"Horatio too, by well-born fate refin'd, 735 "Shone out, white-rob'd with faints, afpotlefs mind! "What once below ambition made him mifs, "Humility here gain'd, a life of blifs! "Tho' late, let finners then from fin depart; "Heav'n never yet defpis'd the contrite heart. "Laft fhone, with sweet exalted luftre grac'd, "The Seraph-Bard, in highest order plac'd! "Seers, lovers, legiflators, prelates, kings, 740 All raptur'd, liften as he raptur'd fings: "Sweetness and ftrength his look and lays employ, "Greet fmiles with smiles, and ev'ry joy with joy : "Charmful he rofe; his ever-charmful tongue 745 Joy to our fecond hymeneals fung; 66 "Still as we pafs'd the bright celestial throng "Hail'd us in focial love and heav'nly fong. "Of that no more! my deathlefs friendship see! "I come an angel to the Muse and Thee. 750 "Thefe lights that vibrate, and promifcuous fhine, "Are emanations all of forms divine. "And here the Mufe, tho' melted from thy gaze, "Stands among fpirits, mingling rays with rays. "Ifthou wouldst peace attain my words attend, 75$ "The last fond words of thy departed friend! "True joy's a feraph that to heav'n afpirès, "Unhurt it triumphs mid' celestial choirs: "But should no cares a mortal state moleft, "Life were a state of ignorance at beft. Folume II. H 760 "Know then, if ills oblige thee to retire, "Those ills folemnity of thought inspire. "Did not the foul abroad for objects roam, "Whence could she learn to call ideas home? "Juftly to know thyself perufe mankind; "To know thy God paint nature on thy mind: "Without fuch science of the worldly scene What is retirement?-empty pride or spleen; "But with it wisdom. There fhall cares refine, "Render'd by contemplation half divine. "Truft not the frantic or mysterious guide, "Nor stoop a captive to the schoolman's pride: "On Nature's wonders fix alone thy zeal; 66 They dim not reafon when they truth reveal; "So fhall religion in thy heart endure "From all traditionary falfehood pure; "So life make death familiar to thy eye; 765 770 775 "So fhalt thou live as thou may'ft learn to die; "And tho' thou view'ft thy worst oppreffor thrive, "From tranfient woe immortal blifs derive. 780 "Farewell!Nay, stop the parting tear-I go, "But leave the Mufe thy comforter below." He said: inftant his pinions upward foar, He leff'ning as they rife till feen no more. While Contemplation weigh'd the myftic view The lights all vanish'd, and the Vifion flew. 786 THE BASTARD. Infcribed, with all due reverence, TO MRS. BRETT, ONCE COUNTESS OF MACCLESFIELD. THE reader will eafily perceive thefe verfes were begun when my heart was gayer than it has been of late, and finished in hours of the deepest melancholy. I hope the world will do me the juftice to believe that, no part of this flows from any real anger against the Lady to whom it is infcribed.: Whatever undeferved severities I may have received at her hands, would the deal fo candidly as acknowledge truth, the very well knows, by an experience of many years, that I have ever behaved myself towards her like one who thought it his duty to support with patience all afflictions from that quarter. Indeed if I had not been capable of forgiving a Mother, I must have blushed to receive pardon myself at the hands of my sovereign. Neither, to say the truth, were the manner of my birth all, should I have any reason for complaintWhen I am a little difpofed to a gay turn of thinking, I confider, as I was a derelict from my cradle, I have the honour of a lawful claim to the beft protection in Europe: for being a spot of earth to which no body pretends a title, I devolve naturally upon the King, as one of the rights of his royalty. While I prefume to name his Majefty, I look back with confufion upon the mercy I have lately experienced; becaufe it is impoffible to remember it but with fomething I would fain forget, for the fake of my future peace, and alleviation of my paft misfor tune. I owe my life to the royal pity, if a wretch can with propriety be said to live whose days are fewer than his forrows, and to whom death had been but a redemption from mifery. But I will fuffer my pardon as my punishment, till that life, which has fo graciously been given me, fhall become confiderable enough not to be useless in his fervice to whom it was forfeited. Under influence of these fentiments, with which his Majesty's great goodne has infpired me, I confider my lofs of fortune and dignity as my happiness, to which, as I am born without ambition, I am thrown from them without repining-Poffeffing those advantages, my care had been, perhaps, how to enjoy life; by the want of them I am taught this nobler lesson, to study how to deferve it. RICHARD SAVAGE. ** In gayer hours, when high my fancy ran, The Muse, exulting, thus her lay began. Blefs'd be the Bastard's birth! thro' wondrous ways He fhines eccentric like a comet's blaze! He lives to build, not boast, a gen'rous race, Born to himself, by no poffeffion led, In freedom fofter'd, and by Fortune fed, Nor guides nor rules his fov'reign choice control, 15 His body independent as his foul;neqat dav Loos'd to the world's wide range enjoin'd no aim, Prefcrib'd no duty, and affign'd no name, From ties maternal, moral, and divine, 20 25 Discharg'd my grasping soul; push'd me from shore, And lanch'd me into life without an oar. |