The Virginia Gazette

A Receipt to imitate Nature's Master-Piece, with some particulars of his conduct, arrival in Virginia, &c.

Take art of right
Let envy and falsehood with malice unite,
Let we should never look upon his like again.
To guard every passage, and each avenue,
That truth or that candour may never steal through:
To this add a head, though capacious and large,
With care or reflection do not over-charge;
Should both, or should either, of these be deny'd,
The defect may by mem'ry well be supply'd.
A mem'ry tenacious, and weak restless brain,
By filching from others, some credit may gain;
If tho forehead with brass you do but incase,
No matter for beauty of person or face.
Though no vigour or strength the body receive,
The labours of Hercules it may atchieve;
The mind, though contracted, and faculties poor,
With wisdom and science may even run o'er.
A genius thus form'd you may place on the earth,
Without the advantage of fortune or birth,
The church will receive him, no matter what church;
The first that he tries may be left in the lurch,
If second with honours more frequent abound,
And the tithes and loaves more plenty are found.
With tenets and doctrines quite new or unknown,
A system of liturgy too of his own,
He turns to the west with a gracious deign,
In that land of darkness to make his light shine;
Where, lo! he arrives, and holds forth in his hand,
Enroll'd (by the first of the age and the land)
His fame, which forever recorded shall stand.
How, dear VIRGINIA! shall I gratulate,
In sounding sonorous strains, thy envy'd state?
Oh! would some happier bard, with reed or lyre,
Blest with larger portion of poetic fire,
The important subject, and thy triumph sing;
I'd unfading laurels for his temples bring.
Ask, and you shall know, who gives to merit what is merit's due.