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It seem'd to speak its master's turn of mind,
Content, and not for praise, but virtue kind.

Hither the walkers turn, with weary feet, Then bless the mansion, and the master greet: Their greeting fair, bestow'd with modest guise, The courteous master hears, and thus replies:

Without a vain, without a grudging heart,
To Him who gives us all, I yield a part;
From Him you come, for Him accept it here,
A frank and sober, more than costly cheer.
He spoke, and bid the welcome table spread,
Then talk'd of virtue till the time of bed,
When the grave household round his hall repair,
Warn'd by a bell, and close the hours with

prayer.

At length the world, renew'd by calm repose, Was strong for toil; the dappled morn arose; Before the Pilgrims part, the younger crept Near the closed cradle where an infant slept, And writhed his neck: the landlord's little pride,

O strange return! grew black, and gasp'd, and died.

Horrour of horrours! what, his only son!

How look'd our Hermit when the fact was done!

Not hell, though hell's black jaws in sunder part, And breathe blue fire, could more assault his heart.

Confused, and struck with silence at the deed,
He flies, but, trembling, fails to fly with speed.
His steps the Youth pursues : the country lay
Perplex'd with roads; a servant shew'd the way:
A river cross'd the path; the passage o'er
Was nice to find; the servant trod before;
Long arms of oaks an open bridge supplied,
And deep the waves, beneath the bending, glide.
The Youth, who seem'd to watch a time to sin,
Approach'd the careless guide, and thrust him in;
Plunging he falls, and rising lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and sinks among the dead.

Wild sparkling rage inflames the Father's eyes, He bursts the bands of fear, and madly cries: "Detested wretch!"-But scarce his speech began, When the strange partner seem'd no longer man: His youthful face grew more serenely sweet; His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon his feet; Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair; Celestial odours breathe through purpled air ; And wings, whose colours glitter'd on the day, Wide at his back their gradual plumes display.

The form ethereal bursts upon

his sight,

And moves in all the majesty of light.

Though loud at first the Pilgrim's passion grew,
Sudden he gazed, and wist not what to do;
Surprise in secret chains his words suspends,
And in a calm his settling temper ends.
But silence here the beauteous angel broke,
The voice of music ravish'd as he spoke :

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"Thy prayer, thy praise, thy life, to vice unknown,

"In sweet memorial rise before the throne :

“These charms, success in our bright region find,

"And force an Angel down, to calm thy mind; "For this, commission'd, I forsook the sky,

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Nay, cease to kneel-thy fellow-servant I.

"Then know the truth of government divine, "And let these scruples be no longer thine:

"The Maker justly claims that world he made, "In this the right of Providence is laid; "Its sacred majesty through all depends, "On using second means to work his ends: "'Tis thus, withdrawn in state from human "The Power exerts his attributes on high;

eye,

"Your actions uses, nor controls your will, "And bids the doubting sons of men be still.

"What strange events can strike with more surprise, "Than those which lately struck thy wandering eyes? "Yet, taught by these, confess the Almighty just, you can't unriddle, learn to trust.

"And where

"The great, vain man, who fared on costly food, "Whose life was too luxurious to be good; “Who made his ivory stands, with goblets shine, "And forced his guests to morning draughts of wine, "Has, with the cup, the graceless custom lost, "And still he welcomes, but with less of cost.

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"The mean, suspicious wretch, whose bolted door

Ne'er moved in duty to the wandering poor; "With him I left the cup, to teach his mind

"That Heaven can bless, if mortals will be kind.
"Conscious of wanting worth, he views the bowl,
"And feels compassion touch his grateful soul.
"Thus artists melt the sullen ore of lead,

"With heaping coals of fire

upon

its head;

"In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,

And, loose from dross, the silver runs below.

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"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 lived in pain,

"And measured back his steps to earth again.
"To what excesses had his dotage run!

"But God, to save the father, took the son.
"To all but thee, in fits he seem'd to go,
"And 'twas my ministry to deal the blow:
"The poor fond parent, humbled in the dust,
"Now owns, in tears, the punishment was just.

"But how had all his fortune felt a wrack, "Had that false servant sped in safety back; “This night his treasured heaps he meant to steal, "And what a fund of charity would fail!

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"Thus Heaven instructs thy mind: this trial o'er, Depart in peace, resign, and sin no more.

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On sounding pinions here the youth withdrew,
The Sage stood wondering as the Seraph flew.
Thus look'd Elisha, when, to mount on high,
His master took the chariot of the sky;
The fiery pomp ascending left the view ;
The Prophet gazed, and wish'd to follow too.

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