Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

O teach me in the trying hour,

When anguish wells the dewy tear, To ftill my forrows, own thy power, Thy goodness love, thy juftice fear.

If in this bofom ought but Thee Encroaching fought a boundless fway, Omniscience could the danger fée,

And Mercy look the cause away.

Then why, my foul, doft thou complain, Why drooping seek the dark recess ? .... Shake off the melancholy chain,

For God created all to blefs.

[ocr errors]

But ah! my breast is human fill-
The rifing figh, the falling tear,
My languid vitals' feeble rill

The fickness of my foul declare.

But yet with fortitude refign'd,

I'll thank th' Inflicter of the blow; Forbid the figh, compofe my mind, Nor let the gush of mis'ry flow.

The gloomy mantle of the night,
Which on my finking spirit fteals,

Wlil vanish at the morning light,

Which God, my East, my Sun reveals.

CHATTERTON,

ON THE DEITY.

WRETCHED mankind! void of both ftrength and

fkill,

Dextrous at nothing but at doing ill!

In merit humble, in pretenfions high,

Among them none, alas! more weak than I,
And none more blind: tho' ftill I worthless thought
The beft I ever spoke, or ever wrote.

But zealous heat exalts the humble, mind,
Within my foul fuch ftrong impulfe I find
The heavenly tribute of due praise to pay:
Perhaps 'tis facred, and I must obey.

Yet fuch the fubject, various, and fo high,
Stupendous wonders of the Deity!
Miraculous effects of boundlefs power!
And that as boundless goodness shining more!
All these so numberless my thoughts attend,'
Oh, where fhall I begin, or ever end?

But on that theme which ev'n the wife abufe,
So facred, fo fublime, and fo abftrufe

Abruptly to break off, wants no excuse.

}

While others vainly strive to know the more,
Let me in filent reverence adore;

Wishing that human power were higher rais'd,
Only that thine might be more nobly prais'd!
Thrice happy angels in their high degree,
Created worthy of extolling thee!

SHEFFIELD DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM,

THE GARLAND.

THE pride of every grove I chose,
The violet fweet and lily fair,
The dappled pink, and blushing rofe,
To deck my charming Chloe's hair.

At morn the nymph vouchfaf'd to place
Upon her brow the various wreath ;
The flowers lefs blooming than her face,
The fcent lefs fragrant than her breath.

The flowers fhe wore along the day:
And every nymph and shepherd said,
That in her hair they look'd more gay
Than glowing in their native bed.

Undreft at evening, when the found
Their odour loft, their colours past;

She chang'd her look, and on the ground
Her Garland and her eye the cast.

That eye dropt sense, diftinct and clear,
As any Mufe's tongue could fpeak;
When from its lid a pearly tear

Ran trickling down her beauteous cheek:

Diffembling what I knew too well,

"My love, my life," faid I, "explain This change of humour: pr'ythee tell; That falling tear-what does it mean?”

She figh'd' the fimil'd and to the flowers
Pointing, the lovely Moralift faid;
"See, friend,, in fome few fleeting hours,
See yonder, what a change is made!

"Ah me! the blooming pride of May,
And that of Beauty, are but one!
At morn both flourish bright and gay;
Both fade at evening, pale, and gone.

"At dawn poor Stella danc'd and fung; The amorous youth around her bow'd:

At night her fatal knell was rung;

I faw, and kifs'd her in her fhrowd.

"Such as he is, who died to day;

Such I, alas! may be to-morrow:

Go, Damon, bid thy Mufe difplay

The juftice of thy Chloe's forrow."

PRIOR

THE HUSBANDMAN's MEDITATION IN THE FIELDS.

WITH toilfome fteps when I pursue,

O'er breaking clods, the pioughfhare's way,

Lord, teach my mental eye to view

My native diffoluble clay.

And when with feed I ftrew the earth,
To thee all praises let me give,
Whofe hands prepar'd me for the birtli,
Whose breath inform'd, and bade me live.

Pleas'd I behold the stately ftem,

Support his bearded honour's load;

Thus, Lord, fuftain'd by thee I came

To manhood, thro' youth's dangerous road.

M

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »