Her fwelling pods with fatnefs, which fhe draws From the rich foil, fhe empties all her store,
Joyous to spread it on her mafter's board.
green fruitful spot all cover'd o'er
With various plants, not one amidst the train With useless verdure loads or fhades the ground; Each ftem that rifes in this rural scene
Delights or nourishes; for food prepar'd, Or helpful to remove frail nature's pains. All feafons here their diff'rent colours wear, While, each fucceeding each, the ripening fun Varies their beauties; every plant and flower Springing at once to nurture and to please. Oh! why should he who calls this spot his own Envy the pomp of kings, the proud display Of regal power! who, walking thro' the rows Of grateful and obfequious fubjects, views Each to their lord a chearful tribute pay, Of double use, to nourish and delight, Oblige the palate, while they please the eye. At distance fee aloft the mountains tour, Hiding their lofty heads among the clouds, Their craggy ridges heaving up, as meant
T'affault the heavens---strong boundaries, defign'd By his almighty hand that fix'd their bafe Deep as the centre; barriers that divide
Empires from ftates, and regulate their bounds; What, tho' their rugged furface may appear Deform'd and naked, yet their bowels hide Rich treasures lodg'd within their cells below; Thence painful induftry has learn'd to draw Fit inftruments to turn her forward foil, To reap her golden harvests, and procure Each bleffing needful to make life a joy.
See there the vast extended ocean spread, From east to west, ftretching its liquid arms; How high its waters rife, and billows roll, Lashing the fhore thro' its mad angry foam; See crouding navies cut and cleave a way To vifit diftant worlds---beneath whofe waves Th' enormous whale, and all the finny race, Unnumber'd fail, the arching azure fea
Their covering, and their bed the fhelly fand. This the wide ciftern of the world, that holds In its deep refervoir whatever rills
Water the ample globe's remoteft plains;
No fountain that pours out its fruitful stream To fructify the defert, not a flood
That winding thro' earth's distant regions flows, Nor yet a fingle cloud that swims above
Th' expanded fky, but from this fruitful fource Exhales its borrow'd waters.---Trade conveys Its loaded navies o'er this waste of waves, That joins far diftant nations, and unites The eaft and weftern world.---How doubly kind To Britain's favourite ifle, which on her fhore The riches of both Indies yearly pours; The spices in Arabia's vales that bloom, The ore that ripens under stars unknown; This the ftrong rampart guarding from the foe, That both protects us, and enriches too.
Whofe heart exults not with a secret joy,
Nor feels a grateful warmth, when it explores The kind munificence which heaven has fhower'd On man each blissful day to even from morn. Shall the glad hills rejoice on every fide, The pleas'd luxuriant vallies laugh and fing, Pay their juft tribute to that bountcous power Who scatters round his bleffings o'er each plain?
And man, heaven's favoutite, be the last to join All nature's general joy, nor feel a flame Of grateful rapture fwell his heart to view Heaven's wide diffufive goodnefs beaming round The whole creation? 'Midft the millions form'd By his kind hand, no creature left unblefs'd. While life infpires this frame, each hour fhall flow A witness of thofe grateful vows I breathe, The thanks I pay to heaven's indulgent king, For bleffings which his love unbounded sheds On man, (the lord of all these chaste abodes,) To fweeten life, and foften all its cares.
Whatever gifts the earth, the air, or fky,
Can boaft, the breathing fpring, the morning beam, The incence that it sheds, the flowers that bloom To beautify creation, all the ftores,
The fruitful valley, and enameil'd plain,
Or teeming glebe produce, with rapture fir'd, Call all these various gifts of heaven thy own. 'Twas he that tinctur'd with the mildest blue
The azure sky; his hand which first array'd The earth with vestments of a lively green; His pencil ftreak'd with various hues the flowers
Scenting the air around with foft perfumes; For thee the roses bloffom, and expand Their beauties o'er the morning; to regale
Thy fenfe the jeff'mine opes her fragrant leaves, The gay carnation fhines, and lilly blooms. The rocky mountains, whofe eternal base Is rooted near the centre, tow'ring high Above the clouds, rais'd by that mighty power Who cloath'd with beauties each sweet flow'ry vale. Whofe ftrength, what less than energy divine
Could mould yon pond'rous orbs, whofe voice could guide The various feasons which alternate die Each into each by turns; on him alone The whole creation's bafis refts, who gave The universe a being; whofe ftrong arm Firft rais'd, whose wisdom ftill the frame fuftains! Say, should the rapid fun his progress take Across the heavens, unguided by his hand
The comet's blazing orb, or planet's roll,
Their flights unmark'd, their motions unreftrain'd, By that directing will that plans the road
Where each fhall travel; foon would all nature's frame Be shiver'd into nothing,, orbs with orbs
« PreviousContinue » |