Content with ease, ambitious to despise
Illustrious vanity, and glorious vice!
Come thou chaste maid, here ever let me stray,
While the calm hours teal unperceiv'd away;
Here court the Mufes, while the fun on high
Flames in the vault of heaven, and fires the sky;
Or while the night's dark wings this globe surround,
And the pale moon begins her folemn round;
Bid my free foul to starry orbs repair,
Those radiant worlds that float in ambient air,
And with a regular confusion stray
Oblique, direct, along th' aërial way :
Or when Aurora, from her golden bowers,
Exhales the fragrance of the balmy flowers,
Reclin'd in filence on a mofly bed,
Confult the learned volumes of the dead:
Fall'n realms and empires in description view,
Live o'er past times, and build whole worlds anew,
Or from the bursting tombs in fancy raise
The fons of fame, who liv'd in ancient days:
And lo! with haughty stalk the warrior treads!
Stern legiflators frowning lift their heads!
I fee proud victors in triumphal cars,
Chiefs, kings, and heroes, seam'd with glorious fears!
Or liften till the raptur'd foul takes wings,
While Plato reasons, or while Homer fings.
Charm me, ye facred leaves *, with loftier themes, With opening heavens, and angels robe'd in flames :
Ye reftless pailions, while I read, be aw'd:
Hail ye myfterious oracles of God!
Here I behold how infant time began,
How the duft mov'd and quicken'd into man;
Here through the flowery walks of Eden rove,
Court the foft breeze, or range the fpicy grove;
There tread on hallow'd ground where angels trod,
And reverend patriarchs talk'd as friends with God;
Or hear the voice to flumbering prophets given,
Or gaze on vifions from the throne of heaven.
But nobler yet, far nobler fcenes advance!
Why leap the mountains? why the forefts dance?
Why flashes glory from the golden spheres ?
Rejoice, O earth, a God, a God appears!
A God, a God, defcending angels fing,
And mighty Seraphs fhout, Behold your King!
Hail virgin-born! lift, lift ye blind your eyes!
Sing O! ye dumb! and O! ye dead arise!
Tremble ye gates of hell! in noblest strains
Tell it aloud, ye heavens! the Saviour reigns!
Thus lonely, thoughtful, may I run the race Of tranfient life, in no unufeful eafe! Enjoy each hour, nor, as it fleets away, Think life too fhort, and yet too long the day ; Of right obfervant, while the foul attends Each duty, and makes heaven and angels friends. And thou, fair peace, from the wild floods of war Come dove-like, and thy blooming olive bear;
Tell me, ye victors, what strange charms find
In conqueft, that destruction of mankind!
Unenvy'd may your laurels ever grow,
That never flourish but in human woe,
If never earth the wreath triumphal bears,
Till drench'd in heroes blood, or orphans tears.
Let Ganges from afar to flaughter train
His fable warriors on th' embattled plain;
Let Volga's fons in iron squadrons rise,
And pour in millions from her frozen skies;
Thou, gentle Thames, flow thou in peaceful freams,
Bid thy bold fons restrain their martial flames ;
In thy own laurel's shade great Marlborough stay,
There charm the thoughts of conquer'd worlds away;
Guardian of England! born to fcourge her foes,
Speak, and thy word gives half the world repofe;
Sink down, ye hills, eternal rocks fubfide,
Vanish ye forts, thou ocean drain thy tide;
We safety boast, defended by thy fame,
And armies-in the terror of thy name!
Now fix o'er Anna's throne thy victor blade,
War be thou chain'd! ye ftreams of blood be stay'd!
Though wild ambition her juft vengeance feels,
She wars to fave, and where she strikes, she heals.
So Pallas with her javelin fmote the ground, And peaceful olives flourish'd from the wound.
To the Right Honourable CHARLES Lord CORNWALLIS, Baron of Eye, Warden, Chief Juftice, and juftice in Eyre of all His Majesty's Forefts, Chafes, Parks and Warrens on the South Side of Trent.
Thou whofe virtues fanctify thy state,
O great, without the vices of the great!
Form'd by a dignity of mind to please,
To think, to act with elegance and ease! *
Say, wilt thou liften while I tune the ftring,
And fing to thee, who gav'ft me ease to fing?
Unfkill'd in verfe, I haunt the filent grove,
Yet lowly fhepherds fing to mighty Jove;
And mighty Jove attends the shepherds vows,
And gracious what his fuppliants ask bestows:
So by thy favour may the Muse be crown'd,
And plant her laurels in more fruitful ground;
The grateful Muse shall in return bestow
Her fpreading laurels to adorn thy brow.
* Firm to thy king, and to thy country brave; Loyal, yet free; a subject, not a flave; Say, &c.
Thus, guarded by the tree of Jove, a flower
Shoots from the earth, nor fears th' inclement shower;
And, when the fury of the storm is laid,
Repays with fweets the hospitable shade.
Severe their lot, who when they long endure
The wounds of fortune, late receive a cure!
Like fhips in ftorms o'er liquid mountains toft,
Ere they are fav'd must almost first be loft;
But you with speed forbid distress to grieve:
He gives by halves *, who hesitates to give.
Thus when an angel views mankind distrest,
He feels compaffion pleading in his breast;
Inftant the heavenly guardian cleaves the skies,
And, pleas'd to fave, on wings of lightning flies. †
Few know to afk, or decently receive;
And fewer still with dignity to give:
If earn'd by flattery, gifts of highest price
Are not a bounty, but the pay of vice,
Some wildly lavish, yet no friend obtain ;
Nor are they generous, but abfurd and vain.
Some give with furly pride and boisterous hands,
As Jove pours rain in thunder o'er the lands.
When merit pleads, you meet it and embrace,
And give the favour luftre by the
grace;
So Phœbus to his warmth a glory joins,
Bleffing the world, and while he bleffes fhines.
The Lord Cornwallis, in a moft obliging manner, recommended the author to the rectory of Pulham.
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