Elegant Extracts: Or, Useful and Entertaining Pieces of Poetry, Selected for ...

Yclad in fteel, and bright with burnish'd mail,
He ftrain'd the bow, or tofs'd the founding fpear,
Or darting on the goal outftripp'd the gale,
Or wheel'd the chariot in its mid carcer,
Or ftrenuous wrestled hard with many a tough
compeer.

At other times he pry'd thro' nature's store,
Whate'er the in th' ethereal round contains,
Whate'er fhe hides beneath her verdant floor,
The vegetable and the mineral reigns; [mains,
Or elfe he fcann'd the globe, thofe fmall do-
Where reftless mortals fuch a turmoil keep,
Its feas, its floods, its mountains, and its plains,
But more he fearch'd the mind, and fous'd
from fleep

Thofe moral feeds whence we heroic actions reap.
Nor would he fcorn to ftoop from high purfuits
Of heavenly truth, and practise what the taught.
Vain is the tree of knowledge without fruits.
Sometimes in hand the fpade or plough he
caught,
[fraught;
Forth-calling all with which boon earth is
Sometimes he plied the ftrong mechanic tool,
Or rear'd the fabric from the finest draught;
And oft he put himself to Neptune's fchicol,
Fighting with winds and waves on the vex'd
ocean pool.

To folace then thefe rougher toils, he tried
To touch the kindling canvas into life;
With nature his creating pencil vied,
With nature joyous at the mimic ftrife;
Or, to fuch fhapes as grac'd Pygmalion's wife
He hew'd the marble; or with varied fire,
He rous'd the trumpet and the martial fife,
Or bade the lute fweet tendernefs infpire, [lyre.
Or verfes fram'd that well might wake Apollo's

Accomplish'd thus he from the woods iffued,
Full of great aims, and bent on bold emprize;
The work which long he in his breaft had
brew'd,

Now to perform he ardent did devife;
To wit, a barbarous world to civilize.
Earth was till then a boundlefs foreft wild;
Nought to be feen but favage wood and skies;
No cities nourished arts, no culture fmil'd,
No government, no laws, no gentle manners mild.
A rugged wight, the worst of brutes, was man:
On his own wretched kind he ruthlefs prey'd:
The strongeft ftill the weakest over-ran;
In ev'ry country mighty robbers sway'd,
And guile and ruffian force were all their trade.
Life was a fcene of rapine, want, and woe;
Which this brave knight, in noble anger, made
To fwear, he would the rafcal rout o'erthrow,
For, by the pow'rs divine, it should no more be fol
It would exceed the purport of my song,
To fay how this beft fun from orient climes
Came beaming life and beauty all along,
Before him chacing indolence and crimes.
Still as he pafs'd, the nations he fublimes,
And calls forth arts and virtues with his ray:

Then Egypt, Greece, and Rome, their golden Succeffive, had; but now in ruins gray [times, They ly, to flavifh floth and tyranny a prey.

To crown his toils, Sir Induftry then spread
The fwelling fail, and made for Britain's coaft.
A fylvan life till then the natives led,
In the brown fhades and greenwood forest lost,
All careless rambling where it lik'd them most :
Their wealth the wild-deer bouncing thro' the
glade:

They lodg'd at large, and liv'd at nature's coft;
Save fpear and bow, withouten other aid;
Yet not the Roman ftecl their naked breast dif-
may'd.

He lik'd the foil, he lik'd the clement skies, He k'd the verdant hills and flow'ry plains. Be this my great, my chofen ifle (he cries); This, whilft my labours Liberty fustains, This queen of ocean all affault difdains. Nor like'd he lefs the genius of the land, To freedom apt and perfevering pains: Mild to obey, and gen'rous to command, Temper'd by forming heaven with kindest firmest

hand.

Here, by degrees, his mafter-work arofe, Whatever arts and induftry can frame; Whatever finish'd agriculture knows, Fair queen of arts! from heaven itfelf who came, When Eden flourish'd in unfpotted fame. And ftill with her fweet innocence we find And tender peace, and joys without a name, That, while they ravifh, tranquillize the mind, Nature and art at once, delight and ufe combin'd." Then towns he quicken'd by mechanic arts, And bade the fervent city glow with toil; Bade focial commerce raife renowned marts, Join land to land, and marry foil to foil, Unite the poles, and without bloody spoil Bring home of either Ind the gorgeous ftores; Or, fhould defpotic rage the world embroil, Bade tyrants treinble on remoteft fhores; [roars. While o'er th' encircling deep Britannia's thunder The drooping Mufes then he weftward call'd, From the fam'd city by Propontic sea, What time the Turk the enfeebled Grecian thrall'd; [free, Thence from their cloifter'd walks he fet them And brought them to another Caftalie, Where Ifis many a famous nourfling breeds; Or where old Cam foft paces o'er the lee in penfive mood, and tunes his Doric reeds, The whilft his flocks at large the lonely fhepherd feeds.

Yet the fine arts were what he finish'd leaft. For why they are the quinteffence of all; The growth of labouring time, and flow en

creaft;

Unlefs, as feldom chances, it should fall,
That mighty patrons the coy fifters call
Up to the funfhine of uncumber'deale, [thrall,
Where no rude care the mounting thought may

And where they nothing have to do but please: |

An happy place: where, free and unafraid, Ah! gracious God! thou know'ft they afk no Amid the flowing brakes each coyer creature

other fees.

But now, alas! we live too late in time: Our patrons now even grudge that little claim, Except to fuch as fleck the foothing rhyme; And yet, forfooth, they wear Marcenas' name: Poor fons of puft-up vanity, not fame. Unbroken fpirits cheer! ftill, ftill remains The eternal patron, Liberty; whofe flame, While the protects, infpires the noblest strains. The beft, and fweeteft far, are toil-created gains. Whenas the knight had fram'd in Britain-land A matchlefs form of glorious government, In which the fovereign laws alone command, Laws 'ftablish'd by the public free confent, Whofe majefty is to the fceptre lent; When this great plan, with each dependent art, Was fettled firm, and to his heart's content, Then fought he from the toilfome fcene to part, And let life's vacant eve breathe quiet thro' the heart.

For this he chofe a farm in Deva's vale,
Where his long alleys peep'd upon the main
In this calm feat he drew the healthful gale,
Here mix'd the chief, the patriot, and the swain.
The happy monarch of his fylvan train,
Here, fided by the guardians of the fold,
He walk'd his rounds, and cheer'd his bleft
domain:

His days, the days of unftain'd nature, roll'd, Replete with peace and joy, like patriarchs' of old. Witnefs, ye lowing herds, who gave him milk; Witnefs, ye flocks, whofe wooly vestments far Exceed foft India's cotton, or her filk; [car, Witnefs, with autumn charg'd, the nodding That homeward came beneath fweet evening's Or of September moons the radiance mild. [star. O hide thy head, abominable war!

Of crimes and ruffian idleness the child! From heaven this life yfprung, from hell thy glories wild!

Nor from his deep retirement banish'd was The amusing care of rural induftry. Still, as with grateful change the feafons pafs. New fcenes arife, new landfcapes ftrike the eye, And all the enliven'd country beautify: Gay plains extend where marshes flept before; O'er recent meads the exulting streamlets fly; Dark frowning heaths grow bright with Ceres' ftore, [fhore. And woods embrown the fteep, or wave along the As nearer to his farm you made approach, He polish'd nature with a finer hand: Yet on her beauties durft not art encroach; 'Tis art's alone thefe beautics to expand. In graceful dance immingled, o'er the land, Pans, Pales, Flora, and Pomona play'd: Here too, brifk gales the rude wild common fann'd,

ftray'd.

But in prime vigor what can last for ay? That loul-enfeebling wizard Indolence, I whilom fung, wrought in his works decay: Spread far and wide was his curs'd influence; Of public virtue much he dull'd the sense, Even much of private; ate our spirit out, And fed our rank luxurious vices; whence The land was overlaid with many a lout; Not, as old fame reports, wife, generous, bold,

and flout.

A rage of pleasure madden'd ev'ry breast,
Down to the lowest lees the ferment ran:
To his licentious with each must be blefs'd,
With joy be fever'd; fnatch it as he can.
Thus vice the ftandard rear'd; her arrier-ban
Corruption call'd, and loud fhe gave the word,
Mind, mind yourselves! why should the
"vulgar man,

"The lacquey be more virtuous than his lord1 Enjoy this fpan of life ! 'tis all the gods afford.” The tidings reach'd to where, in quiet hall, The good old knight enjoy'd well-carn'd repofe. "Come, come, Sir Knight! thy children on "thee call;

"Come, fave us yet, ere ruin round us clofe; "The demon Indolence thy toil o'erthrows." On this the noble colour ftain'd his checks, Indignant, glowing thro' the whitening fnows Of venerable eld; his eye full speaks [breaks. His ardent foul, and from his couch at once he I will (he cried), fo help me, God! deftroy That villain Archimage.-- Hispage then straight He to him call'd, a fiery-footed boy,

Benempt Dispatch. "My fteed be at the gate, My bard attend; quick, bring the net of Fate." This net was twifted by the fifters three; Which when once caft o'er harden'd wretch, too late

Repentance comes: replevy cannot be From the ftrong iron grasp of vengeful destiny. He came, the bard, a little druid wight, Of wither'd afpect; but his eye was keen, With sweetnefs mix'd. In ruffet brown bedight, As is his fifter in the copfes green *, He crept along, unpromifing of mien. Grofs he who judges fo. His foul was fair, Bright as the children of yon azure theen. True comelinefs, which nothing can impair, Dwells in the mind: all elfe is vanity and glare. Come (quoth the knight), a voice has reach'd

mine ear:

The demon Indolence threats overthrow
To all that to mankind is good and dear:
Come, Philomelus; let us inftant go,
O'erturn his bowers, and lay his cattle low.
Thofe men, thofe wretched men, who will be
flaves,

Muft drink a bitter wrathful cup of woe:
But fome there be,thy fong, as from their graves.
Shall raife. Thrice happy he ! who without ri-
gour faves.

Iffuing forth, the knight beftrode his feed,
Of ardent bay, and on whofe front a star
Shone blazing bright: fprung from the gene-
rous breed

That whirl of active day the rapid car,
He panc'd along, difdaining gate or bar.
Meantime, the bard on milk-white palfrey rode;
An honeft fober bcaft, that did not mar
His meditations, but full foftly trode :
And much they moraliz'd as thus y fere they yode.
They talk'd of virtue, and of human blifs;
What elfe fo fit for man to fettle well?
And ftill their long refearches met in this,
This truth of truths, which nothing can refel:
"From virtue's fount the pureft joys out-well,
"Sweet rills of thought that cheer the con-
"fcious foul;

"While vice pours forth the troubled streams
"of hell,

“Thewhich,howe'er difguis'd, at last with dole "Will through the tortur'd breast their fiery " torrent roll."

At length it dawn'd, that fatal valley gay,
O'er which high wood-crown'd hills their fum-
mits rear.

On the cool height a while our palmers stay,
And fpite even of themfelves their fentes cheer;
Then to thewizard's wonne their fteps they steer.
Like a green ifle, it broad beneath them fpread,
With gardens round, and wandering currents
clear,

And tufted groves to fhed the meadow-bed, Sweet airs and fong: and without hurry all feem'd glad.

"As God fhall judge me, knight, we must for-
(The half-enraptur'd Philomelus cried) [give
"The frail good man deluded here to live,
"And in these groves his mufing fancy hide.
"Ah! nought is pure. It cannot be denied,
"That virtue ftill fome tincture has of vice,
"And vice of virtue. What fhould then betide,
"But that our charity be not too nice?
"Come, let us thofe we can to real blifs entice."
"Ay, sicker (quoth the knight)all flesh is frail,
"To pleasant fin and joyous dalliance bent;
"But let not brutish vice of this avail,
"And think to 'fcape deferved punishment.
"Juftice were cruel weakly to relent;
"From mercy's felf the got her facred glaive:
"Grace be to thofe who can, and will repent;
"But penance long, and dreary, to the flave,
"Who muft in floods of fire his grofs foul fpirit
"lave."

Thus,holding high difcourfe, they came towhere
The curfed carle was at his wonted trade;
Still tempting heedlefs men into his fuare,

In witching wife, as I before have faid.
But when he faw, in goodly geer array'd,
The grave majeftic knight approaching nigh,
And by his fide the bard fo fage and ftaid,
His count'nance fell; yet oft his anxious eye
Mark'd them, like wily fox who roofted cock
doth spy.

Nathlefs, with feign'd refpect, he bade give back
The rabble-rout, and welcom'd them full kind
Struck with the nobletwain, they were not flack
His orders to obey, and fall behind.

Then he refum'd his fong; and unconfin'd
Pour'd all his mufic, ran thro' all his ftrings:
With magic duft their eyne he tries to blind,
And virtue's tender airs oe'r nature fings.
What pity base his fong who fo divinely fings
Elate in thought, he counted them his own,
They liften'd fo intent with fix'd delight:
But they inftead, as if tranfmew'd to stone,
Marvel'd he could with fuch sweet art unite
The lights and fhades of manners, wrong and
right.

Meantime, the filly crowd the charm devour,
Wide preffing to the gate. Swift on the knight
He darted fierce, to drag him to his bower,
Who back'ning fhunn'd his touch, for well he
knew its power.

As in throng amphitheatre of old,
The wary Retiarius trapp'd his foe;
Ev'n fo the knight, returning on him bold,
At once involv'd him in the net of woe,
Whereof I mention made not long ago.
Enrag'd at first, he scorn'd so weak a jail,
And leap`d, and flew, and flounced to and fro;
But when he found that nothing could avail,
He fat him felly down, and gnaw'd his bitter nail.
Alarm'd, the inferior demons of the place
Rais'd rueful fhrieks and hideous yells around;
Black ftormy clouds deform'd the welkin's face,
And from beneath was heard a wailing found,
As of infernal fprights in cavern bound;
A folemn fadnefs ev'ry creature ftrook,
And lightnings flash'd, and horror rock'd the
ground;
[mith'd look,
Huge crowds on crowds out-pour'd with ble-
As if on time's last verge this frame of things had
fhook.

Soon as the fhort-liv'd tempeft was yfpent,
Steam'd from the jaws of vex'd Avernus' hole,
And hush'd the hubbub of the rabblement,
Sir Industry the first calm moment fole:
"There must (he cried) amid fo vast a shoal
"Be fome who are not tainted at the heart,
"Not poifon'd quite by this fame villain's
"bowl:
[part:

"Come then, my bard, thy heavenly fire im"Touch foul with foul, till forth the late.t "Spirit ftart"

The bard obey'd; and taking from his fide,
Where it in feemly fort depending hug,

* A Gladiator, who made ufe of a set, which he threw over his adverfary,

His British harp, its fpeaking ftrings he tried,
The which with skilful touch he defly frung,
Till tinkling in clear fymphony they rung.
Then, as he feit the Mufes come along,
Light o'er the cords his raptur'd hand he flung,
And play'd a prelude to his rifing fong:
The whilft, like midnight mute, ten thoufands
round him throng.

Thus ardent burft his train

"Ye hapless race, "Dire-labouring here to finother reafon's ray, "That lights our Maker's image in our face, "And gives us wide o'er earth unqueftion'd fway;

"What is the ador'd Supreme Perfection, fay?" "What, but eternal never-refting foul, "Almighty power, and all-directing day; "By whom each atom ftirs, the planets roll; "Who fills, furrounds, informs, and agitates "the whole !

"Come, to the beaming God your hearts un-
"fold!

"Draw from its fountain life! 'Tis thence alone
"We can excel. Up from unfeeling mold,
"To fcraphs burning round the Almighty's
"throne,

"Life rifing ftill on life, in higher tone,
"Perfection forms, and with perfection bliss.
"In univerfal nature this clear fhewn,

"Not needeth proof: to prove it were, I wis, "To prove the beauteous world excels the brute

66 abyfs.

"With brother-brutes the human race had "graz'd;

None e'er had foar'd to fame, none honour'd “been, none prais'd.

"Great Homer's fong had never fir'd the breaft
"To thirft of glory, and heroic deeds;

"Sweet Maro's mufe, funk in inglorious ret,
"Had filent flept amid the Mincian reeds:
"The wits of modern time had told their
"beads,

"And monkish legends been their only strains:
"Our Milton's Eden had lain wrapt in weeds,
"Our Shakespeare ftroll'd and laugh'd with
"Warwick fwains;
[plains.

Ne had my mafter Spenfer charm'd his Mulia's
"Dumb too had been the fage hiftoric mufe,
"And perith'd all the fons of ancient fame;
• Thole ftarry lights of virtue, that diffuse
"Through the dark depth of time their vivid
flame,

"Had all been loft with fuch as have no name. "Who then had fcorn'd his eafe for other's "good?

"Who then had toil'd rapacious men to tame? "Who in the public breach devoted flood, "And for his country's caufe been prodigal of "blood?

"Is not the field, with lively culture green, "A joyous fight more than the green morals? "Do not the skies, with active ether clean, "And fann'd by fprightly zephyrs, far furpafs [mafs, "The foul November-fogs, and flumb'rous" "With which fad Nature veils her drooping "face? [glafs, "Does not the mountain-ftream, as clear as "Gay dancing on, the putrid pool difgrace? "The fame in all holds true, but chief in hu

"man race.

"It was not by vile loitering in cafe
"That Greece obtain'd the brighter palm of art;
"That foft yet ardent Athens learn'd to pleafe,
"To keen the wit, and to fublime the heart,
"In all fupreme! complete in every part!
"It was not thence majestic Rome arofe,
"And o'er the nations thook her conquering
"dart :

"For fluggard's brow the laurel never grows;
"Renown is not the child of indolent repofe.
"Had unambitious mortals minded nought,
"But in loofe joy their time to wear away;
"Had they alone the lap of dalliance fought,
Pleas'd on her pillow their dull heads to lay,
"Rude nature's ftate had been our ftate to-

"How beft enjoy'd this nature's wide defire.
"Toil, and be glad! let industry infpire
"Into your quicken'd limbs her buoyant
"breath!

"Who does not act is dead: abforpt entire
"In miry floth, no pride, no joy he hath;
O leaden hearted men, to be in love with death!
"Ah! what avail the largest gifts of Heaven
"When drooping health and fpirits go amifs?
"How taftelefs then whatever can be given!
"Health is the vital principle of blifs,
"And exercife of health. In proof of this,
"Behold the wretch, who flugs his life away,
"Soon fwallow'd in difeafe's fad abyfs;
"While he whom toil has brac'd, or manly
play,
[as day.
"Has light as air each limb, cach thought as clear
"O who can fpeak the vigorous joys of health?
"Unclogg'd the body, unobfcur'd the mind;
"The morning rifes gay, with pleating stealth,
"The temperate evening falis ferene and kiud.
"In health the wifer brutes true gladness find.
"See! how the younglings frisk along the
"meads,

"As May comes on, and wakes the balmy wind; Rampant with life, their joy all joy exceeds: "Yet what but high-ftrung health this dancing "pleafaunce breeds?

"But here, instead, is fofter'd every ill,
"Which or diftemper'd minds or bodies know.
Come then, my kindred fpirits! do not fpill

"Your

"Your talents here. This place is but a fhow, "Whole charms delude you to the den of woe: "Come follow me, I will direct you right, "Where pleasure's roles void of ferpents "grow, [knight, "Sincere as fweet; come, follow this good "And you will bless the day that brought him "to your fight.

"Some he will lead to courts, and fome to

"To fenates fome, and public sage debates,
"Where, by the folemn gleam of midnight
lamps,
[ftates:
"The world is pois'd, and manag'd mighty
"To high-difcovery fome, that new-creates
"The face of earth; fome to the thriving

"mart;

"Some to the rural reign, and softer fates;
"To the fweet mufes fome, who raife the
"heart:

"All glory shall be yours, all nature and all art.
"There are, I fee, who listen to my lay,
"Who wretched figh for virtue, but despair.
"All may be done, (methinks I hear them
fay)

Th' awaken'd heaps, in ftreamlets from on high,
Rous'd into action, lively leap away,
Glad-warbling through the vales, in their new
being gay.

Not lefs the life, the vivid joy ferenc,
That lighted up thefe new created men,
Than that which wings th' exulting spirit clean,
When, juft deliver'd from this fleshly den,
It foaring feeks its native skies agen.
How light its effence' how unclogg'd its pow'rs,
Beyond the blazon of my mortal pen!
Even fo we glad forfook thefe finful bowers,
Even fuch enraptur'd life, fuch energy was ours.

"Even death defpis'd by generous actions fair :
“All, but for those who to these bowers repair,"
"Their very power diffolv'd in luxury,
"To quit of torpid fluggifhnefs the lair,
"And from the powerful arms of floth get
"free,
[be!
« 'Tis rifing from the dead-Alas!—It cannot
"Would you then learn to diffipate the band
"Of thefe huge threatening difficulties dire,
"That in the weak man's way like lions
"ftand,

"His foul appal, and damp his rifing fire?
"Refolve, refolve, and to be men afpire.
"Exert that nobleft privilege, alone
"Here to mankind indulg'd: controul defire:
"Let godlike Reafon, from her fovereign
throne,
[is done.

Speak the commanding word-I will-and it
"Heavens! can you then thus wafte, in fhame-
"ful wife,.

"Your few important days of trial here ? "Heirs of eternity! yborn to rife.

Through endless fates of being fill more

❝ near

“To blifs approaching, and perfection clear; "Can you renounce a fortune fo fublime, "Such glorious hopes, your backward steps "to fteer, [and flime: And roil, with vileft brutes, through mud "No! no!-Your heaven-touch'd hearts dif"dain the fordid crime!"

"Enough! enough!" they cry'd-ftraight from

the crowd

The better fort on wings of transport fly.
As when amid the lifelefs fummits proud
Of Alpine cliffs, where to the gelid sky
Snows pil'd on fnows in wint'ry torpor ly,
The rays divine of vernal Phoebus play;

But far the greater part, with rage enflam'd,
Dire-mutter'd curfes, and blafphem'd high
Jove.

"Ye fous of hate! (they bitterly exclaim'd)
"What brought you to this feat of peace and
"love?

"While with kind nature, here amid the grove,
"We pafs'd the harmlefs fabbath of our
time,

"What to difturb it could, fell men, emove
"Your barbarous hearts? Is happiness a
"" crime?
[fublime.

Then do the fiends of hell rule in yon heaven
"Ye impious wretches," quoth the knight in
wrath,

"Your happiness behold!"-Then straight a
wand

He way'd, an anti-magic power that hath,
Truth from illufive falfehood to command.
Sudden, the landscape finks on ev'ry hand;'
The pure quick ftreams are marfhy puddles
found;

On baleful heaths the groves all blacken'd stand;
And o'er the weedy foul abhorred ground,
Snakes, adders, toads, each loathfome creature
crawls around.

And here and there, on trees by lightning
fcath'd,

Unhappy wights who loathed life yhung:
Or, in fresh gore and recent murder bath'd,
They welt'ring lay; or elfe, infuriate flung
Into the gloomy flood, while ravens fung
The funeral dirge, they down the torrent
rowl'd:

The fe. by diftemper'd blood to madness stung,
Had doom'd themfelves; whence oft, when
night controul'd
[howl'd.
The world, returning hither their fad Ipirits
Meantime a moving fcene was open laid;
That lazar house, I whilom in my lay
Depainted have, its horrors deep difplay'd,
And gave unnumber'd wretches to the day,
Who tolling there in squalid mifery lav.
Soon as of facred light the unwonted fmile
Pour'd on thefe living catacombs its ray,
Through the drear caverns ftretching many a
mile,
[woes a while.
The fick up-rais'd their heads, and dropp' the r

"O heaven!

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