And why muft murder'd myriads lose their all
(If life be all), why defolation low'r
With famifh'd frown on this affrighted ball,
That thou may'ft flame the meteor of an hour?
Go, wifer ye, that flutter life away,

Crown with the mantling juice the goblet high!
Weave the light dance, with feftive freedom gay,
die !
And live your moment, fince the next ye
Yet know, vain fceptics! know, th' Almighty
Mind,

Who breath'd on man a portion of his fire,
Bade his free foul, by earth nor time confin'd,
To heaven, to immortality afpire.
Nor fhall the pile of hope his mercy rear'd
By vain philofophy be e'er deftroy'd:
Eternity, by all or with'd or fear'd,'

Shall be by all or fuffer'd or enjoy'd!

NOTE. In a book of French verfes, intitled, Oeuvres du Philofophe de Sans Souci, and lately reprinted at Berlin by authority, under the title of Poefies Diverfes, may be found an Epiftle to Marthal Keith, written profeffedly againft the immortality of the foul. By way of specimen of the whole, take the following lines:

De l'avenir, cher Keith, jugeons par le paffé:
Comme avant que je fuffe il n'avoit point penfe;
De même, après ma mort, quand toutes mes parties
Par la corruption feront anéantics,
Par un même deftin il ne penfera plus !
Non, rien n'eft plus certain, foyons en convaincu.

It is to this Epiftle that the latter part of the
Elegy alludes.

Too actively awake at friendship's voice,
The poet's bofom pours the fervent strain,
Till fad reflection blames the hafty choice,
And oft invokes oblivion's aid in vain.
Call we the fhade of Pope from that bleft bow'r,
Wherethron'd he fits with many a tuneful fage;
Afk, if he ne'er bemoans that hapless hour

When St. John's name illumin'd glory's page.
Afk, if the wretch, who dar'd his mem'ry stain;
Afk, if his country's, his religion's foe,
Deferv'd the meed that Marlbro' fail'd to gain;
The deathlefs meed he only could bestow:
The bard will tell thec, the misguided praise
Clouds the celeftial funshine of his breast;
E'en now, repentant of his erring lays,

He heaves a figh amid the realms of reft.
If Pope thro' friendship fail'd, indignant view,
Yet pity, Dryden-hark, whene'er he fings,
How adulation drops her courtly dew

On titled rhymers and inglorious kings!
Sce, from the depths of his exhauftlefs mine,
His glitt'ring ftores the tuneful spendthrift

throws:

Where fear or int'reft bids, behold they shine;

Now grace a Cromwell's,nowa Charles's brows.. Born with too gen'rous or too mean a heart, Dryden! in vain to thee thofe ftores were lent; Thy fweeteft numbers but a trifling art;

Thy strongest diction idly eloquent.

The fimpleft lyre, if truth directs its lays,
Warbles a melody ne'er heard from thine :
Not to difguft with falfe or venal praise,

Was Parnell's modest fame, and may be mine.

§ 108. Elegy to a young Nobleman leaving the Go then, my friend, nor let thy candid breast

University. MASON.

RE yet, ingenuous youth, thy fteps retire [vale,
ER
From Cam's fmooth margin, and the peaceful
Where science call'd thee to her ftudious quire,
And met thee mufing in her cloisters pale;
O let thy friend (and may he boaft the name!)
Breathe from his artlefs reed one parting lay:
A lay like this thy carly virtues claim,

And this let voluntary friendship pay.
Yet know, the time arrives, the dang'rous time,
When all thofe virtues, op'ning now fo fair,
Tranfplanted to the world's tempestuous clime,
Muft learn each paflion's boiit'rous breath to

bear;

There, if ambition, peftilent and pale,

Or luxury fhould taint their vernal glow;
If cold felf-intereft, with her chilling gale,
Should blaft th'unfolding blooms ere they blow;
If mimic hues, by art or fashion fpread,

Their genuine fimple colouring should fapply;
O may with them these laureate honours fade,
And with them (if it can) my friendship die!
Then do not blame, if, tho' thyfelf infpire,
Cautious I ftrike the panegyric ftring;
The Mufe full oft pursues a meteor fire,

And, vainly vent rous, foars on waxen wing:

Condemn me, if I check the plaufive string: Go to the wayward world; complete the reft; Be what the purest mufe would wish to fing. Be ftill thyfelf: that open path of truth,

Which led thee here, let manhood firm pursue;
Retain the fweet fimplicity of youth;

And all thy virtue dictates, dare to do.
Still fcorn, with confcious pride, the mask of art;
On vice's front let fearful caution low'r;
And teach the diffident, difcreeter part [pow'r.
Of knaves that plot, and fools that fawn for
So, round thy brow when age's honours spread,
When death's cold hand unftrings thy Mafon's
When the green turf lies lightly on his head, [lyre,
Thy worth fhall fome fuperior bard inspire:
He to the ampleft bounds of time's domain

On rapture's plume shall give thy name to fly;
For truft, with rev'rence truft, this Sabine ftrain,
"The Mufe forbids the virtuous man to die.'

In the pure mind, at thofe ambiguous years,
Or vice, rank weed, firft ftrikes her pois'nous
Or haply virtue's op'ning bud appears [root;

By juft degrees, fair bloom of faireft fruit!
For, if on youth's untainted thought impreft,
The gen'rous purpose still shall warm the manly
breaft.

As on a day, reflecting on his age

For higheft deeds now ripe, Alcides fought Retirement, nurfe of contemplation fage,

Step following step, and thought fucceeding
thought;

Mufing, with fteady pace the youth pursued
His walk, and loft in meditation ftray'd
Far in a lonely vale, with folitude

Converting; while intent his mind furvey'd
The dubious path of life: before him lay, [way.
Herevirtue's rough afcent, there pleafure's flow'ry
Mach did the view divide his wav'ring mind:
Now glow'd his breaft with gen'rous thirft of
Now love of cafe to fofterthoughts inclin'd [fame;
His yielding foul, and quench'd the rifing flame:
When, lo! far off two female forms he 'Ipics;
Direct to him their fteps they feem to bear;
Both large and tall, exceeding human fize;

Both, far exceeding human beauty, fair. Graceful, yet each with diff'rent grace they move; This ftriking facred awe; that, fofter winning love. The firft in native dignity furpafs'd;

Antlefs and unadorn'd the picas'd the more;
Health o'er her looks a genuine luftre caft;

A veft more white than new-fallen fnow fhe
August the trod, yet modeft was her air; [wore:
Serent her eye, yet darting heavenly fire.
Still the drew near; and nearer ftill more fair,
More mild, appear'd: yet fuch as might infpire
Pleasure corrected with an awful fear;
Majetically fweet, and amiably fevere.
The other dame feem'd even of fairer hue;
But bold her mien, unguarded rov'd her eye,
And her flufl'd checks confefs'd at nearer view
The borrow'd blufhes of an artful dye.
All foft and delicate, with airy fwim

Lightly the danc'd along; her robe betray'd
Thro' the clear texture every tender limb,
Height'ning the charms it only feem'd to shade:
And as it flow'd adown, fo loofe and thin, [fkin.
Her ftature fhew'd more tall,more fnowy white her
Oft with a smile the view'd herself afkance;
Even on her fhade a confcious look fhe threw:
Then all around her caft a carelefs glance,
To mark what gazing eyes her beauty drew.
As they came near, before that other maid

With me retire from noife, and pain, and care,
Embath'd in blifs, and wrapt in endless cafe:
Rough is the road to fame, thro' blood and war;
Smooth is my way, and all my paths are peace.
With me retire, from toils and periis free,
Leave honour to the wretch! pleasures were made
for thee.

Then will I grant thee all thy foul's defire; [fight;
All that may charm thine ear, and pleate thy
All that the thought can frame, or with require,
To fteep thy ravish'd fenfes in delight:
The fumptuous feaft, enhanc'dwith mufic's found,
Fitteft to tune the melting foul to love,
Rich odours, breathing choiceft fweets around;

The fragrant bow'r, cool fountain, thady grove;
Fresh flow'rs to ftrew thy couch, and crown thy
head:
[thy bed.
Joy fhall attend thy steps, and cafe fhall finooth
Thefe will I freely, conftantly fupply,

Pleafures not earn'd with toil, nor mix'd with
Far from thy reft repining want fhall fly, [woe;
Nor labour bathe in fweat thy careful brow.
Mature the copious harvest shall be thine,

Let the laborious hind fubdue the foil;
Leave the rafh foldier fpoils of war to win,

Won by the foldier thou fhalt fhare the spoil:
Thefe fofter cares my beft allies employ,
New pleasures to invent, to with, and to enjoy."
Her winning voice the youth attentive caught:
He gaz'd impatient on the fmiling maid;
Still gaz'd, and liften'd; then her name befought:
"My name, fair youth, is Happiness," the faid:
"Well can my friends this envied truth maintain;

Theyfhare myblifs,they beft can speak my praife:
Tho' Slander call me Sloth (detraction vain!)

Heed not what Slander, vain detracter, fays;
Slander,ftill prompt true merit to defame, [ name."
To blot the brightest worth, and blast the fairest
By this arriv'd the fair majeftic maid;

She all the while, with the fame modeft pace,
Compos'd advanc'd: “ Know, Hercules," the faid
With manly tone, "thy birth of heavenly race:
Thy tender age, that lov'd inftruction's voice,
Promis'd thee generous, patient,brave,and wife;
When manhood hould confirm thyglorious choice,
Now expectation waits to fee thee rife.
Rife, youth! exalt thyfelf and me; approve
Thy high defcent from heaven,and dare be worthy
Jove.
[difguife:
But what truth prompts, my tongue fhall not
The steep afcent must be with toil fubdued;
Watching and cares muft win the lofty prize

Propos'd by Heaven-true bli's and real good.
Honour rewards the brave and bold alone;

She fpurns the timorous, indolent, and base: ad-Danger and toil ftand ftern be ore her throne,

Approaching decent, eagerly fhe prefs'd
With hafty ftep; nor of repulfe afraid, [drefs'd;
With freedom bland the wond'ring youth
With winning fondnefs on his neck the hung;
Sweet as the honey-dew flow'd her enchanting

tongue :

"Dear Hercules, whence this unkind delay ? Dear youth, what doubts can thus diftract thy Securely follow where I lead the way, [mind?

And range thro' wilds of pleasure unconfin'd.

And guard (fo Jove commands) the facred place: Who fecks her muft the mighty coft luftain, [pain. And pay the price of fame-labour, and care, and Wouldst thou engage the gods peculiar căre?

O Hercules, th'immortal pow'rs adore! With a pure heart, with facrifice, and pray'r Attend their altars, and their aid implote.

Or, wouldst thou gain thy country's loud applaufe, | Tho' lull'd with foftest founds thou lieft along,
Lov'd as her father, as her god ador'd?
Be thou the bold afferter of her caufe;

As when fair Iris has awhile difplay'd

Her war'ry arch, with gaudy painture gay, While yet we gaze the glorious colours fade,

And from our wonder gently fteal away:
Where there the beauteous phantom erst fo bright,
Now low the low-hung cloud, all gloomy to
the fight.

Bet Virtue, more engaging, all the while
Diclos d new charms, more lovely, more ferene,
Beaming weet influence: a milder fmile
Softend the terrors of her lofty mien.
“Lead, goddess; I am thine!" tranfported cried
Alcides; O propitious pow'r, thy way
Teach me poffefs my foul be thou my guide:
From thee oh never, never let me ftray!"
Wale ardent thus the youth his vows addrefs'd,
With all the goddess fill'd, already glow'd his

breaft.

The heavenly maid with ftrength divine endued
His daring foul; there all her pow'rs combin'd:
Firm conftancy, undaunted fortitude,

Enduring patience, arm'd his mighty mind.
Innov'd in toils, in dangers undifmay'd,
By many a hardy deed and bold emprize,
From fierceft monffers, thro' her pow'rful aid,
He freed the earth thro' her he gain'd the fkies.
Twas virtue plac'd him in the bleft abode;
Crown'd with eternal youth, among the gods a god.

110. The Hermit. PARNELL.

FAR 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 cryftal well:
Remote from man, with God he pafs'd his days,
Pray'r all his bufinefs, all his pleafure praise.

Á life £. facred, fuch ferene repose,
Seem'd heaven itself, till one fuggeftion rofe-
That vice fhould triumph, virtue vice obey;
This fprung fome doubt of Providence's fway:
His hopes no more a certain profpect boast,
And all the tenour of his foul is loft.
So when a fmooth expanfe receives impreft
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 gentic fea divide,
Swift ruffling circles curl on ev'ry fide,
And glimm ring fragments of a broken fun;
Banks, trees, and fkies, in thick diforder 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,
Wick tect came wand'ring o'er the nightly dew),
He quits his cell; the pilgrim-fstaff he bore,
And fix'd the fcallop in his hat before;
Then with the fun a rifing journey went,
Sadate to think, and watching each event.

The morn was wafted in the pathlefs grafs,
And long and lonefome was the wild to pafs:
But when the fouthern fun had warm'd the day,
A youth came pofting o'er a croffing way;

His raiment decent, his complexion fair,
And foft in graceful ringlets wav'd his hair:
Then near approaching, "Father, hail!" he cried;
And "Hail, my fon!" the rev'rend fire replied:
Words follow'd words, from queftion anfwer
flow'd,

And talk of various kind deceiv'd the road;
Till each with other pleas'd, and loth to part,
While in their age they differ, join in heart.
Thus ftands an aged elm in ivy bound,
Thus youthful ivy clafps an clm around.

Now funk the fun; the clofing hour of day
Came onward, mantled o'er with fober grey;
Nature in filence bid the world repofe:
When near the road a ftately palace rofe. [pafs,
There, by the moon, through ranks of trees they
Whofe verdure crown'd their floping fidcs of grafs.
It chanc'd the noble master of the dome
Still made his houfe the wand'ring ftranger's home,
Yet ftill the kindness, from a thirst of praife,
Prov'd the vain flourish of expenfive cafe.
The pair arrive: the liveried fervants wait;
Their lord receives them at the pompous gate,
The table groans with coftly piles of food,
And all is more than hospitably good.
Then, led to reft, the day's long toil 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 neighbouring wood to banish sleep.
Up rife the gucfts, obedient to the call;
An early banquet deck'd the fplendid hall;
Rich lufcious 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 caufe of woe:
His cup was vanifh'd; for in fecret guife
The younger gucft purloin'd the glitt'ring prize.
As one who fpics a ferpent in his way,
Gliftning and baking in the fummer ray,
Diforder'd ftops to fun the darger near,
Then walks with faintnefs on, and looks with fear;
So fecin'd the fire, when far upon the road
The thining spoil his wily partner fhow'd. [heart,
He ftopp'd with filence, walk'd with trembling
And much he wifh'd, but durft not ask, to part:
Murm`ring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it hard
That gen'rous actions meet a base reward.

While thus they pafs, the fun his glory throuds,
The changing fkics hang out their fable clouds;
A found in air prefag'd approaching rain,
And beafts to covert fcud across the plain.
Warn'd by the figns, the wand'ring pair retreat
To feck for fhelter at a neighb'ring feat:
'Twas built with turrets on a rifing ground,
And ftrong, 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 doors they drev,
Fierce rifing gufts with fudden fury blew;
The nimble lightning mix'd with fhow's began,
And o'er their heads loud rolling thunder rar.

Here

Here long they knock, but knock or call in vain, I His steps the youth purfues; the country lay
Driv'n by the wind, and batter'd by the rain.
At length fome pity warm'd the mafter's breaft
('Twas then his threshold first receiv'd a gueft):
Slow creaking turns the door with jealous care,
And half he welcomes in the fhiv'ring pair;
One frugal faggot lights the naked walls,
And nature's fervour through their limbs recals:
Bread of the coarfeft fort, with meager wine,
(Each hardly granted) ferv'd them both to dine;
And when the tempeft first appear'd to cease,
A ready warning bid them part in peace.
With ftill remark the pond'ring Hermit view'd,"
In one fo rich, a life fo poor and rude;
And why thould fuch (within himself he cried)
Lock the loft wealth a thousand want befide?
But what new marks of wonder foon take 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 profufely 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 fky;
A frether 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 mafter bolts the wary gate, [wrought
While hence they walk, the Pilgrim's bofom
With all the travail of uncertain thought;
His partner's acts without their caufe appear;
'Twas there a vice, and feem'd a madnefs here:
Detefting that, and pitying this, he goes,
Loft and confounded with the various fhows.
Now night's dim fhades again involve the sky;
Again the wand'rers want a place to lie;
Again they fearch, and find a lodging nigh.
The foil improv'd around, the manfion neat,
And neither poorly low, nor idly great,
It feem'd to speak its master's turn of mind,
Content, and not for praise but vittue kind.

Hither the walkers turn with weary feet,
Then blefs the manfion, and the mafter greet.
Their greeting fair, beftow'd with modeft guife,
The courteous master hcars, 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 fober, more than coftly 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 clofe the hours with pray'r.
At length the world, renew'd by calm repofe,
Was ftrong for toil; the dappled morn arose;
Before the pilgrims part, the younger crept
Near the clos'd cradle, where an infant flept,
And writh'd his neck: the landlord's little pride,
O ftrange return! grew black, and gafp'd, and died.
Horror of horrors! what! his only fon?

How look'd our Hermit when the fact was done?
Not hell, tho' hell's black jaws in funder part,
And breathe blue fire, could more affault his heart.
Confus'd and struck with filence at the deed,
He flics; but, trembling, fails to fly with speed.

Perplex'd with roads; a fervant fhew'd the way:
A river cross'd the path; the paffage o'er
Was nice to find; the fervant trod before:
Long arms of oaks appen bridge fupplied, [glide.
And deep the waves beneath the bending branches
The youth, who feem'd to watch a time to fin,
Approach'd the carelefs guide, and thrust 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 burts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
Detested wretch!"-But scarce his fpeech began,
When the strange partner feem'd no longer man:
His youthful face grew more ferenely sweet;
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon his feet;
Fair rounds of radiant points inveft his hair;
Celestial odours breathe through purpled air;
And wings, whofe colours glitter'd on the day,
Wide at his back their gradual plumes display.
The form ethercal burfts upon his fight,
And moves in all the majefty of light.

Tho' loud at firft the Pilgrim's paffion grew,
Sudden he gaz'd, and wift 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 ravifh'd as he fpoke):

"Thy pray'r,thy praife,thy life to vice unknown,
In fweet memorial rife before the throne:
Thefe charms fuccefs in our bright region find,
And force an angel down to calm thy mind;
For this commiffion'd, I forfook the sky-
Nay, ceafe to kneel!-thy fellow-fervant I.
Then know the truth of government Divine,
And let thefe fcruples be no longer thine.

The Maker juffly claims that world he made,
In this the right of Providence is laid;
Its facred majefty through all depends
On ufing fecond means to work his ends;
'Tis thus, withdrawn in ftate from human eye,
The Pow'r exerts his attributes on high;
Your actions ufes, nor controuls your will,
And bids the doubting fons of men be still.

What ftrange events can ftrike with more fur-
prize,

Than thofe which lately ftruck thy wond'ring eyes?
Yet, taught by thefe, confefs th Almighty juft;
And, where you can't unriddle, learn to trust.

The great, vain man, who far'd on costly food,
Whofe life was too luxurious to be good;
Who made his iv'ry ftands with goblets thine,
And forc'd his guefts to morning draughts of wine;
Has, with the cup, the graceless cuftom loft,
And still he welcomes, but with lefs of coft.

The mean fufpicious wretch, whofe bolted door
Ne'er mov'd in pity to the wand'ring poor,
With him I left the cup, to teach his mind
That heaven can blefs, if mortals will be kind.
Confcious of wanting worth, he views the bowl,
And feels compaffion touch his grateful foul,
Thus artifts melt the fullen ore of lead,
With heaping coals of fire upon its head;
In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,
And, toofe from drofs, the filver runs below.

Long