The other dame feem'd even of fairer hue; But bold her mien, unguarded rov'd her eye, An her flufh'd cheeks confels'd at nearer view The borrow'd blushes of an artful dye. All foft and delicate, with airy fwin Lightly fhe danc'd along; her robe betray'd Thro' the clear texture every tender limb, Height'ning the charms it only feem'd to hade: And as it flow'd adown, fo loofe and thin, [fkin Her ftature fhew'd more tall, more fnowy white her Oft with a fmile the view'd herself afkance; Even on her fhade a confcious look the threw : Then all around her caft a circlefs glance, To mark what gazing eyes her beauty drew. As they came near, before that other maid Approaching decent, eagerly the prefs'd With hafty ftep; nor of repulse afraid, [drefs'd; With freedom bland the wond'ring youth adWith winning, fondncfs 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 diftra&t thy Securely follow where I lead the way, [mind, And range thro' wilds of pleafure unconfia'd. With me retire fron 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 perils free, Leave honour to the wretch! pleatures were made for thee. "Then will I grant thee all thy foul's defire; All that may charm thine ear, and pleafe thy fight; All that the thought can frame, or with require. head: Pleafures not carn'd with toil, nor mix'd with Far from thy reft repining want thall fly, [woe; Nor labour bathe in fweat thy careful brow. Mature the copious harveft fhall be thine, Let the laborious hind fubdue the foil; Leave the rash foldier spoils 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 wifh, 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 Happinefs," the faid "Well can my friends this envied truth maintain They there my blifs, they best can speak my praite: Tho' Slander call me Sloth (detra&tion vain!), 39 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 majestic maid; She all the while, with the fame modeft pace, Compos'd advanc'd: "Know, Hercules,” the faid Thy tender age, that lov'd inftruction's voice, With manly tone, "thy birth of heavenly race: Promis'd thee generous, patient,brave, and wife; When manhood thould confirm thy glorious choice, Now expectation waits to fee thee rise. Rife, youth! exalt thyfelf and me; approve Thy high defcent from heaven, and dare be worthy Jove. [difquife: But what truth prompts, my tongue fhall not The fteep afcent must be with toil fubdued; Watching and cares muft win the lofty prize Propos'd by Heaven-true blifs and real good. Honour rewards the brave and bold alone; She fpurns the timorous, indolent, and bafe: Danger and toil ftand ftern before her throne, And guard (fo Jove commands) the facred place. Wouldst thou engage the gods peculiar care! Or, wouldst thou gain thy country's loud applaufe, Her voice in council, in the fight her fword: In peace, in war, pursue thy country's good; For her bare thy bold breaft, and pour thy gene rous blood. Wouldst thou,to quell the proud and liftth'oppreft, In watches wafte; in painful march, the day: Congeal'd amidft the rigorous winter's frows, Scorch'd by the fummer's thirst-inflaming ray, Thy harden'd limbs fhall boaft fuperior might: Vigour fhall brace thine arm,refiftiefs in the fight." Hear't thou what monfters then thou mult engage? [prove?" What dangers, gentle youth, fhe bids thee (Abrupt fays Sloth)-"Il fit thy tender age Tumult and wars, fit age for joy and love. Turn, gentle youth, to me, to love, and joy! To thefe I lead: no monfters here fhall ftay Thine eafy courfe; no cares thy peace annoy; What pleafures, vain mistaken wretch, are thine?" (Virtue with ftorn replied) "who fleep'ft in cafe Infenfate, Infenfate; whofe foft limbs the toil decline "The Sparkling nectar,cool'd with fummer flows,! Nor is thy fleep with toil and labour bought, For ever banith'd from the realms above, To dwell on earth with man's degenerate race : Fitter abode ! on earth alike difgrac'd; Rejected by the wife, and by the fool embrac'd. "Fend wretch, that vainly weenest all delight To gratify the fenfe, referv'd for thee! Yet the most pleafing object to the fight, Thine own fair action, never didst thou fec. Tho' lull'd with fofteft founds thou lieft along, Soft mufic, warbling voices, melting lays; Nelerdidit thou hear, more fweet than fweeteft fong Charming the foul, thou ne'er didft hear thy o-to thy revels let the fool repair; [praife! To fuch go fmooth thy fpecch, and fpread thy tempting fnare. "Vat happiness enjoy thy gay allies! A youth of follies, an old age of cares; Young yet enervate, old yet never wife, Vice waltes their vigour, and their mind impairs. Tra, idle, delicate, in thoughtless eafe, Referving woes for age, their prime they fpend, All wretched, hopelefs, in the evil days, With forrow to the verge of life they tend. Griev'd with the prefent, of the past afham'd, They live and are defpis'd; they die, nor more are nam'd. “But with the gods, and godlike men, I dwell; Me, his fupreme delight, th' Almighty Sire Regards well pleas'd: whatever works excel, All, or divine or human, I infpire. Counfel with ftrength, and industry with art, la union meet conjoin'd, with me refide: My dictates arm, inftruct, and mend the heart, The fureft policy, the wifeft guide. With me true friendship dwells: the deigns to bind Thofe generous fouls alone, whom I before have joia'd. "Nor need my friends the various cofily feaft; Hunger to them th' effects of art fupplies; prepares their weary limbs to reit; Sweet is their fleep; light, cheerful, ftrong, they Labour rife. Thro' health, thro' joy, thro' pleasure, and renown They tread my paths; and by a foft defcent At length to age all gently finking down, Look back with fraufport on a life well spent, In which no hour flew unimprov'd away; [day. In which fome gen'rous deed diftinguifi'd ev'ry "And when the deftin'd term at length's complete, Their athes ruft in peace, eternal fame Sounds wide their praise: triumphant over fate, In facred fong for ever lives their name. This, Hercules, is happiness! obey My voice, and live: let thy celeftial birth Lift and enlarge thy thoughts: behold the way That leads to fame, and raifes thee from earth Immortal! Lo, I guide thy fteps. Arife, [skies." Purfue the glorious path, and claim thy native Her words breathe fire celeftial, and impart : New vigour to his foul, that fudden caught The generous flame with great intent his heart Swells full, and labours with exalted thought. The mist of error from his eyes difpell'd, Thro' all her fraudful arts, in cleareft light, Sloth in her native form he now beheld, Unveil'd fhe stood confefs'd before his fight: Falle Siren!-All her vaunted charms, that fhone So freth erewhile and fair, now wither'd, pale, and gone. No more the rofy bloom in fweet difguife Mafks her diffembled looks; each borrow'd grace Leaves her wan check; pale ficknet's clouds her eyes Livid and funk, and pations dim her face. As when fair Iris has awhile difplay'd Her wat'ry arch, with gaudy painture gay, While yet we gaze the glorious colours fade, And from our wonder gently fteal away: Where fhone the beauteous phantom erst fobright, Now low'rs the low-hung cloud, all gloomy to the fight. But Virtue, more engaging, all the while Difclos'd new charms, more lovely, more ferene, Beaming fweet influence: a milder finile Soften'd the terrors of her lofty mien. "Lead, goddefs; I am thine!" transported 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 !" While ardent thus the youth his vows address'd, With all the goddefs 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. Uninov'd in toils, in dangers undifinay'd, By many a hardy deed and bold emprize, From fierceft moniters, thro' her powerful aid, He freed the earth!thro' her he gain'd the skies. 'Twas At length 'tis morn, and at the dawn of day 'Twas virtue plac'd him in the bleft abode; [god.[ Crown'd with eternal youth, among the gods a Along the wide canals the Zephyrs play; $104. 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 pais'd his days, Pray'r all his bufinefs, all his pleasure praife. A life fo facred, fuch ferene repofe, Seem'd heaven itself, till one fuggeftion tofeThat 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 breaft, Down bend the banks, the trees depending grow, And skies beneath with anfwering colours glow: But if a ftone the gentle fea divide, Swift ruffling circles curl on ev'ry fide, And glimm'ring fragments of a broken fun; Banks, trees, and skies, 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, Whofe fect came wand'ring o'er the nightly dew), He quits his cell; the pilgrim-ftaff he bore, And fix'd the scallop in his hat before ; Then with the fun a rhag journey went, Sedate to think, and watching each event. Fresh o'er the gay parterres the breezes creep, And, but the landlord, none had caufe of woe: e ftopp'd with filence, walk'd with trembling heart, And much he wifh'd, but durft not afk, 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 fkies hang out their fable clouds; A found in air prefag'd approaching rain, And beafts to covert fcud acrofs 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 strong, and large, and unimprov'd around; Its owner's temper, tim'rous and fevere, Unkind and griping, caus'd a defert there. As near the mifer's heavy doors they drew, Fierce rifing gufts with fudden fury blew; The nimble lightning mix'd with fhow'rs began, And o'er their heads loud rolling thunder ran. Here long they knock, but knock or call in vain, Div'n by the wind and batter'd by the rain. At length fome pity warm'd the mafter's breaft 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 posting 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, iny fon!" the rev'rend fire replied: Words follow'd words, from queftion anfwer('Twas then his threshold firft receiv'd a gueft); flow'd, And talk of various kind deceiv'd the road; Slow creaking turns the door with jealous care, With ftill remark the pond ring Hermit view But now the clouds in airy tumult fly; The fun emerging opes an azure fky; A fresher green the fmelling leaves difplay, And, glittering as they trenible, cheer the day: The The weather courts them from the poor retreat, | Surprise in fecret chains his words fufpends, With all the travail of uncertain thought; "Without a vain, without a grudging heart, Tho loud at firft the Pilgrim's paffion grew, And in a calm his fettling temper ends. "Thy pray 'r,thy praife,thy life to vice unknown, Then know the truth of government Divine, "The Maker justly claims that world he made, "What strange events can ftrike with more fur- "The great vain man, who far'd on coftly food, "The mean fufpicious wretch,whofe bolted door Long had our pious friend in virtue trod, The poor fond parent, humbled in the duft, Now owns in tears the punishment was juft. "But how had all his fortunes felt a wrack, On founding pinions here the youth withdrew; The bending Hermit here a pray'r begun Then, Ufe with religious awe his facred name: Ufeful and feady let thy life proceed, O'er luft, o'er anger, keep the ftrictest rein, Subdue thy floth, thy appetite restrain. With no vile action venture to comply, Not, tho' unfeen by ev'ry mortal eve. Above all witneffes thy confcience fear, And more than all mankind thyself revere. One way let all thy words and actions tend, Reafon their conftant guide, and truth their end. And ever mindful of thy mortal state, How quick, how various are the turns of fate; How here, how there, the tides of fortune roll; How foon impending death concludes the whole, Compofe thy mind, and free from anxious ftrife Endure thy portion of the ills of life: Tho' ftill the good man ftands fecure from harms, Nor can misfortune wound, whom virtue arms. Difcourfe in common converfe, thou wilt find Some to improve, and fome to taint the mind; Grateful to that a due obfervance pay; Beware left this entice thy thoughts aftray; And bold untruths which thou art forc'd to hear, Receive difcreetly with a patient car. Wouldst thou be justly rank'd among the wife, Among the various ends of thy defires, Each night, ere needful flumber feals thy eyes, Then grieve the moments thou haft idly spent : The reft will yield thee comfort and content. Be thefe good rules thy study and delight, Practife by day, and ponder them by night; Thus all thy thoughts to virtue's height fall rife, And truth thall ftand unveil'd before thy eyes. Of beings the whole fyftem thou thalt fee, Rang'd as they are in beauteous harmony, Then all around compattionately view But O! fecure from all thy life is led, Whofe feet the happy paths of virtue tread. Thou ftand'it united to the race divine, And the perfection of the skies is thine. Imperial reafon, free from all controul, Maintains her juft dominion in thy foul: Till purg'd at length from every sinful stain, When friendly death fhall break the cumbrous chain, Loos'd from the body thou fhalt take thy flight, And range immortal in the fields of light. FITZGERALD. § 106. On Cheerfulness. To pleafe each fenfe, and fatiate each defire, Where doit thou reign, fay, in what bleft retreat, To choose thy manfion, and to fix thy feat? When boon companions void of ev'ry care Crown the full bowl,and the rich banquet share, And give a loofe to pleafure-art thou there? Or when th' afiembled great and fair advance To celebrate the maik, the play, the dance, |