly drawn on Hogarth’s plan, Garrick i’ the lanthorn――Quin in the sedan; The toilet stocked to decorate the play, Paint, Indian ink, burnt cork, and whiting gay; While on the clothes-pins rang’d in gaudy show, Robes deck’d with foil-stones, glittered in a row. Vain transitory splendours could not all Reprieve the mimic monarch from his fall. Obscure he sinks, forgot his worth and name, For Sheridan forbids the smallest fame; To paltry players, no more shall he impart An hour’s delight to the convivial heart: Thither no more shall witty lords repair, To sweet oblivion of the senate’s care! No more the anecdote, the luscious tale, The mirth-inspiring _good-thing_ shall prevail; No more the fop his cobweb’d sconce shall cheer, Padlock his flippant tongue, and learn to hear; Fat Quin himself no longer shall be found, Careful to see the chuckling fun go round; Nor the young actress, anxious to be tried, Shall blush to speak a _smutty speech aside_. ――――:o:―――― There was another Poem written in imitation of _The Deserted Village_ entitled “_The Frequented Village_, a Poem dedicated to Oliver Goldsmith,” by E. Young, L.L.D. (J. Godwin). Unfortunately there does not appear to be any copy of this Poem in the Library of the British Museum. Oliver Goldsmith, died on April 4th, 1774, and within a few days of his death a poem, written by Courtney Melmoth, was published by T. Beckett, in the Strand. “The Tears of Genius,” as the Poem was called, was dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds; part being written in imitation of the style of _The Deserted Village_, whilst another part, deploring the death of the poet Gray, was written in imitation of his Elegy in a Country Churchyard. There were also allusions to several other minor Poets but the whole effusion lacks interest. ――――:o:―――― THE DESERTED SCHOOL.