A num'rous progeny divine,

Confefs'd the honours of their line;

But in a little daughter fair,

Was center'd more than half their care;
For Heav'n, to gratulate her birth,
Gave figns of future joy to earth;
White was the robe this infant wore,
And Chastity the name the bore.

As now the maid in ftature grew,
(A flow'r juft opening to the view)
Oft thro' her native lawns fhe ftray'd,
And wrestling with the lambkins play'd.
Her looks diffufive fweets bequeath'd,
The breeze grew purer as the breath'd;
The morn her radiant blush affum'd,
The spring with earlier fragrance bloom'd,
And Nature yearly took delight,

Like her, to drefs the world in white.
But when her rifing form was feen
To reach the crisis of fifteen,
Her parents up the mountain's head,
With anxious step their darling led;
By turns they fnatch'd her to their breast,
And thus the fears of age exprefs'd.

O joyful cause of many a care!

O daughter, too divinely fair!

Yon world, on this important day,

• Demands thee to a dang'rous way;

• A painful journey all must go,

• Whofe doubted period none can know ;

• Whofe due direction who can find,

Where Reason's mute, and Senfe is blind?
Ah! what unequal leaders these,

< Thro' fuch a wide perplexing maze!
Then mark the warnings of the wise,
And learn what love and years advise.

< Far

Far to the right thy profpect bend, Where yonder tow'ring hills afcend; Lo, there the arduous path in view, • Which Virtue and her fons pursue ! • With toil o'er lefs'ning earth they rife, • And gain, and gain upon the skies. • Narrow's the way her children tread; No walk, for pleasure smoothly spread; But rough, and difficult, and fteep, • Painful to climb, and hard to keep.

Fruits immature thofe lands difpenfe, A food indelicate to fenfe,

Of tafte unpleasant; yet from those • Pure health, with chearful vigour flows, And ftrength, unfeeling of decay,

Throughout the long laborious way.

Hence, as they fcale that heavenly road, Each limb is lighten'd of it's load;

• From earth refining ftill they go, And leave the mortal weight below;

Then spreads the ftrait, the doubtful clears, • And smooth the rugged path appears; • For custom turns fatigue to eafe,

And, taught by Virtue, pain can please.
At length, the toilfome journey o'er,
And near the bright celestial shore,
A gulph, black, fearful, and profound,
Appears, of either world the bound,

6 Through darkness leading up to light;
Senfe backward fhrinks, and fhuns the fight!
For there the tranfitory train,

Of time, and form, and care, and pain,
And matter's grofs, encumb'ring mafs,
• Man's late affociates, cannot pass;
But finking, quit th' immortal charge,
And leave the wond'ring foul at large;

Lightly she wings her obvious way,'
And mingles with eternal day.

Thither, O thither wing thy fpeed,

· Though pleasure charm, or pain impede!
To fuch th' All-bounteous Pow'r has giv'n,.
For prefent earth, a future heav'n;
For trivial lofs, unmeafur'd gain,
And endless blifs, for tranfient pain.
• Then fear, ah fear! to turn thy fight,
• Where yonder flow'ry fields invite ;
• Wide on the left, the path-way bends,
And with pernicious eafe defcends ;
There, fweet to fenfe, and fair to show,
New planted Edens feem to blow,
• Trees, that delicious poifon bear,
For death is vegetable there.

Hence is the frame of health unbrac'd,

• Each finew flack'ning at the taste,
The foul to paffion yields her throne,
And fees with organs not her own ;
While, like the flumb'rer in the night,
Pleas'd with the fhadowy dream of light,
Before her alienated eyes

The scenes of Fairy-land arife :
The puppet-world's amufing fhow,
Dipp'd in the gayly-colour'd bow,

Sceptres, and wreaths, and glittering things,
The toys of infants, and of kings,
That tempt, along the baneful plain,
The idly wife, and lightly vain,
Till verging on the gulphy fhore,
Sudden they fink, and rife no more.
• But lift to what thy fates declare ;
Tho' thou art woman, frail as fair,
If once thy fliding foot fhould ftray,
Once quit yon Heav'n-appointed way,

• For thee, loft maid! for thee alone,
• Nor prayers shall plead, nor tears atone ;
Reproach, fcorn, infamy, and hate,

On thy returning steps fhall wait;

Thy form be loath'd by ev'ry eye,
And ev'ry foot thy prefence fly!.
Thus arm'd with words of potent found,
Like guardian angels plac'd around,
A charm by Truth divinely caft,
Forward our young advent'rer pass'd.
Forth from her facred eye-lids fent,
Like morn, fore running radiance went,
While Honour, handmaid late affign'd,
Upheld her lucid train behind.

Awe-ftruck, the much-admiring crowd
Before the virgin-vision bow'd,
Gaz'd with an ever-new delight,

And caught fresh virtue at the fight;

For not of earth's unequal frame

They deem'd the heaven-compounded dame ;

If matter, fure the most refin'd,

High wrought, and temper'd into mind,

• Some darling daughter of the day,

• And body'd by her native-ray.'

Where-e'er the passes, thousands bend;
And thoufands, where 'fhe moves, attend:
Her ways obfervant eyes confefs,
Her steps pursuing praises blefs;
While, to the elevated maid,
Oblations, as to Heav'n, are paid.

"Twas on an ever-blythfome day, The jovial birth of roly-May,

When genial warmth, no more fupprefs'd,
Now melts the froft in ev'ry breaft,

The cheek with fecret flushing dyes,

And looks kind things from chafteft eyes;

The

The fun with healthier vifage glows,
Afide his clouded kerchief throws,
And dances up th' ethereal plain,
Where late he us'd to climb with pain;
While Nature, as from bonds fet free,
Springs out, and gives a loose to glee.
And now, for momentary rest,
The nymph her travell'd steps reprefs'd,
Juft turn'd to view the stage attain'd,
And glory'd in the height fhe gain'd.
Out-ftretch'd before her wide furvey,
The realms of sweet perdition lay;
And pity touch'd her foul with woe,
To fee a world fo loft below;

When straight the breeze began to breathe
Airs gently wafted from beneath,

That bore commiffion'd witchcraft thence,
And reach'd her fympathy of sense;
No founds of discord, that disclose
A people funk and loft in woes,
But as of present good poffefs'd,
The very triumph of the blefs'd.
The maid in rapt attention hung,
While thus approaching Sirens fung.