Infenfate; whose soft limbs the toil decline
That feafonsblifs,and makes enjoymentplease:
Draining the copious bowl ere thirst require;
Feating ere hunger to the feaft invite:
Whole taftelefs joys anticipate defire,

Whom luxury fupplies with appetite: Yet nature loaths, and you employ in vain Variety and art to conquer her disdain.

"Nor need my friends the various coftly feaft,
Hunger to them th' effects of art fupplies;
Labour prepares their weary limbs to reif;
Sweet is their fleep; light, cheerful, strong,
they rife.
[nown
Thro' health, thro' joy, thro' pleasure and re-
They tread my paths: and by a foft descent
At length to age all gently finking down,

In which no hour flew unimprov'd away; [day.
Look back with tranfport on a life well spent,
In which fome gen 'rous deed distinguish'd ev'ry

And when the deitin'd term at lengh's com-
Their ashes rest in peace, eternal fame [plete,
Sounds wide their praife: triumphant o'er fate,
In facred fong for ever lives their name.
This, Hercules, is happiness! obey
My voice, and live: let thy celeftial birth
Lift and enlarge thy thoughts: behold the way

Immortal! Lo, I guide thy steps, Arife, [fkies."
That leads to fame, and raifes thee from earth,
Purfue the glorious path and claim thy native
Her words breathe fire celeftial, and impart

Thefparkling nectarcoodwith fummer fnows,
The dainty board with choiceft viands fpread,
To thee are taftelefs all! fincere repofe

Flies from thy flow'ry couch and downy bed."
For thou art only tir'd with indolence;
Nor is thy fleep with toil and labour bought,
Th' imperfect fleep, that lulls thy languid fenfe
In dull oblivious interval of thought;
Thatkindlyftealsth'inactivehours away (theday,
From the long ling ring space, that lengthens out
"From bounteous nature's unexhaufted ftores
Flows the pure fountain of fincere delights:
Averie to ber, you wafte the joyless hours;

Sleep drowns thy days, and riot rules thy
Immortal the thouart, indignant Jove [nights.
Hari'd thee from heav'n, th' immortals blifs-
ful place,

For ever banish'd from the realms above,
To dwell on earth with man's depenerate
Fitter abode! on earth alike difgrac'd; [race:
Rejected by the wife, and by the fool embrac'd
Fond wretch, that vainly weeneft all delight
To gratify the fenfe, referv'd for thee!
Yet the most pleating object to the fight.

Thine own fair action never didft thou fee.
Tho' lull'd with fofteft founds thou lieft along,
Soft mufic, warblingvoices,melting lays, [fong
Ne er didit thou hear, more fweet than fweetelt

Charming the foul, thou ne'er didit hear thy To fuch go fmooth thy fpeech, and spread thy No to thy revels let the fool repair; [praife!

tempting fnare.

or

The generous flame: with great intent his heart
New vigour to his foul, that fudden caught
Swells full, and labours with exalted thought.
The mift of error from his eyes difpell'd,

Sloth in her native form he now beheld;
Thro' all her fraudful arts, in cleareft light,

Falfe Siren!-All her vaunted charms, that hone
Unveil'd the flood confeft before his fight:
So fresh erewhile and fair, now wither'd, pale,

and gone.

No more the rofy bloom in fweet difguife [grace
Masks her diffembled looks; each borrow'd
Leaves her wan cheek; pale fickness clouds her

As when fair Iris has awhile display'd
Livid and funk,and paffions dim herface.[eyes

Her wat'ry arch with gaudy painture gay, While yet we gaze the glorious colours fade,

And from our wonder gently steal away: Where fhone the beauteous phantom, erst so bright,

Vaft happiness enjoy thy gay allies!

A youth of follies,

an old age of

Young yet enervate, old yet never wife, [pairs.
Vain, idle, delicate, in thoughtless ease, [fpend;|
waltes their vigour, and their mind im-But

Vice

Referving

All wretched, hopeless, in the eyil days,
woes for age, their prime they
With forrow to the verge of life they tend.

Now low'rs the low-hung cloud, all gloomy to
the fight.

Virtue more engaging, all the while [rene.
Difclos'd new charms, more lovely, more fe-
Beaming fweet influence, a milder fmile
Soften'd the terrors of her lofty mien.
"Lead, goddefs; I am thine!" tranfported cried

Ghev'd with the prefent, of the paft afham'd, Alcides; "O propitious pow'r, thy way

They

!

guide.

are nam'd.

From thee oh never let me ftray!"

"What with the gods, and godlike men I dwell; While ardent thus the youth his vows addrefs'd, Me, his fupreme delight, th' Almighty Sire With all the goddess fill'd, already glow'd his Regards well pleas'd; whatever works excel,

breaft.

All, or divine

The heav'nly maid with ftrength divine endued

His daring foul; there all her pow'rs comFirm conftancy, undaunted fortitude, [bin'd: Enduring patience, arm'd his mighty mind. Unmov'd in toils, in dangers undismay'd,

By many a hardy deed and bold emprize, From fierceft monsters, thro' her powerful aid, He freed the earth! thro'her he gain'dthefkies. 'Twas

human I inspire.

Count with ftrength, and industry with art,

In unica meet

conjoin'd with me refide:

My dictates arm, inftru&t, and mend the heart,
The furet policy, the wifeft guide.

With
me true
Thole

[bind friendship dwells: fhe deigns to generous fouls alone, whom I before

have join'd.

"Twas Virtue plac'd him in the bleft abode; [god.
Crown'd with eternal youth, among the gods a

§104. The Hermit. Parnell.
FAR in a wild, unknown to public view,
From youth to age a rev'rend Hermit grew;
The mofs his bed, the cave his humble cell:
His food the fruits, his drink the cryftal well:
Remote from man, with God he pafs'd his days,
Pray'r ali his bufinefs, all his pleasure praise.

Á life fo facred, fuch ferene repose,
Seem'd heav'n itfelf till one fuggetion rofe
That vice fhould triumph, virtue vice obey;
This fprung fome doubt of Providence's fway:
His hopes no more a certain profpect boast,
And all the tenour of his foul is loft.

So when a fmooth expanse receives imprest
Calm nature's image on its wat'ry breaft, [grow,
Down bend the banks, the trees depending
And fkies beneath with anfwering colours
But if a ftone the gentle fea divide, [glow:
Swift ruffling circles curl on ev'ry fide,
And glimm'ring fragments of a broken fun;
Banks, trees, and fkies in thick diforder run.

At length 'tis morn, and at the dawn of d
Along the wide canals the Zephyrs play;
Fresh o'er the gay parterres the breezes creep,
And thake the neighb'ring wood to bani
Up rife the guests obedient to the call; [fee
Au early banquet deck'd the fplendid hall;
Then, pleas'd and thankful, from the por
Rich Juicions wine a golden goblet grac'd,
Which the kind mafter forc'd the guests to taf
they go;

And, but the landlord, none had cause of wo
The younger gueft, purloin'd the glittri
His
cup was vanifh'd; tor in fecret guise
Glift'ning and basking in the fummer ray,
As one who fpies a ferpent in his way, [pria
Disorder'd stops to fhun the danger near,
Then walks with faintnefs on, and looks wi
The thining fpoil his wily partner fhow'd.
So feem'd the fire, when far upon the road [fe
He ftopp'd with filence, walk'd with trembli

heart,

And much he wish'd, but durft not afk, to par
Murm'ring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it har
That gen'rous actions meet a base reward.

To clear this doubt, to know the world by The changing skies hang out their fable cloud To find if books or fwains report it right,[fight, A found in air prefag'd approaching rain, While thus they pass, the fun his glorythroud (For yet by fwains alone the world he knew, Whole feet came wand'ring o'er the nightly dew) Warn'd by the figns, the wand'ring pair retre And beafts to covert fcud across the plain. He quits his cell; the pilgrim ftaff he bore, And fix'd the fcallop in his hat before! To feek for thelter at a neighb`ring feat: Then with the fun a rifing journey went, 'Twas built with turrets on a rifing ground, Sedate to think, and watching each event. And ftrong, and large, and unimprov'd around The morn was wafted in the pathlefs grafs, Unkind and griping caus'd a defert there. Its owner's temper, tim'rous and fevere, And long and lonefome was the wild to pats; But when the fouthern fun had warm'd the day, Fierce rifing gufts with fudden fury blew, As near the mifer's heavy doors they drew, A youth came pofting o'er a croffing way; His raiment decent, his complexion fair, The nimble lightning mix'd with show'rsbegan And foft in graceful ringlets wav'd his hair: And o'er their heads loud rolling thunder ra Then near approaching,"Father, hail" hecried: Driv'n by the wind and batter'd by the rain. Here long they knock, but knock or call invair And "Hail, my fon!" the rev'rend fire replied: At length fome pity warm'd the matter's breat Words follow'd words, from question antwer(Twas then his threshold first receiv'd a guest

fow'd,

Slow creaking turns the door with jealous care
One frugal faggot lights the naked walls, [call
And half he welcomes in th' thiv`ring pair;
And nature's fervour through their limbs r
Bread of the coarfer fort with meagre wine,
(Each hardly granted) ferv'd them both to din
And when the tempeft first appear'd to cease,
A ready warning bid them part in peace.

And talk of various kind deceiv'd the road; Till each with other pleas'd, and loth to part, While in their age they differ, join in heart. Thus ftands an aged elm in ivy bound, Thus youthful ivy clafps an elm around. Now funk the fun; the clofing bour of day Came onward, mantled o'er with fober Nature in filence bid the world repose: grey; When near the road a stately palace rofe. [pafs, In one fo rich a life fo poor and rude; With ftill remarkthepond'ring Hermit view There, by the moon, through ranks of trees they And why fhould fuch (within himself he cried Whofe verdure crown'd their floping fides of Lock the loft wealth a thousand want befide? It chanc'd the noble mafter of the dome [grafs. But what new marks of wonder foon took pla Stillmadehishoufethewand'ringftranger's home; In ev'ry fettling feature of his face, Yet fill the kindnefs, from a thirit of praife, Prov'd the vain flourish of expenfive ease. When from his veft the young companion bo The pair arrive: the liveried fervants wait; That cup the gen'rous landlord own'd before Their lord receives them at the pompous gate. The tinted kindness of this churlish foul! And paid profufely with the precious bowl The table groans with coftly piles of food, And all is more than hofpitably good. [drown, The fun emerging opes an azure fky; But now the clouds in airy tumult fly; Then, led to reft, the day's long toil they A fresher green the fmelling leaves difplay, Deep funk in fleep, and filk, and heaps of down. And, glittering as they tremble, cheer the da 5

T

The weather courts them from the poor retreat,
And the glad mafter bolts the wary gate.
We hence they walk the Pilgrim's bofom
wrought

With all the travail of uncertain thought;
His partner's acts without their caule appear;
'Twas there a vice; and jeem'd a madness here:
Detefting that, and pitving this, he goes,
Loft and confounded with the various fhows.
Now night'sdimthadegain involve the sky;
Again the wand rers want a place to lie:
Again they fearch, and find a lodging nigh.
The foil improv'd around, the mantion neat,
And neither poorly low nor idly great,
It seem'd to fpeak its mafter's turn of mind,
Content, and not for praife but virtue kind.

Surprise in fecret chains his words fufpends,
And in a calm his fettling temper ends.
But filence here the beauteous angel broke
(The voice of mufic ravish'd as he spoke):
"Thypray'r,thypraife,thylifeto vice unknown,
In fweet memorial rife before the throne:
Thefe charms fuccefs in our bright region find,
And force an angel down to calm thy mind;
For this commiffion'd, I forfook the sky-
Nay, ceafe to kneel!-thy fellow-fervant I.
"Then know the truth of government divine,
And let thefe fcruples be no longer thine.

"The Maker jufflyclaims that world he made,
In this the right of Providence is laid;
Its facred majefty through all depends
On uting fecond means to work his ends;
Hither the walkers turn with weary feet, 'Tis thus withdrawn in ftate from human eye,
Then bless the mansion, and the mafter greet. The Pow'r exerts his attributes on high;
Their greeting fair, beftow'd with modeft guife, Your actions ufes, nor controuls your will,
The courteous mafter hears and thus replies: And bids the doubting fons of men be ftill.prife,
“Without a vain, without a grudging heart, "What strange eventscan strike with more fur-
To him who gives us all, I yield a part;
Thanthofe whichlatelyftruckthy wond'ringeyes?
From hun you come, for him accept it here, Yet, taught by thefe, confefs th' Almighty just;
A frank and fober, more than coftly cheer." And, where you can't unriddle, learn to truft.
He (poke, and bid the welcome table fpread,
Then talk'd of virtue till the time of bed;
"The great vain man, whofar'd on coitly food,
Whofe life was too luxurious to be good;
When the grave houfehold round his hall repair, Who made his iv'ry ftands with goblets fhine,
Warn'd by a bell, and clofe the hours with pray'r. Andforc'dhisgueft sto morning draughts of wine;
At length the world renew'd by calm repofe, Has with the cup, the gracelets custom loft,
Was ftrong for toil; the dappled morn arose
And ftill he welcomes, but with lefs of coft.
Before the Pilgrims part, the younger crept,
"Themeanfufpiciouswretch,whosebolteddoor
Near the clos'd cradle, where an infant lept,
Ne'er mov'd in pity to the wand'ring poor,
And writh'd his neck: the landlord's littlepride, With him I left the cup, to teach his mind
trange return! grew black, and gafp'd, and That Heaven can blefs, if mortals will be kind.
Horror of horrors! what! his only fon? [died, Confcious of wanting worth, he views the bowl,
How look'd our Hermit when the fact was done? And feels compaffion touch his grateful foul.
Not hell, tho' hell's black jaws in funder part, Thus artifts melt the fullen ore of lead,
And breathe bluefire,could more affault hisheart. With heaping coals of fire upon its head;
Confus'd and ftruck with filence at the deed, In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,
He fies; but, trembling fails to fly with speed. And loofe from drofs, the filver runs below.
His fteps the youth purfues: the country lay
Perplex'd with roads ; a fervant fhew'd the way:
A river crofs'd the path; the paffage o'er
Was nice to find; the fervant trod before:
Longarmsofoaksan open bridge fupplied, [glide. To what exceffes had his dotage run!
Anddeepthe wavesbeneaththe bending branches But God, to fave the father, took the fon.
The youth, who feem'd to watch a time to fin, To all but thee in fits he seem'd to go;
Approach'd the careless guide,and thruft him in: And 'twas my miniftry to deal the blow.
Plunging he falls; and rifing lifts his head;

66

Long had our pious friend in virtue trod, But nowthe child half-wean'dhis heart from God; (Child of his age) for him he liv'd in pain, And measur'd back his steps to earth again.

The

poor fond parent, humbled in the duft,

Now owns in tears the punishment was just.

He burts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
Wild (parklingrage inflames the father's eyes;

"But how had all his fortunes felt a wrack, Had that falfe fervant sped in safety back!

Thus Heaven inftructs thy mind: this trial o'er,

When the ftrange partner feem'dno longer man. And what a fund of charity would fail !
Deftedwretch!"--Butfcarcehis fpeech began, This night his treafur'd heaps he meant to steal,
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon hisfeet; Depart in peace, refign, and fin no more."
Hi youthful face grew more ferenely sweet;
Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair;
And wings whofe colours glitter'd on the day, Thus look'd Elifha, when, to mount on high,
Celeftial odours breathe through purpled air; The fage ftood wond'ring as the seraph flew.
Wide at in back their gradual plumes difplay. His master took the chariot of the sky:
The form ethereal burfts upon his fight,
And moves in all the majesty of light.
Tho' loud at first the Pilgrim's paffion grew,
Sudden he gaz'd and wilt not what to do;

On founding pinionsherethe youth withdrew;

The fiery pomp afcending left the view;
The prophet gaz'd, and wifh'd to follow too.
The bending Hermit here a pray'r begun.
Lord! as in heaven, on earth thy will be done.

Then,

Whilf beauty spreads its fweeteft charms'
around,

And is ectatic fwell their tuneful found,
At thou within the pompous circle found?
Does not thy influence more fedately thine?
Can fuch tumultuous joy as thefe be thine?
Surely more mild, more conftant in their courfe,
Tay pleatures iffue from a nobler fource;
From fweet difcretion ruling in the breaft,
From paffions temper, and from lufts repreft;
From thoughts unconscious of a guilty fmart,
And the calm transports of an honeft heart.
Thy aid, O ever faithful, ever kind!
Thro' life, thro' death, attends the virtuous
mind;

Of angry fate, wards from us ev'ry blow,
Cures ev'ry ill, and foftens ev'ry woe.
Whatever good our mortal ftate defires,
What wildom finds, or innocence inspires;
From nature's bounteous hand whatever flows,
Whate'er our Maker's providence bestows,
B. thee mankind enjoys; by thee repays
A grateful tribute of perpetual praife.

§ 108. A Thought upon Death.
'Tis vain, my foul, 'tis impious all,
The human lot to mourn,
That life fo foon must fleet away,

And duft to duft return.
Alas! from death the terrors fly,

When once 'tis understood;
'Tis Nature's call, 'tis God's decree,
And is, and must be good.
Wearied his limbs with honeft toil,

And void of cares his breaft,
See how the lab'ring hind finks down
Each night to wholesome rest.
No naufeous fumes perplex his fleep,
No guilty ftarts furprife;
The vitions that his fancy forms,
All free and cheerful rife.
So thou, nor led by lufts aftray,

Nor gail'd with anxious ftrife,
With virtuous industry fulfil
The plain intent of life.
País calmly thy appointed day,
And ufefully employ,
And then thou 'art sure whate'er fucceed
Is reft, and peace, and joy.

167. On Industry. Fitzgerald.
QUEEN of all virtues! for whate'er we call
Golike and great, 'tis thou obtain'st it all.
No talk too arduous for thy ftrong eflay,
And art and nature own thy potent fway.
Lir'd by thee to each fuperior aim,
We
e pres with ardour thro' the paths of fame,
Un to the facred top, and leave behind
Thngiorious crowd, the herd of human kind;
We wndom round us pours her heavenly ray,
An old experience guides our steady way.
Narious care, no furious lufts controul
The free habitual vigour of the foul.
Each part, each station gracefully we fill,
And bend and shape our fortune to our will.
The hero, down thro' ev'ry age renown'd,

By thee bas gain'd his honourable spoils,
Aat mighty fame atchiev'd by mighty toils.
The age, whilst learning ftudious he purfues,
Bete tubborn fciences fubdues;

Aastasior ever his capacious mind.
Nek the lower ranks thy aid in vain ;

T

Where love our hours employs;
No noify neighbour enters here,

Whiumph,pruit and glorious titles crown'd, No intermeddling stranger near,

To fpoil our heart-felt joys.
Within our breaft this jewel lies;
If folid happiness we prize,

Tetra's wide fields expatiates unconfind, The world has nothing to beftow;

And they are fools who roam:

From our own felves our joys must flow,
And that dear hut, our home.
Of reft was Noah's dove bereft,
When with impatient wing he left
That fafe retreat, the ark;
her vain excurfion o'er,

difappointed bird once more
Explor'd the facred bark.

mechanic and the lab'ring fwain:
peace and fweet content to thefe it brings,

More precious prizes than the wealth of kings.
Wen whelming round us death's fad terrors

14

7th peak it peace and comfort to the foul. The

The four r

recollecting thoughts prefent

$109. The Fire-Side. Cotton.
DEAR Chloe, while the bufy crowd,

The vain, the wealthy, and the proud,
In Folly's maze advance;
Tho' fingularity and pride
Be call'd our choice, we 'll step afide,
Nor join the giddy dance.
From the gay world we 'll oft retire
To our own family and fire,

Fitzgerald,

A we'd life in virtuous Labour fpent; Tho' fools fpurn Hymen's gentle pow'rs,

Jief we have pais'd thro' every stage,
A pad our debt of service to the age;
fil we made our duty our delight,
Ner hid our master's talent from our fight,
As well, his all by our own heart approv'd,

We, who improve his golden hours,
By fweet experience know,
That marriage, rightly understood,
Gives to the tender and the good
A paradile below.

fm hence we pals, by God and man belov'd; Our babes fhall richest comforts bring;
And leave a blefed memory behind,
erful we pais, to Heaven's high will refign'd, If tutor'd right, they 'll prove a fpring

Whence pleasures ever rife:
G

We'l