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Such is the patriot's boaft, where'er we roam:
His firit, beit country, ever is at home.
And yet, perhaps, if countries we compare,
And estimate the bleffings which they fhare,
Though patriots flatter, itill fhall wifdom find
An equal portion dealt to all mankind;
As different good, by art or nature given,
To different nations, makes their bleflings even.
Nature, a mother kind alike to all,
Still grants her blifs at labour's earnest call;
With food as well the peafapt is fupplied
On Idra's cliff's as Arno's fhelvy fide;
And tho' the rocky-crested summits frown,
Thefe rocks by custom turn to beds of down.
From art more various are the bleffings fent;
Wealth, commerce, honour, liberty, content.
Yet thefe each other's pow'r fo ftrong conteft,
That either feems deftructive of the reft. [fails;
Where wealth and freedom reign, contentment
And honourfinks where commerce longprevails.
Hence ev'ry state, to one lov'd bleffing prone,
Conforms and models life to that alone.
Each to the fav'rite happiness attends,
And fpurns the plan that aims at other ends;
Till carried to excefs in each domain,
This fav'rite good begets peculiar pain.

But let us try thefe truths with clofer eyes,
And trace them through the profpect as it lies:
Here for a while, my proper cares refign'd,
Here let me fit, in forrow for mankind;
Like you neglected shrub at random cast,
That fhades the ficep, and fighs at ev'ry blaft.
Far to the right, where Apennine afcends,
Bright as the fummer, Italy extends;
Its uplands floping deck the mountain's fide,
Woods over woods in gay theatric pride;
While oft fome temple's mould'ringtopsbetween
With venerable grandeur mark the scene.

Could Nature's bounty fatisfy the breast, The fons of Italy were furely bicft. Whatever fruits in different climes are found, That proudly rife, or humbly court the ground; Whatever blooms in torrid tracts appear, Whofe bright fucceffion decks the varied year; Whatever fweets falute the nothern sky With vernal lives, that bloffom but to die: Thefe here difporting, own the kindred foil, Nor afk luxuriance from the planter's toil; While fea-born gales their gelid wings expand, To winnow fragrance round the fmiling land. But fmall the blits that fenfe alone beltows, And fenfual blifs is all the nation knows. In fiorid beauty groves and fields appear, Man feems the only growth that dwindles here. Contrafted faults through all his manners reign: Tho' poor, luxurious; tho' fubmiffive, vain; Tho' grave, yet trifling; zealous, yet untrue; And e'en in penance planning fins anew. All evils here contaminate the mind, That opulence departed leaves behind; For wealth was theirs, not far remov'd the date, When commerce proudly flourish'd through the Athercor mard the palace learn'd to rife, [state: Again the long-fu'n column fought the skies:

The canvas glow'd beyond e'en Nature war The pregnant quarry teem'd with human! Till, more unfteady than the fouthern gale Commerce on other fhores difplay'd her fail While nought remain'd of all that riches But towns unmann'd, and lords without a And late the nation found, with fruitless fki Its former ftrength was but plethoric ill.

Yet ftill the lofs of wealth is here fuppl By arts, the fplendid wrecks of former pric From thefe the feeble heart and long-fall'n m An eafy compenfation feem to find. Here may be feen, in bloodless pomp array The paiteboard triumph, and the cavalcade Proceflions form'd for piety and love, A miftrefs or a faint in ev'ry grove. By fports like thefe are all their cares beguil The fports of children (atisfy the child: Each nobler aim, reprefs' by long contro Now finks at laft, or feebly mans the foul While low delights, fucceeding fait behind In happier meannefs occupy the mind: As in thofe domes where Cæfars once bore fø Defac'd by time, and tott ring in decay, There in the ruin, heedlefs of the dead, The fhelter-feeking peasant builds his shed And, wondering man could want the larger Exults, and owns his cottage with a smile.

My foul, turn from them-turn we to fur Where rougher climes a nobler race difplay Where the bleak Swifstheirftormymanfionta And force a churlish foil for feanty breas: No product here the barren hills afford But man and fteel, the foldier and his fword No vernal blooms their torpid rocks army, But winter ling'ring chills the lap of May: No zephyr fondly fues the mountain's bre.. But meteors glare, and stormy glooms inve

Yer ftill e'en here Content can spreada ch
Redrefs the clime, and all its rage difarm.
Tho' poor the peafant's hut, his feaft tho' in.
He fees his little lot the lot of all,
Sces no contiguous palace rear its head,
To thame the meannefs of his humble fhed
No coftly lord the fumptuous banquet dei,
To make him loath his vegetable meal;
But calm, and bred in ignorance and toil,
Each with contracting, fits him to the foil.
Cheerful at morn he wakes from short repo.
Breathes the keen air, and carols as he goe
With patient angle trolls the finny deep,
Or drives his vent'rous ploughihare to the ite
Or feeks the den where fhow-tracks mark

And drags the struggling favage into day. [u
At night returning, ev'ry labour foed,
He tits him down the monarch of a thed;
Smiles by his cheerful fire, and round furve
His children's looks, that brighten at the bla
While his lov'd partner, boaftful of her hu
Difplays her cleanly platter on the board:
And haply too fome pilgrim, thither led,
With many a tale repays the nightly bed.

Thus ev'ry good his native wilds impart Imprints the patriot pallion on his heart;

Vedete hills that round his manfion rife, | They pleafe, are pleas'd, they give to get esteem;

thane te les his fcanty fund fupplies.

is that thed to which his foul conforms, dear the hill which lifts him to the ftorms; a child, when fearing founds moleft, gyclofe and closer to the mother's breaft; iced torrent, and the whirlwind's roar, Lead him to his native mountains more. Su the charms to barren states affign'd: wats but few, their wishes all confin'd. tem only fhare the praifes due; wants, their pleatures are but few: ***y want that ftimulates the breast,

ource of pleature when redreft. [flies,
ce from fuch lands each pleating fcience
excites defire, and then fupplies;
a to them, when fenfual pleatures cloy
languid paufe with finer joy;
watole pow is that raife thefoul toflame,
nerve, and vibrate through the frame.
e. Life is but a mould'ring fire,
dby want, unfann'd by strong defire;
ptures; or, if raptures cheer

festival of once a year,
As the vulgar breaft takes fire,

in debauch the blifs expire. eir joys alone thus coarfely flow; Take their pleasures, are but low! ment Rops, from fire to fon, improv d, the manners run; and friendship's finely pointed dart ed from each indurated heart. virtue's o'er the mountain's breast cons cow'ring on the neft; ter morals, fuch as play [way; e cultur'd walks, and charm the rs'd, on timorous pinions fly, patter in a kinder sky.

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ies, where gentler manners reign, France difplays her bright domain. y and of mirth and focial eafe, thyfelf whom all the world can ve I led thy fportive choir, [pleafe, es pipe,befide the murm'ring Loire! ng elms along the margin grew, d from the wave, the zephyr flew; to my harsh touch falt ring ftill, altune,andmarr'd thedancer'sfkill, the village praife mywond'rouspow'r, Storgetful of the noontide hour! 4: dames of ancient day's

irchildren thro' the mirthful maze; zy grandfire, fkill'd in geftic lore, beneath the burden of threefcore. ife these thoughtless realms difplay, day buy rolls their world away; the arts that mind to mind endear, sur forms the focial temper here. that praife which real merit gains, gary worth obtains,

Se current; paid from hand to hand: plendid traffic round the land: Ct to camps, to cottages, it ftrays, taught an avarice of praife:

Till, feeming bleft, they grow to what they feem.
But while this fofter art their blifs fupplies,
It gives their follies alfo room to rife;
For praife too dearly lov'd, or warmly fought,
Enfeebles all internal ftrength of thought,
And the weak foul, within itfelf unbleft,
Leans for all pleasure on another's breaft,
Hence oftentation here, with tawdry art,
Pants for the vulgar praise which fools impart:
Here vanity affumes her pert grimace,
And trims her robes of frize with copper-lace;
Here beggar pride defrauds her daily cheer,
To boaft one fplendid banquet once a year;
The mind ftillturrs where fhifting fashiondraws,
Nor weighs the folid worth of felf-applause.

To men of other minds my fancy flies,
Embofom'd in the deep where Holland lies.
Methinks her patient fons before me stand,
Where the broad Ccean leans against the land;
And, fedulous to ftop the coming tide,
Lift the tall rampire's artificial pride.
Onward methinks, and diligently flow,
The firm connected bulwark feems to grow;
Spreads its long arms amidst the wat'ry roar,
Scoops out an empire, and ufurps the shore;
While the pent ocean, rifing o'er the pile,
Sees an amphibious world beneath him fmile;
The flow canal, the yellow-bloffom'd vale,
The willow-tufted bank, the gliding fail,
The crowded mart, the cultivated plain,
A new creation refcued from his reign.

Thus, while around the wave-fubjected foil Impels the native to repeated toil, Induftrious habits in each botom reign, And induftry begets a love of gain. Hence all the good from opulence that springs, With all thofe ills furperfluous treafure brings, Are here difplay'd. Their much-lov'dwealth imConvenience, plenty, elegance, and arts; [parts But view them clofer, craft and fraud appear; E'en liberty itself is barter'd here! At gold's fuperior charn.s all freedom flies; The needy fell it, and the rich man buys; A land of tyrants and a den of flaves, Here wretches feek difhonourable graves. And, calmly bent, to fervitude conform, Dull as their lakes that flumber in the Itorm.

Heavens! how unlike their Belgie fires of old! Rough, poor, content, ungovernably bold; War in each breaft, and freedom on each brow; How much unlike the fons of Britain now!

Fir'd at the found,my Geniusfpreadsherwing Andflies where Britain courts theweftern(pring; Where lawns extend that fcorn Arcadim pride; Andbrighter freains than fam'dHyd afpes glide: There all around the gentleft breezes ftray, There gentle mufic melts on ev'ry spray; Creation's mildeft charms are there combin'd; Extremes are only in the mafter's mind! Stern o'er each bofom Reafon holds her state, With daring aims irregularly great: Pride in their port, defiance in their eye, I fee the lords of human kind pafs by; P

Intent

Intent on high defigns a thoughtful band,
By forms unfashion'd fresh from nature's hand;
Fierce in their native hardiness of foul,
True to imagin'd right above controul:
While e'en the peafant boasts these rights to fcan,
And learns to venerate himself as man. fhere,
Thine, Freedom, thine the bleffings pictur'd
Thine are those charms, that dazzle and endear;
Too bleft indeed were fuch without alloy,
But fofter'd e'en by Freedom ills annoy.
That independance Britons prize too high,
Keeps man from man, and breaks the focial tie;
The felf-dependant lordlings ftand alone;
All claims that bind and sweeten life unknown;
Here, by the bonds of Nature feebly held,
Minds combat minds, repelling and repell'd.
Ferments arife, imprison'd factions roar,
Reprefs'd ambition ftruggles round her fhore;
Till, over-wrought, the general fyftem feels
Its motions stop, or phrenly fire the wheels.

Nor this the worst. As Nature's ties decay,
As duty, love, and honour fail to fway,
Fictitious bonds, the bonds of wealth and law,
Still gather ftrength, and force unwilling awe.
Hence all obedience bows to these alone,
And talents finks, and merit weeps unknown;
Till time may come, when ftripp'd of all her
charms,

The land of fcholars and the nurse of arms,
Where noble stems tranfmit the patriot flame,
Where kings have toil'd, and poets wrote for
One fink of level avarice fhall lie, [fame,
And scholars, foldiers, kings, unhonour'd die.
Yet think not thus, when Freedom's ills I ftate,
I mean to flatter kings, or court the great :
Ye pow'rs of truth that bid my foul afpire,
Far from my bosom drive the low defire!
And thou, fair Freedom, taught alike to feel
The rabble's rage, and tyrant's angry steel;
Thou tranfitory flow'r, alike undone
By proud Contempt, or Favour's foft'ring fun,
Still may thy blooms the changeful clime endure,
I only would reprefs them to fecure:
For juft experience tells, in ev'ry foil,
That thosewho think muftgovern thofe who toil;
And all that Freedom's highest aims can reach,
Is but to lay proportion'd loads on each.
Hence, fhould one order difproportion'd grow,
Its double weight must ruin all below.

O, then, how blind to all that truth requires,
Who think it freedom when a part afpires,
Calm is my foul, nor apt to rife in arms,
Except when faft approaching danger warms:
But when contending chiefs blockadethethrone,"
Contracting regal pow'r to ftretch their own;
When I behold a factious band agree

To call it freedom when themselves are free;
Each wanton judge new penal ftatutes draw,
Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law;
The wealth of climes, where favage nations

roam,

Pillag'd from flaves, to purchase slaves at home;
Fear, pity, justice, indignation start,
Tear off referve, and bare my swelling heart;

Till, half a patriot, half a coward grown,
I fly from petty tyrants to the throne.

Yes,brother, curfe with me that baleful ho
When first ambition ftruck at regal pow'r,
And thus, polluting honour in its fource,
Gave wealth to fway the mind with double fo
Have we not feen, round Britain's peopled f
Her ufeful fons exchang'd for ufelefs ore;
Seen all her triumphs but deftruction hafte
Like flaring tapers, bright'ning as they wa
Seen Opulence, her grandeur to maintain,
Lead ftern Depopulation in her train,
And over fields where scatter'd hamlets rof
In barren folitary pomp repofe?
Have we not feen, at Pleafure's lordly call.
The fmiling long-frequented village fall?
Beheld the duteous fon, the fire decay'd,
The modeft matron, and the bluthing maid
Forc'd from their homes, a melancholy trai
To traverse climes beyond the weltern mai
Where wild Ofwego fpreads her fwamps aro
And Niagara ftuns with thund'ring found
E'en now, perhaps, as there fome pilgrim it
Thro' tangled forefts, and thro' dangerous w
Where beasts with man divided empire cla
And thebrown Indian marks with murd'rous
There, while above the giddy tempeft flies
And all around diftrefstul yells arife,
The penfive exile, bending with his woe,
To ftop too fearful, and too faint to go,
Cafts a long look where England's glories
And bids his bofom fympathize with mine

Vain, very vain, my weary fearch to find
That blifs which only centres in the mind
Why have I ftray'd from pleasure and repo
To feek a good each government beftows
In ev'ry government, tho' terrors reign,
Though tyrant kings or tyrant laws retra
How imall, of all that human hearts endur
That part which laws or kings can caufe or
Still to ourselves in ev'ry place confign'd,
Our own felicity we make or find:
With fecret course, which no loud storms an
Glides the fmooth current of domeftic joy.
The lifted ax, the agonizing wheel,
Luke's iron crown, and Damiens' bed of it
To men remote from pow'r but rarely kno
Leave reason, faith, and confcience, all our

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The horn bush, with feats beneath the shade,
For taking age and whifp'ring lovers made!
How cren have I blefs'd the coming day,
When tail remitting lent its turn to play;
Andal the village train from labour free,
Let up their sports beneath the fpreading tree;
We many à paftime circled in the fhade,
The young contending as the old furvey'd:
Adanya gambol frolick 'do'er the ground,
Anders of art and feats of ftrength wentround.
And as each repeated pleafure tir'd,

Sweet Auburn! parent of the blissful hour,
Thy glades forlorn confefs'd the tyrant's pow'r.
Here, as I take my folitary rounds,

Amidst thy tangling walks, and ruin'd grounds;
And, many a year elaps'd, return to view [grew;
Where once the cottage ftood, the hawthorn
Remembrance wakes with all her busy train,
Swells at my breast, and turns the past to pain.

In all my wand'rings round this world of care, In all my grief, and God has given my fhare→→ I ftill had hopes, my latest hours to crown, dag fports the mirthful band infpir'd Amidft thefe humble bow'rs to lay me down; Tag pair that fimply fought renown.; To hufband out life's taper at the clofe, g out to tire each other down; And keep the flame from wafting my repose: Tea, mistrustlefs of his smutted face, I ftill had hopes, for pride attends us ftill, We ret laughter titter'd round the place; Amidft the fwains to fhew my book-learn'd skill, Crtal virgin's fide-long looks of love, Around my fire, an evening group to draw, matron's glance that would those looks re- And tell of all I felt, and all I faw; [thefe, And, as a hare, whom hounds and horns pursue, were thy charms, fweet village! fports like Pants to the place from whence at firft he flew, at fucceffion taught e'en toil to please; I still had hopes, my long vexations past, The round thy bow'rs their cheerful influence Here to return, and die at home at laft. fred, [are fled, were thy charms-but all these charms miling village, lovelieft of the lawn, Tarts arefied,andall thy charms withdrawn, atty bow'rs the tyrant's hand is feen,

ve

tion faddens all thy green: mafter grafps the whole domain, Afatillage tints thy fmiling plain; etty glaffy brook reflects the day, d with fedges, works its weedy way; glades, a folitary guest,

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ounding bittern guards its neft;
y defert walks the lapwing flies,
eir echoes with unvaried cries.
bow'rs in fhapeless ruin all,
Aggrafs o'ertops themould'ring wall;
gfhrinkingfromthe fpoiler's hand,
y thy children leave the land.
the land, to haft'ning ills a prey,
th accumulates, and men decay:
ad Lords may flourish or may fade;
make them as a breath has made:
peafantry, their country's pride,
e destroyd, can never be fupplied.
there was, ere England's griefs began,
ry rood of ground maintain'd its man;
eht labour Ipread her wholefome store;
what life requir'd, but gave no more:
companions, innocence and health;
Det riches, ignorance of wealth.
Bas are alter'd: trade's unfeeling train
e land, and difpoffefs the fwain;
the lawn, were fcatter'd hamlets rofe,
wealth and cumb'rous pomp repofe;
try want to luxury allied,

pang that folly pays to pride.
e hours that plenty bade to bloom,
defres that alk'd but little room,
attal fports that grac'd the peaceful

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look, and brighten'd all the green; departing, feek a kinder fhore, As real nirth and manners are no more.

O bleft retirement, friend to life's decline,
Retreat from care, that never must be mine!
How bleft is he, who crowns,in fhades like thefe,
A youth of labour with an age of eafe;
Whoquits a world where strong temptations try,
And, fince 'tis hard to combat, learns to fly !
For him no wretches, born to work and weep,
Explore the mine, or tempt the dang'rous deep;
No furly porter ftands in guilty ftate,
To fpurn imploring famine from the gate;
But on he moves to meet his latter end,
Angels around; befriending virtue's friend;
Sinks to the grave with unperceiv'd decay,
While refignation gently flopes the way;
And, all his profpects bright'ning to the laft,
His heaven commences ere the world be paft!
Sweet was the found, when oft at evening's
clofe,

Up yonder hill the village murmur rofe;
There as I pafs'd, with carelefs fteps and flow,
The mingling notes came foften'd from below;
The fwain refponfive as the milk-maid fung,
The fober herd that low'd to meet their young,
The noify geefe that gabbled o'er the pool,
The playful children juft let loofe from school,
The watch-dog's voice that bay'd the whisp'ring
wind,

And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind;
Thefe all in fweet confufion fought the fhade,
And fill'd each paufe the nightingale had made.
But now the founds of population fail,
No cheerful murmurs fluctuate in the gale,
No bufy fteps the grafs-grown footway tread,
But all the bloomy fluth of life is filed:
All but yon widow'd, folitary thing,
That feebly bend befide the plafhy spring;
She, wretched matron! forc'd in age for bread,
To ftrip the brook with mantling creffes
fpread,

To pick her wintry faggot from the thorn,
To feek her nightly thed, and weep till morn ;
She only left, of all the harmless train,
The fad hiftorian of the penfive plain.

P 2

Near

Near yonder copfe, where once the garden fmil'd, A man fevere he was, and ftern to view;
And still where many a garden flow'r grows wild, I knew him well, and every truant knew.
There, where a few torn fhrubs the place difclofe, Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to tr
The village preacher's modest manfion rofe. The day's difafters in his morning face:
A man he was to all the country dear,
Full well they laugh'd with counterfeited gl
And paffing rich with forty pounds a year; At all his jokes, for many a joke had be;
Remote from towns he ran his godly race, Full well the bufy whifper circling round
Nor'er had chang'd, nor with'd to change, his Convey'd the difmal tidings when he frown
Unskilful he to fawn, or feek for pow'r, [place; Yet he was kind; or, if fevere in aught,
By doctrines fashion'd to the varying hour; The love he bore to learning was in fault;
Får other aims his heart had learn'd to prize, The village all declar'd how much he knew
More bent to raise the wretched than to rife. 'Twas certain he could write and cypher to
His houfe was known to all the vagrant train; Lands he could measure, terms and tides pref
He chidtheirwand'rings, but reliev'd their pain. And ev'n the story ran that he could gange
The long-remember'd beggar was his gueft, In arguing too the parfon own'd his kiil,
Whofe beard defcending fwept his aged breaft; For,even though vanquish'd, he could arguef
The ruin'd spendthrift, now no longer proud, While words of learned length, and thund's
Claim'd kindred there,and hadhisclaims allow'd; found,
The broken foldier, kindly bade to stay,
Sat by his fire, and talk'd the night away;
Wept o'er his wounds, or, tales of forrow done,
Shoulder'd his crutch,and fhew'd how fields were
[glow,

won.

Pleas'd with his guests the good man learn'd to
And quite forgot their vices in their woe;
Carele's their merits or their faults to fcan,
His pity gave ere charity began,

Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride,
And ev'n his failings lean'd to Virtue's fide;
But, in his duty prompt at ev'ry call,
He watch'd and wept, he pray'd and felt for all.
And, as a bird each fond endearment tries,
To tempt her new-fledg'd offspring to the fkies:
He tried each art, reprov'd each dull delay,
Allur'd to brighter worlds, and led the way.

Befide the bed, where parting life was laid,
And forrow, guilt, and pain, by turns difmay 'd,
The rev'rend champion ftood: At his controul
Defpair and anguish fled the struggling foul;
Comfort came downthe trembling wretch toraife,
And his last falt'ringaccents whisper'd praife.
At church, with meek and unaffected grace,
His looks adorn'd the venerable place;
Truth from his lips prevail'd with double fway,
And fools, who came to fcoff, remain'd to pray
The fervice paft, around the pious man,
With ready zeil each honeft ruftic ran;
Ev'n children follow'd with endearing wile,
And pluck'd his gown to fhare the good man's
finile.

is ready finile a parent's warmth exprefs'd, Their welfare pleas'd him, and their care diftrefs'd;

To them his heart, his love,his griefs were given,
But all his ferious thoughts had reft in heaven.
As fome tall cliff that lifts its awful form,
Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the
ftorm,

Tho' roundits breaft the rolling clouds arefpread,
Iternal funthine fettles on its head.

Befide yon itraggling fence that (kirts the way,
With bloom furze unprofitably gay,
There, in his noity mansion skill'd to rule,
The village matter taught his little school;

Amaz'd the gazing ruftics rang'd around;
And till they gaz'd, and till the wonder gr
That one finall head could carry all he knew
But paft is all his fame,: the very fpot,
Where many a time he triumph'd is forgot

Near yonder thorn that lifts its head on h
Where once the fign-poft caught the paffing
Low lies that houfe where nut-brown draug
infpir'd,

Where grey-beard mirth and fmiling toil reti
Where village ftatesmen talk'd with looks
found,

And news much older than their ale went rom
Imagination fondly stoops to trace
The parlour fplendours of that feftive place
The white-wafh'd wall, the nicely fanded fl
The varnish'd clock that click'd behind

door;

The cheft contriv'd a double debt to pay,
A bed by night, a cheft of draw'rs by day;
The pictures plac'd for ornament and uie,
The twelve good rules, the royal game of go
The hearth, except when winter chill'd the
With afpen boughs,and flow'rs, and fennel g
While broken tea-cups, wifely kept for fles
Rang'd o'er the chimney, glisten'd in a row

Vain tranfitory fplendour! could not all
Reprieve the tott`ring maylion from its fall
Obfcure it finks, nor thall it more impart
An hour's importance to the poor man's he
Thither no more the peafant fhall repair
To fweet oblivion of his daily care;
No more the farmer's new, the barber's ta'
No more the woodman's ballad fhall prevail
No more the finith his dulky brow thail c
Relax his pond rous strength, and lean to b
The hot himself no longer holl be found,
Careful to fee the mantling blifs
Nor the coy maid, balf willing to be pret,
Shall kifs the cup to pafs it to the reff.

go

round

Yes! let the rich deride, the proud difd. Thefe fimple blefings of the lowly train: To me more dear, congenial to my heart, One native charm, than all the glofs of a t Spontaneous joys, where nature has its pla The foul adopts, and owns their firft-born

L

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