His fteps the youth purfues; the country lay 160
Perplex'd with roads, a fervant fhow'd the way:
A river crofs'd the path; the paffage o'er
Was nice to find; the fervant trod before;
Long arms of oaks an open bridge supply'd,
And deep the waves beneath the bending glide.
The youth, who feem'd to watch a time to fin,
Approach'd the careless guide, and thruft him in;
Plunging he falls, and rifing lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and finks among the dead.
Wild, fparkling rage inflames the father's eyes,
He burfts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
Detefted wretch-But fcarce his fpeech began,
When the strange partner feem'd no longer man:
His youthful face grew more ferenely fweet;
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon
his feet;
Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair; 176
Celestial odours breathe thro' purpled air;
And wings, whofe colours glitter'd on the day,
Wide at his back their gradual plumes display.
The form etherial bursts upon his fight,

And moves in all the majefty of light.

180

Though loud at firft the pilgrim's paffion grew, Sudden he gaz'd, and wist not what to do; Surprize in fecret chains his words fufpends, And in a calm his fettling temper ends. But filence here the beauteous Angel broke (The voice of mufic ravish'd as he spoke).

185

Thy pray'r, thy praise, thy life to vice unknown,. In fweet memorial rife before the throne: These charms, success in our bright region find, And force an angel down, to calm thy mind. 191 For this, commiffion'd, I forfook the sky, Nay, cease to kneel-Thy fellow servant I. Then know the truth of government divine, And let these scruples be no longer thine.

195

The maker juftly claims that world he made, In this the right of providence is laid; Its facred majesty thro' all depends,

On ufing fecond means to work his ends:

'Tis thus, withdrawn in state from human eye,
The pow'r exerts his attributes on high,
Your actions uses, not controuls your will,
And bids the doubting fons of men be still.

201

What strange events can strike with more furprize, Than those which lately ftrook thy wond'ring eyes? Yet, taught by thefe, confefs th' almighty juft, And where you can't unriddle, learn to truft!

The Great, Vain Man, who far'd on coftly food, Whofe life was too luxurious to be good; Who made his iv'ry stands with goblets shine, And forc'd his guests to morning draughts of wine, Has, with the Cup, the graceless custom loft, And ftill he welcomes, but with lefs of cost.

The mean, fufpicious Wretch, whose bolted door Ne'er mov'd in duty to the wand'ring poor; 215

With him I left the cup, to teach his mind
That heav'n can blefs, if mortals will be kind :
Conscious of wanting worth, he views the bowl,
And feels compaffion touch his grateful foul.
Thus artists melt the fullen ore of lead,
With heaping coals of fire upon its head;
In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,
And loofe from drofs the filver runs below.

220

Long had our Pious Friend in virtue trod, But now the child half wean'd his heart from God; (Child of his age) for him he liv'd in pain, 226 And measur'd back his fteps to earth again. To what exceffes had his dotage run?

230

But God, to fave the father, took the fon.
To all but thee, in fits he feem'd to go
(And 'twas my miniftry to deal the blow).
The
poor fond parent, humbled in the duft,
Now owns in tears the punishment was just.
But how had all his fortune felt a wrack,
Had that falfe Servant fped in safety back!
This night his treasur'd heaps he meant to steal,
And what a fund of charity would fail!
Thus Heaven instructs thy mind: This tryal o'er,
Depart in peace, refign, and fin no more.

235

On founding pinions here the youth withdrew, The Sage flood wond'ring as the Seraph flew. 241 Thus look'd Elisha when, to mount on high,

His mafter took the chariot of the sky;

The fiery pomp ascending left the view;
The prophet gaz'd, and wish'd to follow too. 245
The bending Hermit here a pray'r begun,
Lord! as in heav'n, on earth thy will be done:
Then, gladly turning, fought his antient place,
And pafs'd a life of piety and peace.*

A FAIRY TALE.

IN THE ANCIENT ENGLISH STILE.

BY THE SAME.

IN Britain's ifle, and Arthur's days,

When midnight faeries daunc'd the maze,
Liv'd Edwin of the Green;

Edwin, I wis, a gentle youth,

Endow'd with courage, fense and truth, 5

3

Though badly fhap'd he been.

* The fable of this elegant, but furely immoral, poem is not the invention of Dr. Parnell, who had it, in all probability, from Mores Dialogues. It is a production of the darker ages, and makes the eightyeth chapter of the Gesta Romanorum.

His mountain back mote well be faid,
To measure heighth against his head,
And lift itself above;

Yet, fpite of all that Nature did
To make his uncouth form forbid,
This creature dar'd to love.

He felt the force of Edith's eyes,
Nor wanted hope to gain the prize,

Cou'd ladies look within;

But one Sir Topaz dress'd with art,
And, if a fhape could win a heart,
He had a shape to win.

Edwin (if right I read my fong)
With flighted paffion pac'd along
All in the moony light;

'Twas near an old enchaunted court,
Where sportive faeries made resort
To revel out the night.

His heart was drear, his hope was cross'd, 'Twas late, 'twas farr, the path was loft

That reach'd the neighbour-town;

With weary steps he quits the shades,
Refolv'd the darkling dome he treads,

And drops his limbs adown.

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