When dark Defign invades the chearful hour, And draws the heart with focial freedom warm, Vain man! to others failings ftill fevere, O let me ftill, from these low follies free, And teach my heart to comment on my life. With thee, Philofophy, ftill let me dwell, ELEGY III. BRIGHT o'er the green hills rofe the morning ray, The woodlark's fong refounded on the plain; Fair Nature felt the warm embrace of day, When young Delight, of Hope and Fancy born, gay And thence of life this picture vain design'd. O born to thoughts, to pleasures more fublime, To triumph in the golden hours of Time, And feel the charms of Fancy and of Love! High-favour'd man! for him unfolding fair • In orient light this native landscape smiles ; • For him sweet Hope difarms the hand of Care, Exalts his pleasures, and his grief beguiles. • Blows not a bloffom on the breast of Spring, O let me still with fimple Nature live, 6 My lowly field-flowers on her altar lay; Enjoy the bleffings that she meant to give, • And calmly waste my inoffenfive day ! No titled name, no envy-teazing dome, No glitt'ring wealth my tutor❜d wishes crave ; So Health and Peace be near my humble home, • A cool ftream murmur, and a green tree wave. • So may the sweet Euterpe not disdain At Eve's chafte hour her filver lyre to bring; The mufe of pity wake her foothing ftrain, ⚫ And tune to fympathy the trembling string. 'Thus glide the penfive moments o'er the vale, • Nor unenjoy'd the heart-enlarging friend. 'To love and friendship flow the social bowl! The fimple charms of truth, and fenfe refin'd! Then to explore whatever ancient fage, • Studious, from Nature's early volume drew; To chafe sweet Fiction thro' her golden age, • And mark how fair the fun-flower, Science, blew ! Haply to catch some spark of eastern fire, Hefperian fancy, or Aönian eafe; • Some melting note from Sappho's tender lyre, • Some strain that Love and Phoebus taught to please. • When waves the grey light o'er the mountain's head, • Then let me meet the morn's first beauteous ray; Carelessly wander from my fylvan shed, And catch the sweet breath of the rifing day. Nor feldom, loit'ring as I mufe along, • Mark from what flow'r the breeze it's sweetness bore; Or liften to the labour-foothing fong • Of bees that range the thymy uplands o'er. * Slow let me climb the mountain's airy brow, • The green height gain'd, in museful rapture lie; Sleep to the murmur of the woods below, • Or look on Nature with a lover's eye. Delightful hours! Q, thus for ever flow! Led by fair Fancy round the varied year: • So fhall my breast with native raptures glow, Nor feel one pang from folly, pride, or fear. • Firm be my heart to Nature and to Truth, Nor vainly wander from their dictates fage; • So Joy fhall triumph on the brows of youth, So Hope shall smooth the dreary paths of age. ELEGY ELE GY IV. OH! yet, ye dear, deluding vifions, stay! Fond hopes, of Innocence and Fancy born! Ah! no: the funshine o'er each object spread By flatt'ring Hope, the flow'rs that blew fo fair Like the gay gardens of Armida fled,, And vanish'd from the powerful rod of Care. So the poor pilgrim, who, in rapt'rous thought, Ambrofial bloffoms, fuch of old as blew By those fresh founts on Eden's happy plain, Wafted and weary, on the mountain's fide, Life's morning-landscape, gilt with orient light, In radiant colours Youth's free hand pourtrays, Hence, Hence Fancy, conquer'd by the dart of Pain, Their parent banisli'd, hence her children fly; THE IGNORANCE OF MAN. B BY THE REV. MR. MERRICK. EHOLD yon new-born infant, griev'd That afks to have the wants reliev'd, It knows not to complain. Aloud the speechlefs fuppliant cries, And utters, as it can, The woes that in it's bofom rife, And speak it's nature-man. That infant, whofe advancing hour (Sad proof of fin's tranfmiffive pow'r !) A childhood yet my thoughts confefs, Author |