■-**$f > «| tik S . A ..* injfi Jrl r < >* DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure %oom POEM S, b y J. A I K I N, M. D. -ubi quid datur oti Illudo chartis : hoc eft mediocribus illis Ex vitiis unura. Horat. LONDON PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, NO. JZ, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD. M DCC XCI. A 2.92? PREFACE. Of the Pieces contained in the following Collection, the greater number are addrcfTed to the lovers of poetry in general, who will undoubtedly appreciate them by a fair eftimate of the degree of pleafure or cliltafle they may experience in the perufal. A few of them, however, are by their fubjecl: pre- cluded from fo impartial a judgment. They will cer- tainly meet with as decided a condemnation from one fet of readers, as they can pombly obtain applaufe from another. If, then, it be afked, " Why hazard the fuc- cefs of the whole, by a mixture of fuch, as at bell can only expect divided furTrages?" I reply, that with a mind flrongly impreffed with determined opinions on fome of the molt important topics that actuate mankind, A 2 ( iv ) I could not reft fatisfied without attempting to employ- es far as I pofTefTed it) the nobleft of arts, in the fervice of the nobleft of caufes. But to thofe who think with me, yet whofe friend- fhip may have led them to wiih, from perfonal confe- derations, that I had always kept my opinions refpecYing thefe points within my own breaft, I fhall beg leave, by way of further preface, to offer the following COUNTER-REMONSTRANCE. Patiar vel inconfultus habcri. Hor. 1 pr'ythee no more, dear importunate friend ! 'Tis enough to have lavifh'd advice to no end ; Your fage admonitions have reach'd me too late, My purpofe is fix'd, and I ftand by my fate. ( v ) To make great acquaintance, to live in high ftyle, To figure in crowds with a nod and a fmile, To loll in my chariot, and treat with French dimes, Were never the things that excited my wilhes- No mortal alive is lefs plagued with the itch Of haunting the fteps of the titled and rich ; And rather by far I'd converfe with the dead, Than mix in the mobs of fine folks, finely bred. To pleafe all the world, like the man in the fable-, Is no paflion of mine, were I ever fo able ; And much do I pity thofe ill-judging elves Who in driving for that, never pleafe their owni elves- Then why mould I truckle and fimper and fneak, Be all things to all, and think twice ere I fpeak, ( vi ) With caution each doubtful opinion conceal, Nor dare to exprefs what I cannot but feel ? What want I in life to be bought at the price Of courting proud folly, or crouching to vice ? What is there fhould tempt me my freedom to barter, Or a tittle to bate of an Englimman's charter? Shall the mind that has drawn from the poet and fage Some mare of the nurture of every fair age, Shrink back with falfe fhame, or be dazzled with awe, When weaknefs or prejudice lays down the law ? The firfl rights of Nature when tyrants invade, And Freedom and Juftice aloud call for aid, Unmov'd at the voice fhall I flupidly ftand, Or raife in the conflict a timorous hand? ( vii ) O never mufl cold-hearted Selfimnefs know The noble delights of a generous glow, The triumphant emotions that fwell in the mind, When Reafon and Truth gain the caufe for mankind ? From the tafte of thefe joys fhall I meanly ftoop down, And deaden my heart with the fear of a frown ; Weigh a fentiment's worth with the chance of a fee, And throw in the fcale, " Why 'tis nothing to me?" Is it nought to be lord of a liberal bread ; Is Truth a mere phantom, and Freedom a jell; Muft we hold our opinions for better for worfe, And confine all our fludy to filling the purfe? You fay I'm dependent 'Tis true, my good friend, On my induflry, (kill, and good name I depend j ( viii ) If fuch a reliance is built upon ftubble, ? Tis time to depart, for this world is a bubble ! But better I augur fo clear up your brow ; To my patron, the Public, fome reafon allow; The paflion of bigots is not worth the heeding ; While the world likes my fervice, 'twill give me a feeding. ( ix ) CONTENTS. To Mrs. Barbauld at Geneva - - Page I A Willi - 10 A Wife's Abfence lamented - - 16 A Winter Piece - - - 20 Duncan's Warning - - 22 Sufanna's Vigil - - - 26 Arthur and Matilda - - - 31 To Mifs E. on her Hair - - 42 A Fire-fide Meditation « - 44 To the Birds in my Aviary 48 Picturefque, a Fragment 52 A Sketch of the Reign of Louis XIV. 58 Ode to the Genius of a Commonwealth 63 Epiftle to Mr. Aikin - - 69, Sonnet to Mrs. Barbauld - - 75 to his Excellency George Washington - 76 • to the Rev. JofephPrieftley,LL.D. F.R.S. 77 to Richard Price, D. D. F. R. S. - 78 b X CONTENTS. To the Memory of Mifs Mary Anne Bayley - Page 79 On the Death of J. Howard, Efq. - 80 Epiftle to the Rev. W. Enfield, LL. D. - - 82 Horatian Philofophy - - - 90 Cupid and his Tutor, from Bion - 94 Ulyfles in the Ifland of Calypfo - - 96 On Troy - - - - 99 A Chorus from Hercules Furens - - 100 The Myrtle, or defired Tranfmigration - 107 A Country Life, from Fracaftorius - - 115 A Rural Dialogue, from the Italian of A. Poliziano 1 29 Horace, Ode xxiii. Book III. imitated - - 134 ERRATA. P. 38, 1. 5, dele " before." P. 54, 1. 1 1, in fome copies, for u lhapelefs," read Chapel/* ( I J TO MRS. BARBAULD AT GENEVA; Written from Yarmouth, in 1785. Ifthuc mens ammufque, Pert, ct amat fpatiis obftantia rumpere clauftra. HoRAT. From Y are's low banks, where thro' the marfhy plain He leads hisfcanty tribute to the main, On fea-girt Albion's fartheft eaftern bound, Where direful fhoals extend their bulwark round, To thee I turn, my fitter and my friend ! On thee from far the mental vifion bend. O'er land, o'er fea, freed Fancy fpeeds her flight, Waves the light wing, and tow'rs her airy height : And now the chalky cliffs behind her fly, And Gallia's realms in brilliant profpect lie; £ 2 TO MRS. BARBAULD, Now rivers, plains, and woods, and vales are crofs'd, And many a fcene in gay confufion loft, 'Till 'mid Burgundian hills fhe joins her chafe, And focial tranfport crowns the rapid race. Fair land ! by nature deck'd, and grac'd by art, Alike to cheer the eye and glad" the heart, Pour thy foft influence through Letitia's breaft, And lull each fwelling wave of care to reft ; Heal with fweet balm the wounds of pain and toil ; Bid anxious bufy years reftore their fpoil ; The fpirits light, the vigorous foul, infufe ; And, to requite thy gifts, bring back the Mufe. For fure that Mufe, whofe far-refounding ftrains Ennobled Cyrnus' rocks and Merfey's plains, Shall here with boldeft touch awake the lyre, Soar to new heights, and glow with brighter fire. TO MRS. BARBAULD. Methinks I hear the fweetly-warbled note On Seine's meand'ring bofom gently float ; * Suzon's rude vale repeats the charming voice, And all around the vine-clad hills rejoice : Now all thy grots, Auxcelles ! f with mufic found, From cryftal roofs and vaults the ftrains rebound : Befancon's fplendid tow'rs the fong partake, And breezes waft it to the Leman lake. Delightful lake ! whofe margin gay and green Smiles in foft contrail to the rugged fcene Of ftern-brow'd Alps, where ftorms eternal roll, How muft thy varied charms entrance the foul 1 • This paflage alludes to defcriptions in Mrs. B's letters. The Valdt Suxor. t beyond the fource of the Seine, is a romantic rocky valley like that of Mid- dleton in Derbyfhirc, but richly clothed with wood. f The ftalaclitical grottoes of Auxcelles in Franche Comte, having the appearance of a large Gothic church with its various ornaments, formed by petrifactions from the roof. Bj 4 TO MRS. BARBAULD. With what high paffions mult thy profpe£t move The heart that beats to liberty and love ! Around, fair Freedom builds her lofty throne, And rocks and valour guard it for her own J While deep within embow'ring fhades concealM, To none but Cupid's myftic band reveal'd, Clarens ! * thy roofs afcend, with turrets crown'd, And love and Julia fill th' enchanted ground. Such, my Letitia, on thy ravifh'd eyes Burfts the bright view, the vivid landfcapes rife ; While from my fight the air-drawn pictures fade, And fancy's glafs bedimm'd denies its aid ; The colours melt, the lines diflblve in fpace, And cold realities ufurp the place. * Near the lake of Geneva : the fcene of Roufleau's Julie, or New Elsifa. TO MRS. BARBAULD. 5 What different fcenes fucceed! — a fteril more, Long level plains, the reftlefs ocean's roar, The rattling car, the fhipwright's flurdy toil, The far-fpread net, and heaps of finny fpoil. Keen Eurus here fweeps o'er th' unfhelter'd land, Shakes the flrong dome, and whirls the loofen'd fand: Fair Flora fhrinks ; the trees averted bend, While their thin boughs a fcanty made extend: And, for the flowering thickets cheerful notes, Here hungry fea-fowl flretch their clamorous throats. And yet, e'en here, the foul-dire&ed fight, Which nature's views in ev'ry form delight, May catch, as o'er the brighten'd fcene they gleam, Grandeur's flrong ray, or beauty's fofter beam. b 3 6 TO MRS. BARBAULD. Frequent along the pebbly beach I pace, And gaze intent on Ocean's varying face. Now from the main rolls in the fwelling tide, And waves on waves in long proceflion ride ; Gath'ring they come, 'till, gain'd the ridgy height, No more the liquid mound fuflains its weight ; It curls, it falls, it breaks with hideous roar, And pours a foamy deluge on the more. From the bleak pole now driving tempefts fweep, Tear the light clouds, and vex the ruffled deep • White on the Ihoals the fpouting breakers rife, And mix the wafte of waters with the fkies : The anchoring veflels, ftretch'd in long array, Shake from their bounding fides the dafhing fpray ; Lab'ring they heave, the tighten'd cables drain, And danger adds new horror to the main. TO MRS. BARBAULD. Then fhifts the fcene, as to the weftern gales Delighted Commerce fpreads her crowded fails. A clufter'd group the diftant fleets appear, That, featuring, breaks in varied figures near : Now, all-illumin'd by the kindling ray, Swan-like, the ftately veflel cuts her way : The full-wing'd barks now meet, now fwiftly pafs, And leave long traces in the liquid glafs : Light boats, all fail, athwart the current bound, And dot with mining fpecks the furface round. Nor with the day the fea-born fplendours ceafe : When ev'ning lulls each ruder gale to peace, The rifing moon with filv'ry luftre gleams, And moots acrofs the flood her quiv'ring beams. Or, if deep gloom fucceed the fultry day, On ocean's bofom native meteors play, B 4 S TO MRS. BARBAULD. Flafh from the wave, purfue the dipping oar, And roll in flaming billows to the more. 'Tis thus, within this narrow nook confin'd, I ftrive to feed with change th'infatiate mind. But furer aid the Mufes' flores impart, With each new world of fcience and of art; And, more than all, the joys of facred home Forbid my heart to pant, my feet to roam. Yet one dear wifh flill flruggles in my breaft, And points one darling object unpofTefs'd : How many years have whirl'd their rapid courfe, Since we, fole ftreamlets from one honour'd fource, In fond affection as in blood allied, Have wander'd devious from each other's fide ; Allow'd to catch alone fome tranfient view, Scarce long enough to think the vifion true ! TO MRS. BARBAULD. O then, while yet fome zeft of life remains, While tranfport yet can fwell the beating veins, While fweet remembrance keeps her wonted feat, And fancy flill retains fome genial heat, When evening bids each bufy talk be o'er, Once let us meet again — to part no more ! ( «o ) A WISH. Anno ctat. 37. Modicus voti, preflb lare, dulcis amicis. Pers. Though Time has not fprinkled his frolt on my head, Yet fome of its bloflbming honours are fhed ; And I hope I remember, without being told, If we live long enough, that we all mufl grow old. So let me fit down in a humour for mufing, Since nothing is eafier than wiming and chufing, And gravely confider what life I'd commence Should I reach to fome fifteen or twenty years hence A WISH. II The young ones fwarm'd out, and all likely to thrive, And fomething ftill left to maintain the old hive, I'd retire with my dame to a vill of my own, Where we'd neftle together, like Darby and Joan. On the flope of a hillock be plac'd my retreat, With a wood at the back, and a flream at its feet ; In front be a meadow, rich, verdant, and gay, Where my horfe and a cow may find pafture and hay. A garden, befure, I mud not be without, With walls or high hedges well fenc'd all about, All bluihing with fruit, and all fragrant with flowers, With dry gravel walks, and with fweet fhady bowers. For my houfe, if 'tis lightlome and roomy and warm, Fit to take in a friend, and to keep out a florm, 1% A WISH. I care not a flraw whether brick, ftone, or plafter; And if 'tis old-fafhion'd, why fo is the matter. Of poultry and pigeons 'tis needlefs to fpeak, How my geefe they fhall cackle, my fucking-pigs fqueak ; All this is effential to good country fare, And 'tis not my intention to live upon air. So much for externals j — and now to myfelf> A thing more important than dainties and pelf; For it fignifies little how clever the plan, If the fource of enjoyment be not in the man. Unambitious by nature, pacific and cool, I have not many turbulent paflions to rule ; And, when rightly matur'd by reflection and age, I may put on the femblance, at leaft, of a fage. A WISH. 13 But let me beware left I fink, in the clofe, Too foon in the arms of lethargic repofe, My heart void of feeling, of fancy my head, And to each warm emotion as cold as the dead. O fweet Senfibility ! foul of the foul ! Ill purchas'd the wifdom that thee muft controul : Of thy kindly fpirit when once we're bereft, In life there is nothing worth living for left. Then let it be ever the chief of my art To fofter a generous glow in my heart, Give way to efFufions of friendfhip and love, And the palfy of age from my bofom remove. My boys and their fpoufes, my girl and her mate, Shall come when they pleafe, and ne'er knock at the gate; 14 A WISH. And at Chriftmas we'll revel in mirth and good cheer, Tho' we live poorer for it the reft of the year. An old friend from the town fhall fometimes take a walk, And fpend the day with me in fociable talk ; We'll difcufs knotty matters, compare what we've read, And, warm'd with a bottle, move gaily to bed. When evenings grow long, and we're gloomy at home, To vary the fcene, 'mongft my neighbours I'll roam ; See how the world pafles, collecl: all the news, And return with a load of new books and reviews. In fhort, 'tis the fum of my wifh and defire, That cheerfulnefs ever my breaft mould infpire ; Let my purfe become light, and my liquor run dry, So my Hock of good fpirits hold out till I die. A WISH. l£ I have nothing to afk in the finifhing fcene JBut a confcience approving, a bofom ferene, To rife from life's banquet a fatisfied guefl, Thank the Lord of the feafl:, and in hope go to reft. ( 16 ) A WIFE's ABSENCE LAMENTED. Anno conjugli 13. Whene'er in verfe or flowery profe The youthful lover vents his woes, And the long labour'd column fills With all his catalogue of ills, Abfence we find, above the reft, In all his faddeft rhet'ric dreft ; And (till he chides " the heavy hours'* That keep him from the charmer's bowers ; Still tells his forrow to the groves, " When abfent from the maid he loves." *7 But, if the fancy-fmitten fwain Can thus in doleful notes complain Of what, perhaps, but gives him eafe, Leffening a tyrant's power to teafe, How fhould the tender hufband mourn When from his faithful partner torn ; , When abfence from a much-lov'd wife Of every pleafure robs his life ! Then, idle whining tribe ! give wav* While I my real lofs difplay ; And tell each comfort and each blifs That long I've had, and now I mils. I want the miftrefs of my board v The guardian of my little hoard ; C 18 a wife's absence lamented, The ruler of my fmall domain ; Th' inftruc"trefs of my infant train ; My befl advifer, fureft guide, Of faith approv'd, of wifdom tried ; The foother of each pain and grief; From toil and care the fweet relief; The friend, of fenfe and tafte refin'd, In all my fav'rite fludies join'd ; The cheerful partner of my day, With whom the hours roll fwift away ; The lovely marer of my night, Sweet fource of ever new delight, Within whofe fond encircling arms I tafte of more than virgin charms. A WIFE S ABSENCE LAMENTED. I9 All thefe my Delia was to me, And thefe, when me returns, will be. What lover then has caufe to figh For abfence half fo much as I ? Yet ceafe, my heart ! complain no more, But count the joys thou hall in ftore. Q z ( 20 ) A WINTER PIECE. It was a winter's evening, and faffc came down the fnow, And keenly o'er the wide heath the bitter blaft did blow ; When a damfel all forlorn, quite bewilder'd in her way, Preft her baby to her bofom, and fadly thus did fay : " Oh cruel was my father, that fhut his door on me, And cruel was my mother, that fuch a fight could fee, And cruel is the wintry wind that chills my heart with cold, But crueller than all, the lad that left my love for gold ! A WINTER PIECE. tl Hum, hum, my lovely baby, and warm thee in my breaft; Ah little thinks thy father how fadly we're diftrefl ! For, cruel as he is, did he know but how we fare, He'd fhield us in his arms from this bitter piercing air. Cold, cold, my dearefl jewel ! thy little life is gone : Oh let my tears revive thee, fo warm that trickle down. My tears thatgufh fo warm, oh they freeze before they fall ; Ah wretched, wretched mother ! thou'rt now bereft of all. " Then down fhe funk defpairing upon the drifted fnow, And wrung with killing anguifli, lamented loud her woe : She kifs'd her baby's pale lips, and laid it by her fide ; Then caft her eyes to heaven, then bow'd her head, and died. c 3 ( 22 ) DUNCAN's WARNING. As o'er the heath, amid his fteel-clad Thanes, The royal Duncan rode in martial pride, Where, full to view, high-topp'd with glittering vanes, Macbeth's ftrong towers o'erhung the mountain's fide ; In dufky mantle wrapp'd, a grifly form Rufh'd with a giant's ftride acrofs his way ; And thus, while howl'd around the rifing item, In hollow thundering accents pour'd difmay. Stop, O King ! thy deftin'd courfe, Furl thy ftandard, turn thy horfe, DUNCANS WARNING. 33 Death befets this onward track, Come no further,— quickly, back. Hear'ft thou not the raven's croak ? See'ft thou not the blafted oak ? Feel'll thou not the loaded fky ? Read thy danger, King, and fly. Lo, yon' caftle banners glare Bloody through the troubled air ; Lo, what fpe&res on the roof Frowning bid thee fland aloof! Murder, like an eagle, waits Perch'd above the gloomy gates, c 4 2'4 DUNCAN S WARNING. Juft in a£t. to pounce his prey ; Come not near away ! away ! Let not plighted faith beguile ; Honour's femblance, Beauty's fmilc : Fierce Ambition's venom'd dart Rankles in the feft'ring heart. Treafon, arm'd againft thy life, Points his dagger, whets his knife, Drugs his ftupifying bowl, Steels his unrelenting foul. Now 'tis time ; ere guilty night Clofes round thee, fpeed thy flight. If the threfhold once be croft, Duncan ! thou'rt for ever loft. DUNCAN S WARNING. 2$ On he goes !— refiftlefs Fate Haftes to fill his mortal date : Ceafe, ye warnings, vain tho' true. Murder'd King, adieu ! adieu * ! • The idea of this meflenger of terror, here engrafted on the ftory of Macbeth, is derived from an incident which the French hiftorians relate to have occurred to Charles VI. in the foreft of Mans. ( 26 ) SUSANNA'S VIGIL. Twelve times the flow-voic'd village clock From mofs-grown turret founded deep ; The guardian dogs, the folded flock, And toil-fpent hinds, were funk in fleep. Alone Susanna wak'd: her arm, Tear-moiften'd, propt her languid head ; Full on her heart me felt th' alarm, And fudden flarted from her bed. On this fad night a year had roll'd, A year of forrow's darkeft made,. 2 7 Since low beneath the hallow M mould Her William's clay-cold corfe was laid. Too well her memory kept the date Of woes that knew but one relief; And forth me went, with tottering gait, To tafte the luxury of grief. Acrofs the green, the church-yard way She fcarce difcern'd amid the gloom, Till from the moon a friendly ray Burft thro' and gleam'd on William's tomb. With throbbing breaft fhe fought the place, And knelt befide the facred ftone ; To heav'n me turn'd her pallid face, And clafp'd her hands in fpeechlefs moan. 28 Susanna's vigil. At length flie cried (her hollow voice Broke awful thro' the fhades of night), " Dear objecl: of my earlieft choice, Once my heart's joy, my eyes' delight ; If yet, a fpirit clad in air, Thou hover'H: round thefe cold remains ; If earthly things be yet thy care, Thy once-lov'd friends, and native plains ; Oh turn thy pitying looks of love On her, thy own betrothed maid ; Brood o'er her like the tender dove, And fly to thy Susanna's aid ! Twelve difmal months this tortur'd breafl ^or joy nor foft repofe has felt; susanna's vigil. 29 Oh enter thou, a fainted gueft, And grief in holy fervours melt ! So mall thefe poor remains of breath No more in fighs accufe my fate ; But for the welcome flroke of death In peace my patient foul fhall wait." This faid, ihe rofe . and now ihe hears (With Fancy's fond illufions warm) Sweet mufic trilling in her ears, And fees her William's glitt'ring form. The vifion ceas'd. She flow returns, With backward look and falt'ring pace ; With rapture's fire her bofom burns, While feverifh Inure lights her face. 30 susanna's vigil. Now faint, exhaufted, on her bed Her limbs the lovely mourner throws ; Kind fleep around his poppies fhed, And Nature finks in calm repofe. But deep within her aching breafl Lurks the keen foe that faps her life j And foon in one eternal reft Muft clofe the forrowing lingering ftrife. ( 3* ) ARTHUR and MATILDA. Bright fhone the fbtrs, the moon was funk, And gently blew the breeze, As, homeward-bound, the {lately fhip Rode o'er the Indian feas. High on the poop in lonely watch Young Arthur penfive flood, And eyed the quivering lights of heav'n Reflected in the flood. But many and many a league his thoughts O'er land and water roam ; 32 ARTHUR AND MATILDA. They fly to Britain's diftant iile, To dear Matilda's home. His bufy fancy paints the fair Array'd in all her charms ; He taftes the kifs of fweet return, And folds her in his arms. Till waken'd from his rapturous dream He hears the flapping fails, And chides, with fond impatience ftung, The tardy-winged gales. •' O waft me, fome kind Power, he cried. With fpeed to Britain's more ; Placed by the fide of her I love, I'd alk of Fate no more ! ARTHUR AND MATILDA. 33 Blow, blow, ye {lumbering winds, ye fails Catch every fleeting breath ; The flormy blaft with danger fwells, But this delay is death." Then, as acrofs the wat'ry waile He bent his cheerlefs eyes, From out the gloom a whitening form, Dim-feen, appear'd to rife. Swift-gliding on the fight it grew ; And now, in profpect plain, A little boat was feen to come, Self-mov'd athwart the main : And in the flern, in glift'ring white, A maiden fat to guide : ( D 34 ARTHUR AND MATILDA. Right to the fhip fhe fteer'd her courfe, And foon was at the fide. Young Arthur, fpeechlefs with amaze, Beheld the wond'rous fight, And feem'd a well-known face to view, That flione with paly light. With beating heart and mind difturb'd He gaz'd upon the maid, Who upward turn'd an eager look, And " Know'tt me not r" flie faid. " O'er ocean wide, thro' dafliing waves, Behold Matilda come To meet her Arthur on his way, And bear him to her home. ARTHUR AND MATILDA. 35 A home unblefl, forlorn, and dark, While thou art abfent ftill ; A narrow houfe ; but yet a place Is left for thee to fill. Long, long enough with bitter pangs My faithful bread was torn ; Long, long enough in fad defpair I only liv'd to mourn : But now 'tis o'er again we meet, But not again to part ! Come then, defcend, embark with me> And truft thy pilot's art. Ere ftar-light yields to morning-dawn A thoufand leagues we'll fail ; D 2 36 ARTHUR AND MATILDA. I care not how the current runs, Or which way blows the gale." " What may this mean r" with falt'ring voice,. The trembling Arthur cried : ;i But if Matilda calls, I come, Whatever may betide." Then o'er the fhip's tall lide he fprung, His promis'd bride to meet ; She drew beneath her little boat To flay his tottering feet. 44 Now touch me not, but diftant lit, And trim the boat with heed." The youth obey'd : fhe turn'd the helm ; The vefTel flew with fpeed. ARTHUR AND MATILDA 37 " How pale and wan thy face, my love ! How funk and dead thine eyes ! And fure fome corpfe's winding-meet Thy cloak and hood fupplies !" " My face may well be pale, my love ! The night is dank and cold ; And clofer than a winding-meet What garment can enfold ?" No more could Arthur fpeak, for fear And wonder froze his blood ; He wildly eyed Matilda now, And now the darkfome flood. In awful filence all the night They bounded o'er the tide ; D 3 38 ARTHUR AND MATILDA. The boat ran rippling thro' the brine That foam'd on either fide. At length the ftars began to fade Down in the eaftern Iky, When dim the land before appear'd in view, With cliffs o'erhung on high. Straight for the more the pilot maid Steer'd on her venturous bark, Where rugged rocks with hideous yawn Difclos'd a cavern dark. They enter : Arthur fhook with dread ; And " Whither now ?" he cried: " Peace, peace ! our voyage is near its end," Her echoing voice replied. ARTHUR AND MATILDA. 39 Within the bowels of the ground They plunged in blacked night ; Yet ftill Matilda's ghaftly form Was feen in bluifh light. The boat now touch'd the further more, When itraight uprofe the maid : " Now follow, youth ! my home is nigh." The fhudd'ring youth obey'd. A narrow winding path they take, Drops trickling over head : He fees her light before him glide, But cannot hear her tread. At laft they come where mould'ring bones Lie ftrew'd in heaps around, D 4 40 ARTHUR AND MATILDA. And opening vaults on either hand Gape in the hollow ground ; And coffins rang'd in fable rows By glimm'ring light appear : Matilda ftopt, and wav'd her hand, And faid, " My home is here. If thou Matilda's houfe wilt (hare, Behold the narrow fpace • Then welcome, youth ! now truly mine, And take a bride's embrace." Young Arthur ftretch'd his doubtful arms To meet the clafping maid ; When, lo ! inftead of flefhly fhape, He grafp'd an empty fhade. ARTHUR AND MATILDA. 41 The life-blood left his fluttering heart, Cold dews his face befpread, Convulfive ftruggles ihook his frame, And all the Vifion fled* * The idea of this Piece was taken from a ballad tranflated by an ingenious friend from the German of Buirgher. The ftory and fcenery are however totally different, and the refemblance only confifts in a vifionary journey. ( 42 ) TO MISS E. ON HER HAI». Anna ! ceafe with envious care Thus to veil thy lovely face, While beneath that made of hair Buried lies full many a grace. Where's the brow as iv'ry clear ? Where the cheek's delightful glow ? Where the nicely-rounded ear, And the well-turn'd neck of fnow ? Yet thofe auburn locks of thine, Down thy face that waving play, TO MISS E. ON HER HAIR. 43 And in wanton ringlets twine, Who could bear to lop away ? Soon enough by Fafhicn's hand Shall thofe flowing curls be dreft, And each feature marmall'd ftand, Fatal to the gazer's reft. But let me, fecure from harm, Lift the veil that checks my fight , Let me view each rifing charm With a father's calm delight. Forty hammers I have feen, Time enough to make me wife ! I can look at bright fixteen With pleas'd, but undefiring eyes; ( 44 ) A FIRE-SIDE MEDITATION, Alone, with books encompafs'd round, Immers'd in ftudious thought profound, I fit, in elbow-chair reclin'd, With wrinkled brow and hands entwin'd, Regardlefs of the taper's blaze, While lengthening fnuff obfcures its rays ; And conjuring up to fancy's eye The fhade of many a year gone by, I view it in its livery dreft Of gloomy, gay, or varied veft, A FIRE-SIDE MEDITATION. 45 With all its evanefcent train, The baby forms of joy and pain. As thus I mufe, a fond defire, In reafon's femblance, bids inquire From what kind fource imparted, flow Man's choiceft bleflings here below ; What the beft boon of Nature's giving, That makes our lives moft worth the living ; The precious drug whofe tafte and flavour O'erpowers a world of bitter favour ? No tedious doubts my mind perplex ; Felicity's of female fex : From female features fhe difpenfes The beams that gladden all the fenfes ; And gives us in the female foul A charm all forrow to controul. 46 A FIRE-SIDE MEDITATION. As to the wand'rer in the night, When fcarce a flar affords its light, The far-ftretch'd wild and fbreft drear Involv'd in horror's gloom appear ; If chance the moon, with riling beam, Thro' the dun mantle flings a ftream Of filver radiance, darknefs flies, And brighten' d profpecls cheer his eyes : "So, deck'd in fmiles and modeft grace, When love illumes the matron face ; Or from the virgin's blooming cheek Kind thoughts and fprightly meanings fpeak, The genial heat and vivid ray Chafe the black fiends of life away ; Care's frightful phantoms foon are fled, Dull languor lifts his heavy head, A FIRE-SIDE MEDITATION. 4? And refcued Man is forc'd to own, To blcfs, is Woman's part alone. ! "when the fenfe of female charms My frozen blood no longer warms ; When proof to all the pleating wiles, Soft looks, fweet words, and fweeter fmiles-, 1 tit, thro' privilege of age, A moping melancholy fage ; Tho' deep in philofophic lore, Soon may the taftelefs fcene be o'er ! Forcold at heart, and cafed in lead, ? Twere time indeed that I was dead ' ( 48 J TO THE BIRDS IN MY AVIARY. Sweet birds ! within this netted bound Who hop and flutter round and round, Now lurking 'mid the foliage green, Chirping, finging, fcarcely feen ; Now pecking on the earthy floor, And turning every pebble o'er ; Say, when you view in air above On founding wings the pigeon rove, Or rapid fwallows foaring high, Or fparrows gaily flirting by, Do you not wifh your lot to change, And unconfin'd like them to range ? TO THE BIRDS IN MY AVIARY. 49 But think, dear birds ! within my reign What ills you mifs, what comforts gain. Here needs no anxious care to fhun The limed twig, or murd'ring gun , No hawk fufpended over head The inftant marks to flrike you dead ; Nor treach'rous weafel glides by night To fill your roofts with dire affright. Wet to the fkin, your kindred troop In autumn's rains unflielter'd droop ; While you fo fnugly perch together, And need not wet a fingle feather. When all the world is hid in fnow, And ice-bound ftreams no longer flow, And fweeping florins obfcure the air, III do the little wand'rers fare ! E 50 TO THE BIRDS IN MY AVIARY. To fome lone bum in flocks they hie ; There, funk in mute defpondence, lie, Or, pinch'd with cold and hunger, die : While you, beneath your boarded fried, Securely hous'd, and duly fed, With crops well fill'd and plumage warm s May fing away the wintry ftorm. Such are the comforts kindly meant To give your little hearts content ; Sure thefe may freedom's lofs outweigh, If lofs of freedom aught can pay ! But ftill fometimes I fee you fret, And peck with petty rage your net \ Your fancy runs on fields and groves, And rambling flights, and abfent loves. TO THE BIRDS IN MY AVIARY. $1 Think then on mc, your lordly holt, An out-door prifoner at the mod ; By tether held, whofe furtheft bound Stretches but twenty miles around, Whilft all from Norfolk to Peru Is juft the fame to me, as you ; And diftant friends I ne'er muft fee, Unlefs they deign to come to me. Do I repine ? fometimcs — I may ; But what am I the better, pray ? Then let's be eafy, Bird and Man, And make the beft of life we can ! E 2, ( 5* ) PICTURESQUE: A FRAGMENT. IN THE MANNER OF COWPER. New follies fpring ; and now we mull be taught To judge of profpects by an artift's rules, And Picturesque's the word. Whatever fcenc, Gay, rich, fublime, ftupendous, wide, or wild, Difdains the bounds of canvas, nor fupplies Fore-ground and back-ground, keeping, lights and ihades. To aid the pencil's power ; contracts the brow, And curls the nofe, of Tafte's great arbiter, Too learned far to feel a vulgar joy. " That {ration mows too much — the boundlefs length picturesque: a fragment. 53 " Of dazzling diftance mars the near effect. " Yon Ullage fpire, imbofom'd in the trees, " Takes from the fcene its favage character, " And makes it fmack of man ; and thofe fleek kine " And well-fed fteeds might grace a country fair, " But tame their outlines, and a heavy mafs M Of glaring light gleams from their polifh'd fides. " How flifF that conic hill? Thofe chalky cliffs " Rufh forward on the fight, and harflily break " All harmony of keeping ! 'tis as bad " As country parfon's white-beplafter'd front !" Such the grave doctrines of the modern fage, The Profpcft-Critic, when, with half-mut eye, And hand-form'd tube, he fquints at Nature's works, And takes them piece by piece ; with fix-inch fquare Metes out the vaft horizon ; culls, rejects, E 3 54 picturesque: a fragment. Lights up, obfcures, and blots the bleffed fun* And is it thus the handmaid Art prefumes To rule her miftrefs ? thus would fhe confine The Maker's hand to fuit the copyift's fkill? In Nature all is fair or, if ungrae'd With flowing form and harmony of hues, Yet by the force of fome aflbciate charm, Some touch fublime, or contraft's magic power, It awes, expands, delights, or melts the foul. I love to fee the lonely mountain ftart Bold from the plain, whofe huge tho' fhapely bulk Shrinks Egypt's pyramids to pigmy toys : I love the piny foreft, many a mile Blackening th' horizon, tho' a dreary moor Fill up the fpace between ; I joy to ft and. picturesque: a fragment. 55 On the bare ridge's utmoft verge, air-propt, And with an eagle's ken the vale below, With all its fields, groves, farms, and winding rills, At once drink in : ftill more my tranfport fwells, If fudden on my eafy-turning eye Burfts the wide ocean, tho' the dazzling blaz« Of noon-tide fun reflected from his waves Confound all fpace in undiftinguifh'd light. Celeftial glory, hail ! my ravifh'd foul Imbibes the bright effulgence, feels how weak Art's feeble hand to imitate thy fires, And clothe her colours in thy radiant veft. But O, that once my longing eyes might view The fky-topt Alps their fpiry pinnacles Build in mid air; or Norway's ragged cliffs With fir befring'd ! — what tho' their forms grotefque, With lines abrupt and perpendicular, pain E 4 56 picturesque: a fragment. Thofe tender optics that demand repofe On beauty's waving line ; yet rather far I'd fill my fancy from thofe mighty ftores Of van: ideas, graving on my brain The forms gigantic of thofe fons of earth, Than own whatever Claude and Poufiln drew. Meanwhile my eye not undelighted roams O'er flower-embroider'd meads, whofe level length, The leff'ning alders, dimly-gliding fails, And fprinkled groups of cattle, faintly mark. For all that painting gives I would not change The heart-expanding view, when Autumn's hand Wide o'er the champaign pours a billowy fea Of yellow corn, o'erfpreading hill and dale, While from its ifles of verdure fcatter'd round, Emerging hamlets lapt in plenty fmile. picturesque: a fragment. 57 Nor does my fight difdain the rural box Of ruddy brick or plafter, neat and mug, With palifades before, and walls behind, And fhcer-trimm'd hedges, for the garden's bound. The lines, indeed, are ftiff, and glaring tints Refufe to blend, and not a tatter'd roof Or mouldering ftone affords one fmgle touch Ofpiflurc/quc; but happy man dwells here, With peace, and competence, and fweet repofe, And blifs domeftic ; thefe the mental eye Suffice to charm, and all it fees is good*. * The author is by no means infcnfible to the fund of genuine tafte, as well as the uncommon powers of defcription, poffeffed by the admired writer here alluded to; but he thinks he clearly difcerns, that a habit of looking at nature merely with a reference to its affording objects for the pencil, has, at times, given a faftidioufnefs to his feelings, and led him away from the perception of thofe beauties of a fuperior order which charm the fimpler lover of the country. If this has at all been the effect upon the accomplifhed majier of the pifturefquc fchool, what muft be that upon many of his dif- ciples, the vulgar herd of imitators ? ( 58 ) A SKETCH OF THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. PROPOSED AS A SUBSTITUTE TO THE INSTANCE OF XERXES IN DR. JOHNSON'S IMITATION OF THE TENTH SATIRE OF JUVENAL *. Has toties optata exegit gloria pcenas. Juvekai.. Say, doft thou bend a dazzled eye on {later, Pant high for power, and wifh the name of Great r See Louis, cradled king of wide domains, Delighted grafp with boyiih hand the reins : All bend around, and worfhip at his nod, And flattery's incenfe feeds the fancied god : * Dr. Johnfon has modernized aU the examples of Juvenal except that of Xerxes. A SKETCH OF THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. 59 The world's dread lord in every act is feen ; What grace of form ! what majefty of mien ! His native wifdom fcorns inflrudtlon's aid ; And, fenc'd with guards, his courage ftands difplay'd. The venal Mufes cull the frefheft bays, And ftrive to dignify their abject praife ; And fober Hift'ry even yet will tell He play'd the pageant figure wond'rous well : He builds, loves, dances, nay he treads the ftage, And fhines the glitt'ring hero of his age : Gay courts, for once fincere, their lord admire, And favour'd beauties feel a mutual fire. With fchemes of pleafure, glory takes her turn, And wars and concruefts in his bofom burn. Elate with power, impatient of controul, High thoughts of empire fwell his haughty foul : GO A SKETCH OF THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. No laws he owns, but thofe which bound his might, And every province near him is his right. His ardent legions ifTue to the field ; Where'er they prefs, the hoflile armies yield: Towns fcarcely fummon'd ope their rampir'd gates , Imperial Aujlria mourns her ravifh'd dates : He burfts like Ocean o'er Batavias plains, The Ocean's felf fcarce guards her (mail remains. By land, by fea, his terrors wide extend, And menac'd fov'reigns at his footftool bend. At length, arous'd by hatred or by dread, The nations league, with William at their head. France conquers ftill, but, conquering, weaker grows. And learns to fear her oft defeated foes ; While thro' her tatter'd fplendours, worn and bare, Pale want, and lean decay, and mifery flare. A SKETCH OF THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. 6r Adverfity now comes with giant ftride, Difmay, difgrace, and beggary, by her Tide. No more Turenne and Condi fill the fcene ; Dire change for France ! 'tis Marlbro and Eugene. Rout follows rout ; till, deep in crimfon (lain, The fun of Louis fets on Blenheim's plain. Such gloom involves the monarch's alter'd fate ; But ills feverer on the man await. As ftrength and fpirits fink in flow decay, He fees his Houfe to early deaths a prey ; The frequent funerals Bourbon's line deface. And feem to threat extinction to the race. Neglect, ingratitude, and factious ftiite Imbitter all the fad remains of life. Affliction's demons now poffefs him whole , Sharp pain, his body; keen remorfe, his foul: 62 A SKETCH OF THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. Black fuperftition hovers o*er his head ; Women and priefts befiege his dying bed ; He yields his breath with fcarce one friendly tear. And giddy crowds rejoice around his bier. ( 63 ) ODE TO THE GENIUS OF A COMMONWEALTH*. Written in 1788. Topuli impcrium, juxta iibertatcm ; paucorura dorainatio, rcgiae libtdirti propior eft. Tacit. O Power, with firm majeftic tread, Commanding eye, and manly grace, The native honours of whofe head, No glitt'ring gems or gold debafe, To thee, — from trifling gorgeous things. From titled flaves and pageant kings, * By Commonwealth, the writer underftands every form of government, in which the bafis of legiflative power is laid in the great body of the people. 64 ODE TO THE GENIUS OF A COMMONWEALTH. I turn difdainful : — thou my breail infpire, And give to found thy praife with all a freeman's fire I If earth's firft fons, untaught and rude, The lab'ring hind and fhepherd fwain, By fubtle craft or force fubdu'd, Receiv'd with awe a monarch's chain ; If filken Afia lov'd the rod, And crouch'd before a mortal God ; Yet Art and Science chofe thy fairer fway ; Thine was the flow'r of man, thy date was Reafon's day. O fouls enflav'd to vulgar pride, O dead to genuine glory's flame, Who dare thy fimple form deride, And treat with fcorn thv facred name ! ODE TO THE GENIUS OF A COMMONWEALTH. 6$ Search o'er th' hiftorian's ample page, Through ev'ry high heroic age, And fay if aught be found fupremely great, Like, Greece, thy noble deeds, and Rome's triumphant fhte ? Nor to the northern brood of war * Was thy expanded rule unknown, Who, whirl'd on Terror's fcvthed car, O'erthrew the tyrant Roman's throne : Unus'd to fear, the fworded band Defpis'd a defpot's ftern command : Hence Europe's realms a milder fceptre fway'd , Hence, Freedom ftrugglingthro', Britannia's blood o'erpaid. * Among the warlike tribes of Germany and the North, the office of king was only that of an elected leader in war, and head of the national councils in peace. The feudal fyftem which fucceeded the fall of the Roman empire, though totally adverfe to the true principles of a commonwealth, yet powerfully controuled the ahfolute power of kings, and preferved, among the nobles at leaft, fome ideas of liberty. 66 ODE TO THE GENIUS OF A COMMONWEALTH. Of Sole Dominion's adtive force . Let venal fophiils idly boalt ; Can idiots fleer in wifdom's courfe, Or babes lead on the warrior hofl ? The haughty minion of the hour May wield awhile uncertain pow'r; But 'tis alone thy fteady, ftrong controul Can bend each ftubborn Part beneath the mighty whole. Witnefs the loud tempeftuous ftrifc That now o'er Gallia's land is roll'd, Where ftifled Freedom ftrains for life, And panting Pow'r fcarce keeps his hold. In vain, by daring Richelieu broke, Her nobles bow'd beneath the yoke, ODE TO THE GENIUS OF A COMMONWEALTH. 67 And Louis * twin'd with his the nation's fame ; She (corns the vapid dregs of Bourbon's lofty name. Batavia ! thee the Mufe mall mourn, . By friends and foes alike controul'd, Thy native ftrength by faction torn, By foreign arms thy freedom fold : Such dire amends, alas ! were due To gen'ral rights ufurp'd by Few ; So weak thy ill-built powVs contracted bafe, Unfit to bear the load of Naffau's giant race f. * Louis XIV. the fplendour of whofe reign fcemed to confole his fubjc<£U for their miferics, and for the total lofs of their political freedom. •f The bafis of the Dutch conftitution was never properly laid. The fdf- appointed ariftocracies in the towns have ever kept from the body of the people all fhare of political influence. Hence the want of a due conilitutional balance to the exceflive power of the Naffau family. F 2 68 ODE TO THE GENIUS OF A COMMONWEALTH. Meanwhile, beyond th' Atlantic tide, A people, new to fov'reign fway, Their bonds dhTolv'd by regal pride, In peace their equal laws obey. No high-born partial claims encroach, No titled Great the Mean reproach : The wholefome rule is ev'ry freeman's choice, And Public Good prevails, while fpeaks the Public Voice, Great Guardian of collected Man ! Sole object of the Patriot's care ! Thy form fublime let Britons fcan, And nx their gen'rous paflions there : Forgot each petty, felfifh end, To thee let ev'ry thought extend: Be thine the public truft, the ruling parti Let Kings command the knee, but thou poffefs the heart. ( 69 ) AN EPISTLE TO MR. AIKIN, STUDENT IN NEW COLLEGE, HACKNEY. Ma?u0T* atj y.cu tt^o rut irct^uvy i\n$tgo$ taru tm yvuifxyv. Lucia*. Dear to my heart, my Arthur, friend and fon ! How fwiftly feem the circling years to run, While, ripening through the filent lapfe of time, Thy blooming promife haitens to its prime ! Erewhile, on Merfey's bank, the vigorous boy Plied the clofe tafk, or fnatch'd the fleeting joy : Then fields remote were trod, and diftant ftreams Beheld thy fports, and heard thy youthful themes. 70 AN EPISTLE TO MR. AIKIN. Now, with the fpreading form, the mind expands, Exerts new powers, and ftronger toil demands : Thy well-fkiU'd matters point the glowing page, And feed thee with the poet and the fage ; Prune thy young pinions for a bolder flight, And try thine eyes with intellectual light. At length thy footfteps feek the fludious halls, Where to her train, mature InftrucYion calls; Where, as of old in Academus' groves, The form benign of facred Wifdom roves. Thofe walls receive thee, which, with fav'ring eyes, The Goddefs view'd, as late lhe faw them rife, Where, near to fight, for wealth and arts renown'd, Augusta rears her towers, and fpreads her arms around. Within thefe feats, by Freedom's hand defign'd, Jlais'd by the liberal friends of human kind, AN EPISTLE TO MR. AIKIN. _ 7 1 No flavifh forms betray ingenuous youth, And early quench the native zeal for truth ; * Train pliant fouls to take a matter's bent, School'd in the difcipline of blind ajjent ; No myftic creeds chalk out their narrow line, Nor human fyftems claim a right divine ; No fordid intereft prompts th' unrighteous fear, Left learning fearch with fpirit too fincere : Here, from the fource divine, the fount of heav'n, Flows the large dream as pure as it was giv'n ; With chaften'd daring, yet with upward eye, Serene Philofophy here reafons high ; Rich Science fpreads profufe her various ftore, Still mews new fcenes, and holds the lamp to more \ While every gentler Mufe her aid imparts, And fafhions manly fenfe to letter'd arts. F 4 72 AN EPISTLE TO MR. AIKIN. , Succefs and honour crown each generous plan That aims to raife, adorn, ennoble Man ; To lift the foul from felf and low defires ; To bid the bofom glow with focial fires ; To clear the mitts of Prejudice away; Thro' Falfehood's night to pour the guiding ray To catch the radiant beams of Truth divine, And point the path to Virtue's awful fhrine ! Soon from thefe ftudious cloifters burfting forth I fee the forms fublime of attlve worth : The Moral Teacher^ copious, pure, and warm, With words to move, and reafon to inform : The bold AJJ'ertor of thefreeborn mind. Zealous her galling fetters to unbind, Sworn foe to power ufurp'd by force or fraud, By title, age, and haughty names unaw'd: AN EPISTLE TO MR. AIKIN. 73 The Patriot firm, whofe unfubmitting foul Nor flatt'ry melts, nor menaces controul, True to his word, in every purpofe juft, By private virtue mark'd for public trult : The Friend of man, who, fcorning foft repofe, From clime to clime contends with human woes ; Whofe mild companion temp'ring virtuous rage, Prefents a Howard to the coming age. And thou, my Arthur, with unwearied force If ftill thou urgeft on thy forward courfe, Ardent the prize of high defert to gain, And fix thy foot in Learning's lofty fane ; If true to virtue ftill thy bofom beat, And confcious worth infpire its genial heat ; 74 AN EPISTLE TO MR. AIKIN. Thou too amid the band mayft hold thy place, And fried a venial pride o'er all thy race ; Break thro' the barriers of an humble flate, Rank'd with the wife and good, far, far above the great. ( 75 J SONNET TO MRS. BARBAULD. March, 1790. Thus fpeaks the Mufe, and bends her brow fevere ■ " Did I, Letitia, lend my choiceft lays, *' And crown thy youthful head with frefheft bays, " That all th' expectance of thy full-grown year " Should lie inert and fruitlefs? O revere " Thofe facred gifts whofe meed is deathlefs praife, Whofe potent charms th' enraptur'd foul can raife " Far from the vapours of this earthly fphere : " Seize, feize the lyre ! refume the lofty flrain ! " 'Tis time, 'tis time ! hark how the nations round " With jocund notes of Liberty refound, " And thy own Corsica has burft her chain ! " O let the fong to Britain's fhores rebound, " Where Freedom's once-lov'd voice is heard, alas ! in vain. ( 76 ) SONNET TO HIS EXCELLENCY GEORGE WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Point of that Pyramid, whofe folic! bafe Refts firmly founded on a nation's trull, Which, while the gorgeous palace finks in duft, Shall ftand fublime, and fill its ample fpace : JLlefted Chief of Freemen ; greater far Than kings whofe glittering parts are fix'd by birth ; Nam*d by thy country's voice, for long tried worth, Her crown in peace, as once her fhield in war : Deign, Washington ! to hear a Britifh lyre, That ardent greets thee with applaufive lays, And to the Patriot Hero homage pays : O would the Mufe immortal {Trains inlpire, That high beyond all Greek and Roman fame, Might foar to times unborn thy purer, nobler name ! (. 77 ) SONNET TO THE REV. JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL. D. F. R. S. &X, Priestley ! whofe ardent ever-a£tive foul Thro' earth and heav'n has held unwearied flight, And dipp'd her pinions in the fount of light, Unaw'd by fear, and fpurning vain controul : Truth's dauntleis champion ! prompt her facred caufc Alike with fword and buckler to defend ; Virtue's pure votary ; Freedom's ftedfaft friend ; Patron of public rights and equal laws: Go on triumphant ! view with noble fcom The bigot's rage, the pedant's bloated pride ; Secure, with Truth and Freedom at thy fide, To win thy ftedfaft way. O foon be born That day whofe beams no falfehood mall abide, Bright Rcafons day ! 1 hail th' approaching morn ! ( 78 ) SONNET TO RICHARD PRICE, D.D. F.R.S. Illustrious Veteran in that noble band, Who, arm'd with Reafon's panoply divine, And train'd by Virtue, round the radiant flirine Of Liberty, a ftedfaft phalanx ftand : Friend of all human kind! whofe generous foul, By no mean interefr. cramp'd, no partial aim, Expatiates free, and, touch'd with heavenly flame, Speeds the large wifh to blefs, from pole to pole : Thou wilt not waver in the glorious fight, Tho' hate, and fcorn, and calumny, afTail, Foes long difdain'd ! nor heed the gorgeous tale Of Prejudice in Wifdom's livery dight : For fooner mall the World's firm pillars fail, Than Freedom quench her fires, and Knowledge fink in night ! ( 79 ) TO THE MEMORY OF MISS MARY ANNE BAYLEY, POR INSCRIPTION ON A DOMESTIC MONUMENT, When Lovclinefs, array'd in opening bloom, Fram'd to delight the fenfe, the heart to cheer, Sinks early Matted to the filent tomb, Who can fupprefs the figh, reflrain the tear? Such was the treaiure loft, thefe lines record; And on the ftone, perus'd by kindred eyes, Long mall that Name, in faithful memory flored, Bid forrows flow, and keen regrets arife. But Faith fheds comfort on the troubled mind, And Gratitude recounts what once was giv'n : To him who lent it be the boon refign'd: What foul too fpotlefs, kind, and good, for heav'n I ( 8o ) ON THE DEATH OF J. HOWARD, ESQ, Howard, thy tafk is done ! thy Mailer calls, And fummons thee from Cherfon's diftant walls. " Come, well-approv'd ! my faithful fervant ! come ; " No more a wand'rcr, feck thy deftin'd home. " Long have I mark'd thee with o'er-ruling eye, M And fent admiring angels from on high, u To walk the paths of danger by thy Tide, " From death to fhield thee, and thro' fnares to guide. *' My Minifter of good, I've fped thy way, " And fliot thro' dungeon glooms a leading ray, 44 To cheer, by thee, with kind unhoped relief, " My creatures loft and whelm'd in guilt and grief. ON THE DEATH OF JOHN" HOWARD, ESQ^ 8 1 w I've led thee, ardent, on thro' wond'rlng climes, " To combat human woes and human crimes. •' But 'tis enough !— thy great commiffions o'er ; c< I prove thy faith, thy love, thy zeal, no more. " Nor droop, that far from country, kindred, friends, " Thy life, to duty long devoted, ends; " What boots it where the high reward is giv'n, " Or whence the foul triumphant fprings to heav'n?" G ( *2 ) EPISTLE TO THE REV. W. ENFIELD, LL.D. ON PERUSING IN MANUSCRIPT HIS ABRIDGMENT of erucker's HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY. Defpicere unde queas alios, paflimque videre Errare atque viara palantes quxrere vitae. Lucret. O Friend, to whofe clear fight the myftic roll Of wifdom lies difplay'd, where fpreading wide From India's, Egypt's, or Chaldea's root, Thro' fertile Grecian branches, to the boughs And twigs innumerous of a later growth, The Tree of Knowledge Hands, opake and full, EPISTLE TO THE REV. W. ENFIELD, LL.D. 83 (I ween, not fruitlefs, like the fhady elm Of Orcus, where each leaf conceal'd a dream;) Sufpend thy toil fevere, and deign awhile On me, thy old companion, long belov'd, Much favour'd, to beftow the precious boon Of open converfe, fuch as friendfhip loves, And freedom dictates. Many a fchool-drawn knot, Tough web of fophiftry, and tangled fkein Of m^taphyfic, by thy fkilful hand I fee unravell'd, and with thee can foar, Borne by the puffy gas-inflated ball Of Speculation, to thofe fields of air Where elements are bred, and fyftems nurs'd. But, for fuch fubtle regions all too grofs, I gravitate to earth ; and rather love By clear IlifTus, or the fhady groves G 2 84 EPISTLE TO THE REV. W. ENFIELD, LL.D. Of Tufculum, or Tibur's ftill retreats, To court the placid power of moral truth. Gome then, my friend ! whofe pure benignant breaft Is vvifdom's beft interpreter, O come, And teach me how to live ; for, fure, 'tis time, When from the traveller's gaze the weft' ring fun Pofts down the fky, 'tis time his courfe were fix'd ! What, then, is man's chief blifs ? — to lift the foul, By lonely Contemplation, to the fource Of good and fair ; with Reafon's efTence pure To feed the thought ; and on the trivial fcene Of fublunary things look down unmov'd, Self-honour'd, felf-dependent- or to call Each potent energy to active ufe, And urge the flying moments with the weight EPISTLE TO THE REV. W. ENFIELD, LL.D. 85 Of flrong exertion, prefling ardent on To foihe bright point of diftance or to (leal With loitering foot along the vale obfcure, And pluck gay flowers, and dally with the time In carelefs fport, and fong, and converfe fweet, Delightful interchange ! or, plodding on, With rule in hand, with grave and meafur'd ftep, To pace the level, line-drawn avenue, Where bufinefs, meals, and jleep, in order due, Like fhrubs and ftatues in a Dutchman's walk, Succeed unvaried ? Say, in which of thefe, The paths of human life, her fairy tread Has Happinefs imprinted? Shall we try, By beating wide the ground, to catch a glimpfe Of the ftill-nying phantom ; or purfue With heedful diligence one chofen track ? 86 EPISTLE TO THE REV. W. ENFIELJD, LL.D. For me, whom Fate has delHn'd to the round Of fober bufinefs, and as fober joys ; Whofe roving wing is dipt ; whofe eager eye, A-gazfe for diitant wonders, mull: contract Its narrow 'd focus to a map and book ; Who, for the vivid flam of living wit, And voice-clad eloquence, mult court the beams That mine in faint reflexion from the page ; How fhall I beft preferve the genial flame Alive within my breaft ? how trim the lamp, ' And clear from gathering dregs and vapours dim ? Soon, foon, the brief delights of fenfe mull fail; And buoyant fpirits, from the rapid tide Of youthful blood evolv'd, wax tame and dull : What then lhall fave me from the palfying grafp Of cold Indifference, leagued with fick Difgult, EPISTLE TO THE REV. W. ENFIELD, LL.D. 87 Slack Liftleflhefs, and fullen Melancholy ? Terrific group ! Will poring o'er the leaves Of fage Philofophy, with elbow chair, Fire-fide, and winking taper, chafe away Thefe black intruders ? Ah ! too well I know, Already know, how hang the heavy hours Of ftudious Indolence, that only feeks In thoughts of other men to lofe its own. Then fhall I feize the quill ; fcrew high each chord That vibrates in the brain ; dilate the bread With mighty heavings ; roufe the throbbing heart With keen emotions ; touch with noble fire ; And pour the glowing torrent on the page? Or, arm'd with patient induftry, lead on To flow maturity fome fair defign, The child of ufe and knowledge, which may ftand G 4 S# EPISTLE TO THE REV. W. ENFIELD, LL.D, A monument for ages ? fuch as thine, Where learning, fenfe, and lucid order, clad In clear expreflion, frame a perfect whole. Or rather, pens and books thrown far afide, Relume Ambition's fire ; with defperate plunge Rufh in the crowd, and elbowing on my way Thro' friends, thro' foes, and fierce Contention's din, Catch at fome gilded prize, fome meteor gay, And, having touch'd it —drop I Thus, void of certain aim, not ftraying wide, Perplex'd, not loft, I take my dubious way. And wilt not thou a friendly arm extend To point my footfteps, and with cheering voice Exhort to ftedfafl march and bold advance? Long in the prime of manhood, fide by fide EPISTLE TO THE REV. \V. ENFIELD, LL.D. 89 We ran, and joy'd to give the mutual hand In paths obfcure and rugged : fever'd now, I mifs the dear companion of my road, And wander lonely. Yet, what Fate allows, Let me not want : — the frequent words of love, The prudent counfel, admonition kind, And all the free o'ernowings of the foul, In lettered intercourfe ; — and fometimes, too, More valu'd, as more rare, the Friend entire. ( 9° > HORATIAN PHILOSOPHY. From fcenes of tumult, noife, and ftrife, And all the ills of public life ; From waiting at the great man's gate, Amid the flaves that fwell his ftate ; From coxcomb poets and their verfes > From flreets with chariots throng'd, and hearfes : From rattling fpendthrifts and their guefls, And dull buffoons with fcurvy jefts ; From fafhion's whims, and folly's freaks ; From fhouts by day, and nightly fhrieks ; HORATTAN PHILOSOPHY. O let me make a quick retreat, And feek in hafte my country feat ; In filent (hades forgotten lie, And learn to live, before I die ! There, on the verdant turf reclin'd, By wifdom's rules compofe my mind; My paffions ftill, correct my heart, And meliorate my better part : Quit idle hope, and fond defire, And ceafe to gaze where fools admire : With fcorn the crowd profane behold Enflav'd by fordid third: of gold, Nor deign to bend at fuch a fhrine, While prieft of Phoebus and the Nine. Nor would I fhun the ftudent's toil, But feed my lamp with Grecian oil. v $2 HORATIAN PHILOSOPHY. Sometimes thro' Stoic walks fublime Up the rough fleep of Virtue climb j From philofophic heights look down, Nor heed if Fortune fmile or frown ; In WiiHom's mantle clofely furl'd, Defy the tempefts of the world ; And, fcorning all that's not our oivn^ Place every good in mind alone, Then, Aiding to an eaner plan, Put off the God, to be the Man; Refolve the offer'd fweets to prove Of locial bowls, gay {ports, and love ; Give fsoward life its childim toy, Nor bhifh to feel, and to enjoy. Yet ever, as by humour led, Hach path of life in turn I tread. HORATIAN PHILOSOPHY. 93 Still to my firfl great maxim true, On Moderation fix my view ; Let her with tempering fway prefide O'er Pleaiure's cup and Learning's pride; And by her fage decrees o'er-rule The dogmas of each flurdy fchooL Opinion thus may various play, While Reafon mines with Heady rav, And cads o'er all the Shifting fccne Her fober hue, and light ferene. ( 94 ) CUPID AND HIS TUTOR. IMITATED FROM BION, IDYL. III. Slumbering beneath the made I lay, Oppreft by SoFs meridian ray, When to my eyes, in vifion bright, Appear'd the queen of foft delight ; Young Cupid in her hand ihe led, Who bafhful hung his little head. " Here, gentle fwain!" the Goddefs cried; " My boy's maturer ftudies guide; Teach him to ftrike the founding lyre, And love of facred bards infpire." She faid : — with awe I took the child* And, by his modeft looks beguil'd, CUPID AND HIS TUTOR. 9$ Began to read, with afpec~t fage, My lecture on great Homer's page ; Explain'd the Theban's devious line, And dwelt on Maro's verfe divine. The giddy boy with flight regard Ran o'er each grave majeftic bard, And faid he would my pains repay, By teaching me his fav'iite lay. Then carelefs fung of loves and fmiles, His wanton pranks, his mother's wiles, Of mortal and immortal flames, And all the lift of fportive dames. I bade him ceafe his idle prate : Yet lift'ning (till, I found, too late, I'd quite forgot the tutor's part, But had his nonfenfe all by heart. ( 96 ) ULYSSES IN THE ISLAND OF CALYPSO. Hovrcv in affvyelov hqy.tcry.iTo, Sxy.fvu, TuiQuv. oi i. Stretch'd on a rock the grief-worn wanderer lies, And o'er the ocean ftrains his lab'ring eyes : Far off the fea and dim horizon meet, And reftlefs waves break murmuring at his feet. Here, as the fad, the foft ideas roll, Deep floods of anguifh whelm his mighty fouL In fancy's glafs his Ithaca appears, And mid' the main her rocky bulwark rears. ULYSSES IN THE ISLAND OF CALYPSO. 97 He fees his Sire, oow'd down with age and woe, In forrow journeying to the fhades below. His faithful fpoufe, whom, ripe in youthful charms, He hardly yielded from his clafping arms, In mournful vifion ever haunts his view, Pale, fpeechlefs, faint, as at the laft adieu. His child, dear only offspring of his joys, In many a fhape the tender thought employs : He fees a fmiling infant at the bread With fond careffes foftly lull'd to reft : The playful boy, the vigorous youth, fucceeds: At every change the heart paternal bleeds. Confuming thus in fighs and tears away, The wretched exile waftes the live-long day. In vain a Goddefs, ever young and fair, Invites the banquet and the couch to fhare ; H g8 ULYSSES IN THE ISLAND OF CALYPSO. He (huns the board with cates ambrofial fpread, And coldly prefles a celeftial bed. The thoughts of home each riling joy controul, And tender longings all abforb his foul. ( 99 > ON TROY. IMITATED FROM A GREEK EPIGRAM. Where, haplefs Ilium ! are thy heav'n-built walls Thy high .embattled tow'rs ; thy fpacious halls ; Thy folemn temples, fill'd with forms divine ; Thy guardian Pallas, in her awful jfhrine? The mighty Hector, where ? — thy fay' rite boaft ; And all thy valiant fons, a numerous hoft ; Thy arts, thy arms, thy riches, and thy ftate ; Thy pride of pomp, and all that made thee great ? Thefe, proftrate all, in dull and ruin lie ; But thy tranfcendent fame can never die : 'Tis not in fate to fink thy glories paft ; They fill the world, and with the world fhall laft. H 2 ( ico ) SENECA HERCUL. FURENS. ACT IV. CHORUS. -tuque, O domitor Somne laborum, requies animi, Pars humanae melior vitae, Qui par regi famuloque venis, Placidus feflum lenifque fovens : Pavidum leti genus humanum Cogis Iongam difcere mortem ; ( ioi ) A CHORUS FROM THE HERCULES FURENS OF SENECA, FREELY TRANSLATED. ARGUMENT. Hercules, infpired by the furies i Ik J^TT ; *K* ^> \ 1 ' m 3 v*t 1 W&' ■ ■ ^C A. «e ■^■s?"" a ,•■'■-> s :v y Jj^»»*^. I ■*^yL ; X 1» w . ( - a«cs: V s *. vM- M A ■/? n T