Go fearch among your idle dreams,
Your bufy or your vain extreams;
And find a life of equal bliss,
Or own the next begun in this.
AR in a wild, unknown to public view,
From youth to age a rev'rend Hermit grew; The mofs his bed, the cave his humble cell, His food the fruits, his drink the chrystal well: Remote from man, with God he pass'd the days, Pray'r all his bus'ness, all his pleasure praise.
A life fo facred, fuch ferene repofe, Seem'd heav'n itself, 'till one fuggeftion rofe; That Vice fhou'd triumph, Virtue Vice obey, This fprung fome doubt of Providence's fway: His hopes no more a certain prospect boast, And all the tenour of his foul is loft: So when a smooth expanfe receives imprest Calm Nature's image on its wat'ry breast, Down bend the banks, the trees depending grow, And skies beneath with anfw'ring colours glow:
But if a ftone the gentle fea divide,
Swift ruffling circles curl on ev'ry fide,
And glimmering fragments of a broken fun,
Banks, trees, and skies in thick disorder run.
To clear this doubt, to know the world by fight,
To find if books, or fwains report it right;
(For yet by fwains alone the world he knew,
Whose feet came wand'ring o'er the nightly dew)
He quits his cell; the pilgrim-ftaff he bore,
And fix'd the fcallop in his hat before;
Then with the fun a rifing journey went,
Sedate to think, and watching each event.
The morn was wafted in the pathlefs grafs, And long and lonefome was the wild to pass; But when the Southern fun had warm'd the day, A youth came pofting, o'er a croffing way; His rayment decent, his complexion fair, And foft in graceful ringlets way'd his hair. Then near approaching, Father, Hail! he cry'd; And Hail, my Son, the reverend fire reply'd; Words follow'd words, from question anfwer flow'd, And talk of various kind deceiv'd the road; 'Till each with other pleas'd, and loath to part, While in their age they differ, join in heart; Thus ftands an aged elm in ivy bound, Thus youthful ivy clafps an elm around.
Now funk the fun; the clofing hour of day Came onward, mantled o'er with sober g.2;
Nature in filence bid the world repofe :
When near the road a ftately palace rose:
There by the moon thro' ranks of trees they pass,
Whofe verdure crown'd their floping fides of grass.
It chanc'd the noble master of the dome
Still made his houfe the wand'ring ftranger's home:
Yet ftill the kindnefs, from a thirst of praise,
Prov'd the vain flourish of expenfive ease.
The pair arriv'd: the liv'ry'd fervants wait;
Their lord receives them at the pompous gate.
The table groans with coftly piles of food,
And all is more than hofpitably good.
Then led to reft, the day's long teil they drown,
Deep funk in fleep. and filk, and heaps of down.
At length 'tis morn, and at the dawn of day
Along the wide canals the Zephyrs play;
Fresh o'er the gay parterres the breezes creep,
And shake the neighb'ring wood to banish sleep.
Up rife the gucfts, obedient to the call.
An early banquet deck'd the fplendid hall;
Rich lufcicus wine a golden goblet grac'd,
Which the kind mafter forc'd the guests to tafte.
Then pleas'd and thankful, from the porch they go;
And, but the landlord, none had cause to woe;
His
cup was vanifh'd; for in fecret guise The youngster guest purloin'd the glitt'ring prize.
As one who fpies a ferpent in his way, Gliftning and basking in the fummer ray,
Disorder'd ftops to fhun the danger near,
Then walks with faintnefs on, and looks with fear: So feem'd the fire; when far upon the road,
The fhining fpoil his wiley partner show'd.
He stop'd with filence, walk'd with trembling heart,
And much he wifh'd, but durft not ask to part:
Murm'ring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it hard,
That generous actions meet a bafe reward.
While thus they pafs, the fun his glory fhrouds,
The changing fkies hang out their fable clouds;
A found in air prefag'd approaching rain,
And beasts to covert fcud a-cross the plain.
Warn'd by the figns, the wand'ring pair retreat,
To feek for shelter at a neighb'ring feat.
'Twas built with turrets, on a rifing ground,
And strong, and large, and unimprov'd around;
Its owner's temper, tim'rous and severe,
Unkind and griping, caus'd a defert there.
As near the mifer's heavy door they drew,
Fierce rifing gufts with fudden fury blew;
The nimble light'ning mix'd with show'rs began,
And o'er their heads loud-rolling thunder ran.
Here long they knock, but knock or call in vain,
Driv'n by the wind, and batter'd by the rain.
At length fome pity warm'd the mafter's breast,
('Twas then, his threshold first receiv'd a gueft)
Slow creaking turns the door with jealous care,
And half he welcomes in the fhivering pair;
One frugal faggot lights the naked walls,
And Nature's fervor thro' their limbs recals:
Bread of the courseft fort, with eager wine,
(Each hardly granted) ferv'd them both to dine;
And when the tempest first appear'd to cease,
A ready warning bid them part in peace.
With still remark the pond'ring Hermit view'd
In one fo rich, a life fo poor and rude;
And why shou'd fuch, (within himself he cry'd)
Lock the loft wealth a thousand want befide?
But what new marks of wonder foon took place,
In ev'ry fettling feature of his face!
When from his veft the young companion bore
That cup, the gen'rous landlord own'd before,
And paid profusely with the precious bowl
The ftinted kindness of this churlish foul.
But now the clouds in airy tumult fly,
The fun emerging opes an azure sky;
A fresher green the fmelling leaves difplay,
And glitt'ring as they tremble, cheer the day:
The weather courts them from the poor retreat,
And the glad master bolts the wary gate.
While hence they walk, the Pilgrim's bofom wrought
With all the travel of uncertain thought;
His partner's acts without their cause appear,
'Twas there a vice, and seem'd a madness here :
Detesting that, and pitying this he goes,
Loft and confounded with the various shows.
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