In regretting the depopulation of the country, I inveigh against the increase of our luxuries; and here also I expect the shout of modern politicians against me. For twenty or thirty years past, it has been the fashion to consider luxury as one of the greatest national advantages, and all the wisdom of antiquity, in that particular, as erroneous. Still, however, I must remain a professed ancient on that head, and continue to think those luxuries prejudicial to states, by which so many vices are introduced, and so many kingdoms have been undone. Indeed, so much has been poured out of late on the other side of the question, that, merely for the sake of novelty and variety, one would sometimes wish to be in the right. I am, dear Sir, Your sincere friend and ardent admirer, OLIVER GOLDSMITH. [Illustration: THE DESERTED VILLAGE] Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain, Where health and plenty cheer’d the labouring swain, Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid, And parting summer’s lingering blooms delay’d-- Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease, Seats of my youth, when every sport could please-- How often have I loiter’d o’er thy green, Where humble happiness endear’d each scene; How often have I paus’d on every charm-- The shelter’d cot, the cultivated farm, The never-failing brook, the busy mill, The decent church that topp’d the neighbouring hill, The hawthorn-bush, with seats beneath the shade, For talking age and whispering lovers made; How often have I bless’d the coming day, When toil remitting lent its turn to play, And all the village train, from labour free, Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree-- While many a pastime circled in the shade, The young contending as the old survey’d, And many a gambol frolick’d o’er the ground, And sleights of art and feats of strength went round: And still, as each repeated pleasure tir’d, Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspir’d-- The dancing pair, that simply sought renown By holding out to tire each other down, The swain mistrustless of his smutted face, While secret laughter titter’d round the place, The bashful virgin’s side-long looks of love, The matron’s glance that would those looks reprove. These were thy charms, sweet village! sports like these, With sweet succession, taught even toil to please; These round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed, These were thy charms--but all these charms are fled. [Illustration]