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When dark Defign invades the chearful hour,

And draws the heart with focial freedom warm,
It's cares, it's wishes, and it's thoughts to pour,
Smiling infidious with the hopes of harm.

Vain man! to others failings ftill fevere,
Yet not one foible in himself can find;
Another's faults to Folly's eye are clear,
But to her own e'en Wifdom's felf is blind!

O let me ftill, from these low follies free,
This fordid malice, and inglorious ftrife,
Myfelf the fubject of my cenfure be,

And teach my heart to comment on my life.

With thee, Philofophy, ftill let me dwell,
My tutor'd mind from vulgar meannefs fave;
Bring Peace, bring Quiet to my humble cell,
And bid them lay the green turf on my grave.

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,
And fmil'd thro' all her animated reign.

When young Delight, of Hope and Fancy born,
His head on tufted wild-thyme half reclin'd,
Caught the colours of the orient morn,

gay

And thence of life this picture vain design'd.

O born to thoughts, to pleasures more fublime,
Than beings of inferior nature prove!

To triumph in the golden hours of Time,

And feel the charms of Fancy and of Love!

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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,
• Breathes not a gale along the bending mead,
Trills not a fongfter of the foaring wing,
But fragrance, health, and melody, fucceed.

O let me still with fimple Nature live,

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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,
• While floating fhades of dufky night defcend :
'Not left untold the lover's tender tale,

• Nor unenjoy'd the heart-enlarging friend.

'To love and friendship flow the social bowl!
To attick wit and elegance of mind;
To all the native beauties of the foul,

The fimple charms of truth, and fenfe refin'd!

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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,

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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,

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• 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!
For you I'll caft thefe waking thoughts away;
For one wild dream of life's romantick morn.

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,
Plans his dear journey to Loretto's fhrine:
Seems on his way by guardian feraphs brought;
Sees aiding angels favour his defign.

Ambrofial bloffoms, fuch of old as blew

By those fresh founts on Eden's happy plain,
And Sharon's roses all his paffage strew!
So Fancy dreams-but Fancy's dreams are vain.

Wafted and weary, on the mountain's fide,
His way unknown, the hapless pilgrim lies;
Or takes fome ruthless robber for his guide,
And prone beneath his cruel fabre dies.

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Life's morning-landscape, gilt with orient light,
Where Hope, and Joy, and Fancy, hold their reign ;
The grove's green wave, the blue stream sparkling bright,
The blythe hours dancing round Hyperion's wain ;

In radiant colours Youth's free hand pourtrays,
Then holds the flattering tablet to his eye;
Nor thinks how foon the vernal grove decays,
Nor fees the dark cloud gathering o'er the fky.
F

Hence,

Hence Fancy, conquer'd by the dart of Pain,
And wand'ring far from her Platonick shade,
Mourns o'er the ruins of her transient reign,
Nor unrepining fees her vifions fade.

Their parent banisli'd, hence her children fly;
The fairy race that fill'd her festive train:
Joy tears his wreath, and Hope inverts her eye,
And Folly wonders that her dream was vain.

THE IGNORANCE OF MAN.

B

BY THE REV. MR. MERRICK.

EHOLD yon new-born infant, griev'd
With hunger, thirst, and pain;

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
Life's various forrows try,

(Sad proof of fin's tranfmiffive pow'r !)
That infant, Lord! am I.

A childhood yet my thoughts confefs,
`Tho' long in years mature;
Unknowing whence I feel diftrefs,
And where, or what it's cure.

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