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And here and there, on trees by lightning fcath'd,
Unhappy wights, who loathed life yhung,
Or in fresh gore and recent murder bath'd,
They weltring lay; or elfe infuriate flung
Into the gloomy flood; while ravens fung

The funeral dirge they down the torrent rowl'd.
Thefe, by distemper'd blood to madness stung,

Had doom'd themselves; whence oft, when night controul'd

The world, returning hither, their fad fpirits howl'd.

Meantime, a moving fcene was open laid;
That lazar-houfe I whilom in my lay
Depeinted have, it's horrors deep display'd,
And gave unnumber'd wretches to the day,
Who toffing there in fqualid mifery lay.

Soon as of facred light th' unwonted smile
Pour'd on thefe living catacombs it's ray

Thro' the drear caverns, ftretching many a mile,

The fick up-rais'd their heads, and dropp'd their woes awhile,

• O Heaven!' they cry'd, and do we once more see
Yon bleffed fun, and this green earth so fair?
Are we from noifome damps of peft-house free?
And drink our fouls the fweet ethereal air?
O thou! or Knight, or God! who holdest there
That fiend, oh! keep him in eternal chains!
But what for us, the children of Defpair,

Brought to the brink of hell, what hope remains? • Repentance does itself but aggravate our pains.'

The gentle knight, who faw their rueful cafe,

Let fall adown his filver beard fome tears.

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Certes, quoth he, it is not even in grace

'I' undo the past, and eke your broken years;

Nathlefs,

Nathlefs, to nobler worlds Repentance rears • With humble hope her eye: to her is given $ A power the truly contrite heart that chears;

She quells the brand by which the rocks are riven; She more than merely foftens, she rejoices Heaven.

Then patient bear the fufferings you have earn'd,
And by thefe fufferings purify the mind;
Let wisdom be by paft mifconduct learn'd,
'Or pious die, with penitence refign'd;
And to a life more happy and refin'd,

• Doubt not you shall new creatures yet arife. • Till then you may expect in me to find

• One who will wipe your forrow from your eyes;

• One who will soothe your pangs, and wing you to the skies.'

They filent heard, and pour'd their thanks in tears.

For you,' refum'd the knight, with fterner tone, • Whofe hard dry hearts th' obdurate demon fears, • That villain's gifts will coft you many a groan; In dolorous manfion long you must bemoan

His fatal charms, and weep your ftains away; • Till, foft and pure as infant goodness grown,

You feel a perfect change; then who can fay

• What grace may yet fhine forth in Heaven's eternal day?”

This faid, his powerful wand he wav'd anew:
Inftant a glorious angel-train defcends,

The Charities, to wit, of rofy hue;

Sweet Love their looks a gentle radiance lends,
And with feraphick flame compaffion blends.
At once delighted, to their charge they fly;
When, lo! a goodly hofpital afcends,

In which they bade each lenient aid be nigh,
That could the fick-bed fmoothe of that fad company.

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It was a worthy edifying fight,

And gives to human-kind peculiar grace, To fee kind hands attending day and night,

With tender ministry, from place to place:
Some prop the head; fome from the pallid face

Wipe off the faint cold dews weak Nature sheds;
Some reach the healing draught; the whilft, to chase
The fear fupreme, around their foften'd beds,
Some holy man by prayer all-opening Heaven difpreds..

Attended by a glad acclaiming train

Of thofe he refcu'd had from gaping hell, Then turn'd the knight; and, to his hall again Soft-pacing, fought of Peace the mosfy cell; Yet down his cheeks the gems of pity fell,

To see the helpless wretches that remain'd, There left thro' delves and defarts dire to yell.

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Amaz'd, their looks with pale difmay were stain'd;

And, fpreading wide their hands, they meek repentance feign'd.

But, ah! their fcorned day of grace was paft;

For, horrible to tell! a desart wild

Before them ftretch'd, bare, comfortless, and vaft,
With gibbets, bones, and carcafes, defil'd.
There, nor trim field nor lively culture fmil'd,
Nor waving shade was feen, nor fountain fair;

But fands abrupt on fands lay loosely pil'd...

Thro' which they floundering toil'd with painful care, Whilft Phoebus fmote them fore, and fir'd, the cloudless air.

Then, varying to a joyless land of bogs,

The fadden'd country a grey waste appear'd, Where nought but putrid fteams, and neifome fogs For ever hung on drizzly Aufter's beard;

Or elfe the ground, by piercing Caurus fear'd,

Was jagg'd with froft, or heap'd with glazed fnow;
Thro' these extremes a ceafelefs round they steer'd,
By cruel fiends ftill hurry'd to and fro,

Gaunt Beggary and Scorn, with many hell-hounds moe.

The firft was with base dunghill rags yclad,
Tainting the gale in which they flutter'd light;
Of morbid hue his features, funk, and fad,
His hollow eyne thook 'forth a fickly light,
And o'er his lank jaw-bone, in piteous plight,
His black, rough beard, was matted, rank, and vile;
Direful to fee! an heart-appalling fight!

Meantime foul fcurf and blotches him defile,
And dogs, where'er he went, till barked all the white.

The other was a fell, defpightful fiend,

Hell holds none worse in bateful bower below;
By pride, and wit, and rage, and rancour, keen'd;
Of man, alike, if good or bad, the foe:
With nose up-turn'd, he always made a fhow,
As if he smelt fome naufeous fcent; his eye
Was cold, and keen, like blaft from Boreal fnow,
And taunts he caften forth most bitterly.

Such were the twain that off drove this ungodly fry,

E'en fo, thro' Brentford town, a town of mud,
An herd of brisly swine is prick'd along;

The filthy beafts, that never chew the cud,

Still grunt, and fqueak, and fing their troublous song;
And oft they plunge themselves the mire among:
But ay the ruthless driver goads them on,
And ay of barking dogs the bitter throng

Makes them renew their unmelodious moan,
Ne lever find they reft from their unrefting fone.

то

TO A GENTLEMAN,

ON HIS INTENDING TO CUT DOWN A GROVE TO ENLARGE HIS PROSPECT.

BY MISS CARTER.

N plaintive founds, that tun'd to woe

The fadly-fighing breeze,

A weeping Hamadryad mourn'd

Her fate-devoted trees.

Ah! ftop thy facrilegious hand,

Nor violate the fhade,

• Where Nature form'd a filent haunt
• For Contemplation's aid.

• Canft thou, the fon of fcience, bred
• Where learned Ifis flows,

• Forget that, nurs'd in fhelt'ring groves,
The Grecian genius rofe?

• Within the plantane's fpreading fhade,
Immortal Plato taught ;

And fair Lyceum form'd the depth
• Of Ariftotle's thought.

To Latian groves reflect thy views,
• And blefs the Tuscăn bloom;

• Where Eloquence deplor'd the fate

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⚫ Of Liberty and Rome.

• Retir'd

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