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With each bright Virtue that adorns the mind!

O bid the Mufes, thine harmonious train,

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Who by thy aid erst humaniz'd mankind,
Infpire, direct, and moralize the strain,
That doth effay to teach thy treasures how to gain !

And THOU, whofe pious and maternal care,
The fubftitute of heavenly Providence,
With tenderest love my orphan life did rear,
And train me up to manly strength and sense;
With mildest awe, and virtuous influence,
Directing my unpractis'd wayward feet

To the smooth walks of Truth and Innocence; Where Happiness heart-felt, Contentment sweet, Philofophy divine aye hold their bleft retreat.

THOU, most belov'd, most honour'd, moft rever'd!
Accept this verse, to thy large merit due!
And blame me not, if by each tye endear'd,

Of nature, gratitude, and friendship true,

The whiles this moral thefis I pursue,

a

And trace the plan of goodly Nurture o'er,

I bring thy modest virtues into view;

And proudly boast that from thy precious store,

Which erft enrich'd my heart, I drew this facred lore.

Nurture, Education.

And

And thus, I ween, thus fhall I best repay
The valued gifts, thy careful love beftow'd;
If imitating THEE, well as I may,

I labour to diffuse th' important good,
'Till this great truth by all be understood;

"That all the pious duties which we owe, "Our parents, friends, our country and our God; "The feeds of every virtue here below, "From Difcipline alone, and early Culture grow."

CANTO I.

ARGUMENT.

b

The Knight, as to PÆDIA's boufe

He his young Son conveys,

Is ftaid by CUSTOM; with him fights,
And bis vain pride difmays.

A

Gentle KNIGHT there was, whofe noble deeds

O'er Fairy Land by Fame were blazon'd round:

C

For warlike enterprize, and sage areeds

Emong the chief alike was he renown'd;

• Pædia is a Greek word, fignifying Education.

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Areeds, counfels.

VOL. IV.

B

Whence

Whence with the marks of highest honours crown'd
By GLORIANA, in domestic peace,

That port, to which the wife are ever bound,
He anchor'd was, and chang'd the toffing feas
Of bustling bufy life, for calm fequester'd ease.
II.

There in domestic virtue rich and great
As erft in public, 'mid his wide domain,
Long in primæval patriarchal state,

The lord, the judge, the father of the plain,
He dwelt; and with him, in the golden chain
Of wedded faith y-link'd, a matron sage
Aye dwelt; fweet partner of his joy and pain,
Sweet charmer of his youth, friend of his age,
Skill'd to improve his blifs, his forrows to affuage.
III.

From this fair union, not of fordid gain,

But merit fimilar and mutual love,

True fource of lineal virtue, sprung a train

Of youths and virgins; like the beauteous grove,
Which round the temple of Olympic Jove,

Begirt with youthful bloom the parent tree,
The facred olive; whence old Elis wove

Her

Parent tree, the facred olive.] This tree grew in the Altis, or facred grove of Olympic Jupiter at Olympia, having, as the Eleans

pretended,

Her verdant crowns of peaceful victory,

The guerdons of bold ftrength, and swift activity.
IV.:

So round their noble parents goodly rofe
These generous fcyons: they with watchful care
Still, as the fwelling paffions 'gan disclose
The buds of future virtues, did prepare
With prudent culture the young shoots to rear:
And aye in this endearing pious toil

They by af Palmer fage inftructed were,

Who from deep thought and studious fearch erewhile

Had learnt to mend the heart, and till the human foil. V...

For by cœleftial Wisdom whilom led

Through all th' apartments of th' immortal mind, He view'd the secret stores, and mark'd the sted To judgment, wit, and memory affign'd;

And how sensation and reflection join'd

To fill with images her darkfome grotte,

Where variously disjointed or combin'd,

pretended, been originally planted there by Hercules. It was efteemed facred, and from that were taken the Olympic crowns. See Paufanias. Eliac. and the Differtation on the Olympic games. Guerdons, rewards.

e

f Palmer, pilgrim. The perfon here fignified is Mr. Locke, characteriz'd by his works.

Sted, place, ftation.

B 2

As

As reason, fancy, or opinion wrought,

[thought.

Their various masks they play'd, and fed her penfive

VI.

Alfe through the fields of Science had he stray'd With eager fearch, and fent his piercing eye Through each learn'd fchool, each philofophic fhade, Where Truth and Virtue erft were deem'd to lie; If haply the fair vagrants he mote spy,

Or hear the mufic of their charming lore:
But all unable there to fatisfy

His curious foul, he turn'd him to explore

The facred writ of Faith; to learn, believe, adore.

VII.

Thence foe profefs'd of Falfhood and Deceit,

Thofe fly artificers of tyranny,

Aye holding up before uncertain feet
His faithful light, to Knowledge, Liberty,
Mankind he led, to Civil Policy,
And mild Religion's charitable law;
That fram'd by Mercy and Benignity.
The perfecuting fword forbids to draw,
And free-created fouls with penal terrours awe.
VIII.

'Ne with these glorious gifts elate and vain
Lock'd he his wifdom up in churlish pride;

k

Alfe, alfo, further. i Mote, might. Aye, ever.

1 Ne, nor.

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