ANST thou not fee yon skinny wither'd hag

CAN

Ride o'er our heads, borne in a murky cloud, That, as a mantle, wraps her fhrivell'd limbs,

[pars'd Wafted along by winds, that thrice have Thro' the dark reeky caverns of the dead; Dropping infernal liquor from a vial (Prepar'd by wretched fouls at fecret hours)

Of fuch ftrange quality, that human reason
Is by its dev'lifh influence bewitch'd,
Of all her happiest properties difrob'd,
And just led out o'place; that nature's felf,
At the wild havock, ftartled and amaz'd,
Stands all at odds? Haply my fight's abus'd,
Or is't a phantom of a pefter'd brain?
Or a delufion of the cheating fenfe?

Oh no! Its fatal iffue fpeaks it real.

For, tell me, why fo hotly ye pursue, So eagerly embrace th' imagin'd blifs, The fancied ecftafy that love affords Unlawful and licentious (fatal roos Of all the miferies that gather round us) Wafting thy years in felf-afflicting care, In taftlefs raptures and forbidden joy, Doffing all manliness and sprightly vigour, All noble thirsting of the foul for honour, The fpur to gallantry and bold atchieve

ment,

To let pale forrow hang upon thy cheek
And nip its pride? What! and is all for this,
That thou mayft fay, I bave it, and it's gone?
Ye filken gallants, midnight revellers,
Who wanton with the darling hours of
time,

Till youth is spent in hotbrain'd rioting;
Tell me the mighty purpose that allures,
The happy object that invites the foul,
So to neglect the choiceft gifts of heav'n, -
And rush into the arms of death itself;
'Tis vain to think it is, that lufty health
Should from her native dwelling be put out,
For heart-oppreffing fickness to refide
With her attendants, melancholy train!
There to confume the fhort remains of life
In gloomy difcontent and wretchedness.

You, that are bless'd by nature's liberal
hand,

With rare and happy treafures of the mind, (Of all life's fweets, if life have other (weets,

By far the most delectable and true ;
For others fubt'ly lure us on to tafte,
Yet ftill deceive us in the promis'd blifs).
Oh! wherefore, tell me, why that pre
cious fund,
[gifts,
That manfion richly ftor'd with angels
Is oft fo wafted, lavish'd and defpoil'd,
In frantick levity, distemper'd mirth,

Low abject mockery and faväge rudeness; That like a stream, which of itself tho pure, [nel,

Yet paffing thro" a foul corrupted chan
Becomes defil'd, bemudded and obfcur'd ?
What honied falfhoods tempt th' ambiti
ous man,
[breaft,
What flatt'ring hopes excite his ardent
So eagerly to catch an air-blown bubble,
No fooner touch'd, than gone! Rapine and
murder,

Oppreffion, violence and fell cruelty
Are all domesticks to his haughty will,
And wait his purpose

But as a vapour starting from the brain
Of him whose state is hot and feverous,
Dances i'th' air and glides before the eye,
He putteth forth his hand to take it to him,
Which trait to nothing falls; fo 'tis with

For feated on the topmost tow'r of pride,
With all the pomp his fwelling foul could
with,
[days,
No gladd'ning comforts chear his envious
Life's fweet felicities are not to him;
While black despair, and bitterest remorse,
Prey on his heart, and leave a thousand
Alings,

To wound his hopeless and abandon'd foul.

How fmooth an outfide hath hypocrify! When the bright furface of the filver deep, And the fweet face of heaven, in filence stand,

As they of either's beauty were enamour'd ; 'Tis then, the lures th' unheeding mariner To fit his veffel and prepare to fail; When scarcely having loft the funken fhoar, But on a fudden heaven's face fo fair Becomes as black as night, and the wild winds

Daring the waves to combat, frait enfues A defperate fight, that the confufion strange Nigh startles Jove, who in a fiery rage Hurls forth his rending thunder, as all

earth

Should to her centersplit, which i'th conflict
Mingling, makes hideous uproar; and as
when
[troops
Two mighty pow'rs lead forth their hardy
To bloody purpose and avenging war,
Many, unnoted fall; fo our poor bark
Is by the ruthlefs ftorm o'erwhelm'd and
loft.

So feeming and fo false diffemblers are!
Yet certes fhalt thou find at length a troop
Of many uncouth fhapes, horrid to fight,
In whirldwinds hiffing come, beftraught
[thame,

with fpleen, The offspring of reproach and publick Which wait on death, and are his darker train,

(For death has train more gladfome, which attend, [mons) When he to good men bears his rigid (um

And

Poetical ESSAYS in Hear echoes dying in the fleeting stream!' Such are the objects of my artless theme. Now (wallows lightly o'er the furface glide

Of fields and lakes, for prey, at even-tide, Where tow'ring trees, in matchless robes array'd, [glade; Spread fair the margin, and beftride the Like Typhon aiming the Olympick throne, Tho' not like him in vengeance hurled down;

Their milder crefts bow to the gentle breeze, And own fubje&tion to its firm decrees.

From (corching heat now half the sphere is free,

While fiery Sol bathes in the briny fea; From fair abode fee Zephyr now defcend, And feeble fields beneath his chariot bend, Strait thro' the woods, the fountains, and the groves, [roves, In dimpling winds with instant speed he In fearch of Flora, with her chaplet [round,

crown'd,

Of fweeteft flow'rs, with bloffoms ftudded Who waits his coming at the fairy ring, Where grasshoppers rejoice, and dance and

fing;

Godlike he greets the goddefs of the plains, Recounts her charms, and fighs forth all his pains,

Till fmiles relieve him and difpel his fears, And every grace with looks ferene appears.

The owl begins, the lonely bird of night,

And bats now ftretch their wither'd wings for flight; [edge,

Now frogs are croaking in each brook and And glimm'ring glow-worms couch in ev'ry hedge.

Now folitary thoughts poffefs the mind, With ghofts and goblins, in the fancy coin'd ;. [hade, The mitred nothing, and the fcepter'd Rife from each tomb, and stalk in deep parade.

[down,

Oh! happy man, who can with ease fit And withlefs view the cottage and the

Wifh'd morning's come, and now the laRouze from their homely huts, and fill the plains.

Now on the dewy hills the lambkins graze, And the young heifer round the pasture plays.

The chearful birds are now upon the wing,
And, as they fly,their am'rous defcants fing,
In tuneful notes their new-born joysexprefs,
And in their way the rifing-fun confefs.
The greedy fisher with a pleafing
pain,
[hours in vain,
Stands near fome murm'ring brook whole
Yet baits his unsuccessful hook again :
Lucky at laft, he feizes on his prey,
And wonders at the fortune of the day.

Early the fowler fpreads his artful nets, And round his toils a warbling concert fets; Whofe well-known ftrains the feather'd choir allure,

Crown his deceit, and make his game fecure. Thefe are the harmless paftimes of the fwain, [with pain: That's bleft with peace and undisturb'd Whofe humble cottage, and luxuriant field,

[yield. (Life's greatest bleffing) true contentment Whilft anxious care the courtiers bofam burns, [turns;

And hopes and fears torment his foul by Like whirlwinds, penetrate thro' ev'ry part, And fearch the inmoft fecrets of his heart.

Here, one on fome high-priest or peer

attends,

his gain:

Never contented, ftill he grafps at more, And 'midft his plenty lives for ever poor. Here a fond fool that's bloated with applaufe,

Beftow'd by greater fools without a caufe, Grows ftrait imperious, thinks their praises juft,

And in the whirl of vain ambition's loft. There the brib'd gownfman for his client pleads,

And laughs at juftice, if his caufe fucceeds:

But few are they (alas! the number's few) Who true content, true happiness pursue: The longest life's but an extended fpan, And the world's greater half ne'er rife to

man.

Be then advis'd, the certain Now improve, [grove; And feize the various pleafures of t

376

prepare

To roufe the fubtle fox, or tim'rous hare ;
Orrange for feather'd game the fhady woods;
Or draw with your fallacious nets the floods;
And when the fun is in the ocean fet,
Let fprightly joys your harmless sports
complear.

To fome indulgent fylvan maid repair ;
The fylvan maids are gen'rous as they're
fair:

When at their feet the fuppliant lover lies, They meet his paffion with confenting eyes: With gentle fimiles his am'rous fighs reward; [guard.

For truth and innocence are all their Let others fondly pay their court to fame, And flave to purchafe an heroick name: Let others in triumphant chariots ride,

And facrifice their precious peace to pride Grant me, ye pow'rs, an humble, rural fear,

Free from the noife and hurry of the great, Where I with pleasure, tho' obfcure, may dwell;

Rich difcontent is but a glorious bell.

This thing defpis'd was once with genius fir'd,

chair,

Nay, by the adverfe Bentley was admir`d, 'Midft Granta's fons but lately fill'd the [there. Graceful as when her Whaley's felf was Foe to himself alone, his open mind Embrac'd, and lov'd, and wou'd have ferv'd

mankind;

But niggard fortune acts by partial rules,
And all her bounties fhow'rs on knaves
and fools.
[m'ring ray;

Once the cou'd fmile on him with glim-
But clouded o'er the evening of his day;
In life's decline, no healing comfort gave,
But funk his foul with forrow to the grave.
By hopes too fanguine led, he met the fate
Of all who feek the rich, and truft the
great.
[liev'd;

He went, he bow'd, he heard, and he be-
Was courted, flatter'd, promis'd, and—

deceiv'd.

Find we then most to pity, or to blame? Shall we reward with praise, or brand with fhame ?

If livelier parts to venial faults betray,
Muft cenfure wipe his merits quite away?
If meagre want, with deep affliction join'd,
Subdue the reafon, and unhinge the mind,
Shall we, officious, every blot reveal,
And judge him with uncharitable zeal ?
Or kindly weep for nature thus decay'd,
And o'er his failings caft a friendly shade ?
To future ages bid his virtues bloom,
And bury all his follies in the tomb ?

ACROSTICHIS.

S erpo per argutos hominum impro

vifus ocello S. mnia me vietis, indigus ipfe dab 0. Me colit agreftis; folamen regibus N

adfu M; ec non et relevo quos tenet altus Hyme N. Vincula difcutio; dum adfum, mirabile dict U, cit nemo vires vi&tus adeffe mea S. CORNELIUS.

S

+ The

THE