And silent prayers to Mercy's throne address; While fiercer minds, impatient, angry, loud, Force their vain grief on the reluctant crowd: The party's patron, sorely sighing, cried, "Why would you urge me? I at first denied." Fiercely they answer'd, "Why will you complain, Who saw no danger, or was warn'd in vain?" A few essay'd the troubled soul to calm, But dread prevail'd, and anguish and alarm. Now rose the water through the lessening sand, And they seem'd sinking while they yet could stand. The sun went down, they look'd from side to side, Nor aught except the gathering sea descried; Dark and more dark, more wet, more cold it grew, And the most lively bade to hope adieu: Children by love then lifted from the seas, Felt not the waters at the parent's knees, But wept aloud; the wind increased the sound, And the cold billows as they broke around. "Once more, yet once again, with all our strength, Cry to the land--we may be heard at length." Vain hope if yet unseen! but hark! an oar, That sound of bliss! comes dashing to their shore; Still, still the water rises; "Haste!" they cry, "Oh! hurry, seamen; in delay we die;" (Seamen were these, who in their ship perceived The drifted boat, and thus her crew relieved.) And now the keel just cuts the cover'd sand, Now to the gunwale stretches every hand: With trembling pleasure all confused embark, And kiss the tackling of their welcome ark; While the most giddy, as they reach the shore, Think of their danger, and their GOD adore. LETTER X. Non iter lances mensasque nitentes, Cum stupet insanis acies fulgoribus, et cum Acclinis falsis animus meliora recusat: Verum hic impransi mecum disquirite. HORACE, Satires. O prodiga rerum Luxuries, nunquam parvo contenta paratu, Est quaesitorum terra pelagoque ciborum Ambitiosa fames, et lautae gloria mensae. LUCAN, Pharsalia. ----------------------- CLUBS AND SOCIAL MEETINGS. Desire of Country Gentlemen for Town Associations--Book Clubs--Too much of literary Character expected from them--Literary Conversation prevented; by Feasting, by Cards--Good, notwithstanding, results-- Card Club with Eagerness resorted to--Players--Umpires at the Whist Table--Petulances of Temper there discovered--Free and Easy Club; not perfectly easy or free--Freedom, how interrupted--The superior Member--Termination of the Evening--Drinking and Smoking Clubs--The Midnight Conversation of the delaying Members--Society of the poorer Inhabitants; its Use; gives Pride and Consequence to the humble Character--Pleasant Habitations of the frugal Poor--Sailor returning to his Family--Freemasons' Club--The Mystery--What its Origin--Its professed Advantages--Griggs and Gregorians--A kind of Masons-- Reflections on these various Societies.