Antique Sampler, 1790, 'The shepherd and the philospher' Sampler by Maria Day

DATE

George III, dated 1790

DESCRIPTION

1790, ' The shepherd and the philospher' Sampler by Maria Day Fecit. Framed in an old wood frame with rippled, old glass. Tacked to a wood with paper backing. The sampler is worked in silk on linen ground, in a variety of stitches. Meandering floral border. Colours gold, cream, yellow, pale blue, black, pink, red and greens. Verse entitled, 'The SHERPHERD and the PHILOSOPHER' reads, 'REMOTE from cities liv'd a swain,>Unvex'd with all the cares of gain,>His head was filver'd o'er with age,>And long experience made him fage,>In summers heat and winters cold>He fed his flock and penn'd the fold,>His hours in chearful labour flew,>Nor envy nor ambition knew,>His wifdom and his honeft fame>Through all the country raif'd his name>A deep Philofsopher (whofe rules>of moral life were drawn from fchools)>The shepherd's homely cottage fought.>And thus explor'd his reach of thought.>Whence is thy learning? Hath thy toil>O'er books consum'd the midnight-oil?>Haft thou old Greece and Rome furvey'd,>And the vaft fense of PLATO weigh'd?>Hath SOCRATES the foul refin'd,>And haft thou fathom'd TULLY'S mind?>Or, like the the wife ULYSSES thrown>By various fates on realms unknown,> Hast thou through many cities ftray'd,>Their cuftoms, laws, and manners weigh'd?>The shepherd modeftly reply'd,>I ne'er the paths of learning try'd,>Nor have I roam'd in foreign parts>To read mankind, their laws and arts;>For man is practis'd in difguise,>He cheats the moft discerning eyes:>Who by that fearch fhall wifer grow,>When we ourfelves can never know,>The little knowledge I have gain'd,>Was all from fimple nature drain'd,>Hence my life's maxims took their rife,> Hence grew my fettled hate to vice.>The daily labours of the bee>Awake my foul to induftry.>Who can obferve the careful ant,>And not provide for future want?>>My dog the truftreft of his kind)>With gratitude inflames my mind:>I mark his true, his faithful way.>And in my fervice copy Tray,>In conftancy and nuptial love.>I learn my duty from the dove.>The hen, Who from the chilly air>With pious wing protects her care,>And ev'ry fowl that flies at large,>Infructs me in a parent's charge.>From nature too I take my rule,>To fhun contempt and ridicule,>I never with important air>In converfation over-bear.>can grave and formal pafs for wife,>When manthe folemn owl defpife?>My tongue within my lips i rein;>for who talks much, muft talk in vain.>We from the wordy torrent fly:>Who liftens to the chatt'ring pye?>Nor would I, with felonious flight,> By ftealth invade my neighbour's right>Rapacious animals we hate:>Kites, hawks, and wolves deferve their fate.>Do not we juft abhorrence find>Againft the toad and ferpent kind?>But envy, calumny, and fpite,>bear ftronger venom in thr bite.>Thus every object of creation>can furnifh hints to contemplation,>and from the moft minute and mean>A virtuous mind can morals glean.>Thy fame is juft, the fage replies;>Thy virtue proves thee truly wife.>Pride often guides the author's pen,>books as affected are as men;>But he who ftudies nature's laws,>From certain truth his maxims draws;>and thofe, without our fchools, fuffice>To make men moral, good and wife.'. Signed and dated 'Maria Day Fecit Aged Years 1790'. Verse surrounded by wonderful floral border and garland.

CONDITION

Good. A few small holes. No stains. Some stitch losses to the verse. Colours are slightly faded, but still well defined. No colour run. Stretching is slightly uneven. Frame showing some wear, but is structurally sound and in our opinion could be hung 'as is'.