Walnuts the fruit’rer’sfruit'rer: a fruit seller. Hand, in Autumn, stain, Blue Plums, and juicy Pears augment his Gain; Next Oranges the longing Boys entice, To trust their Copper-Fortunes to the Dice. Of Christmas. When Rosemary, and Bays, the Poet’s Crown,Poet’s Crown: a wreath made from bay laurel.  Are bawl’d,Bawl’d: to bawl or cry, as in the case of a town crier. in frequent Cries, through all the Town, Then judge the Festival of Christmas near; Christmas, the joyous Period of the Year. Now with bright Holly all your Temples strow, With Laurel green, and sacred Misletoe.Rosemary ... Misletoe: Rosemary, laurel, holly, and mistletoe were used to decorate at Christmas. Now, Heav’n-born Charity, thy Blessings shed; Bid meagre Want uprear her sickly head: Bid shiv’ring Limbs be warm; let Plenty’s Bowle, In humble Roofs, make glad the needy Soul. See, see, the Heav’n-born Maid her Blessings shed. Lo! meagre Want uprears her sickly head;
Cloath’d
Cloath’d are the Naked, and the Needy glad, While selfish Avarice alone is sad.
Precepts of Charity. Proud Coaches pass, regardless of the Moan, Of Infant Orphans, and the Widow’s Groan; While Charity still moves the Walker’s Mind, His lib’ral Purse relieves the Lame and Blind. Judiciously thy Half-pence are bestow’d, Where the laborious Beggar sweeps the Road. Whate’er you give, give ever at Demand, Nor let Old-Age long stretch his palsy’dpalsy’d: “privation of motion or feeling, or both, proceeding from some cause below the cerebellum, joined with a coldness, flaccidity, and at last wasting of the parts” (Johnson). Hand. Those who give late, are importun’d each Day; And still are teaz’d, because they still delay. If e’er the Miser durst his Farthings spare, He thinly spreads them through the publick Square, Where, all beside the Rail, rang’drang’d: organized in a line. Beggars lie, And from each other catch the dolefuldoleful: sorrowful or querulous; also full of “dole,” deceitful, fraudulent. Cry;
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