With each bright Virtue that adorns the mind!
O bid the Mufes, thine harmonious train,
Who by thy aid erft 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 tendereft love my orphan life did rear,
And train me up to manly ftrength and fenfe;
With mildeft awe, and virtuous influence,
Directing my unpractis'd wayward feet

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

THOU, most belov'd, most honour'd, moft rever'd!
Accept this verfe, 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 purfue,

a

And trace the plan of goodly Nurture o'er,

I bring thy modeft virtues into view;

And proudly boaft that from thy precious ftore,

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

a Nurture, Education.

And

And thus, I ween, thus fhall I beft repay

The valued gifts, thy careful love bestow'd;
If imitating THEE, well as I may,

I labour to diffufe 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.

The Knight, as to b PÆDIA's house

He his young Son conveys,

Is fiaid by CUSTOм; with him fights,

A

And his vain pride dismays.

Gentle KNIGHт there was, whofe noble deeds

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

For warlike enterprize, and fage areeds

Emong the chief alike was he renown'd;

b Pædîa is a Greek word, fignifying Education.
Areeds, counfels.

Whence

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

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

There in domeftick virtue rich and great
As erft in publick, '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 afsuage.
III.

From this fair union, not of fordid gain,

But merit fimilar and mutual love,

True fource of lineal virtue, fprung a train

Of youths and virgins; like the beauteous grove,
Which round the temple of Olympick Jove,
Begirt with youthful bloom the a parent tree,
The facred olive; whence old Elis wove

a Parent true, the facred olive.] This tree grew in the Altis, or facred grove of Olympick Jupiter at Olympia, having, as the Eleans pretended, been originally planted there by Hercules. It was efteemed facred, and from that avere taken the Olympick crowns. See Paufanias. Eliac. and the Differtation on the Olympick Games.

Her

Her verdant crowns of peaceful victory,

e

The guerdons of bold strength, and swift äctivity.
IV.

So round their noble parents goodly rofe

Thefe generous feyons; they with watchful care
Still, as the fwelling paflions '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 a f Palmer sage instructed were,

Who from deep thought and ftudious search 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 & fted
To judgment, wit, and memory aflign'd;

And how fenfation and reflection join'd
To fill with images her darkfome grotte,
Where variously disjointed or combin'd,
As reafon, fancy, or opinion wrought,

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

e Guerdons, rewards.

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

Sted, place, ftation.

VI.

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

Or hear the mufick 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,

Those 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 sword forbids to draw,

And free-created fouls with penal terrours awe.
VIII.

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

But, ftooping from his height, would even deign
The feeble steps of Infancy to guide.

Alfe, alfo, further.

k Aye, ever.

i Mote, might.

I Ne, nor.

Eternal