Ye bards, on verfe let Phoebus doat,
Ye fhepherds, leave your pipes to Pan,
Nor verfe nor pipe will Phyllis note.
The Captain is the charming man.

ODE on AMBITION.

By the Same.

HE mariner, when firft he fails,

TH

While his bold oars the sparkling furface sweep,

With new delight, tranfported hails

The blue expanded fkies, and level deep.

Such young Ambition's fearless aim,

Pleas'd with the gorgeous fcene of wealth and power, In the gay morn of early fame,

Nor thinks of evening's storm, and gloomy hour.

Life's opening views bright charms reveal, Feed the fond wish, and fan the youthful fire.

But woes unknown those charms conceal,

And fair illufions cheat our fierce defire.

There

There Envy shows her fullen mien,
With changeful colour, grinning fmiles of hate:
There Malice ftabs, with rage ferene;

In deadly filence, treacherous Friendships wait.

High on a mountain's lofty brow,

'Mid clouds and ftorms, has Glory fix'd her feat;
Rock'd by the roaring winds that blow,
The light'nings blaft it, and the tempests beat.

Within the fun-gilt vale beneath,

More moderate Hope with fweet Contentment dwells,
While gentler breezes round them breathe,
And fofter showers refresh their peaceful cells.

To better genius ever blind,

That points to each in varied life his fhare,

Man quits the path by heaven defign'd,' To search for blifs among the thorns of care.

Our native powers we fcorn to know; With stedfaft error still the wrong pursue;

Inftruct our forward ills to grow;

While fad fucceffes but our pain renew.

In

In vain heaven tempers life with fweet, With flowers the way, that leads us home, bestrews,

If dupes to paffion, and deceit,

We drink the bitter, and the rugged choose.

Few can on Grandeur's ftage appear, Each lofty part with true applause sustain, No common virtue fafe can steer,

Where rocks unnumber'd lurk beneath the main.

Then happiest he, whofe timely hand
To cool Difcretion has the helm refign'd;
Enjoys the calm, in fight of land,
From changing tides fecure, and trustless wind.

G

ILDING with brighter beams the vernal skies,
Now hastes the car of day to rife.

Youth, and Mirth, and Beauty leads

In golden reins the sprightly steeds,

With wanton Love that rolls his fparkling eyes.

I

Morpheus,

Morpheus, no more

Thy poppies, cropt on Lethe's margin, fhed
Around thy languid poet's head.
Thou drowsy god,

'Tis time to break thy leaden rod,

And give thy flumbers o'er.

But come, thou woodland Nymph, along,
Mistress of the vocal fong,

Fancy ever fair and free;

Whether on the mountains ftraying,

Or on beds of roses playing,

Daughter of sweet Liberty.
II.

Through all the ivy-circled cave

Soft mufic at thy birth was heard to found.
The Graces danc'd thy bower around,
And gently dipt thee in the filver wave.
With bloffoms fair thy cradle drest,
And rock'd their smiling babe to rest.
To kifs thy lips, the bees, a murmuring throng,
With bufy wings, unnumber'd flew ;

For thee, from every flower their tribute drew,
And lull'd thy flumbers with an airy song.

Come in thy heav'nly woven veft,

That

That Iris' hand has ting'd in every dye,
With which she paints the sky,

Flowing o'er thy zoneless breaft.
III.

Me, sweet enchantrefs, deign to bear
O'er the feas, and through the air;
O'er the plains extended wide,

O'er mifty hills, and curling clouds we ride,
Now mounting high, now finking low,

Through hail and rain, and vapours go;
Where is treasur'd up the fnow:

Where sleeps the thunder in its cell;

Where the swift-wing'd light'nings dwell;
Or where the bluft'ring ftorms are taught to blow,
Now tread the milky way;

Unnumber'd worlds that float in æther spy,
Among the glittering planets ftray,

To the lunar orbit fly,

And mountains, fhores, and feas defcry,

Now catch the mufic of the spheres;

Which, fince the birth of time,

Have, in according chime,

And fair proportion, rolling round,

With each diviner found

Attentive Silence, pierc'd thy lift'ning ears;

VOL. IV.

X

Unheard