How oft' his godfhip had been drunk;
What melting maids he had undone;
How oft' by night had ftorm'd a punk,

Or bravely beat a faucy dun.

He fwore, drank, whor'd, fung, danc'd with spirit,

And o'er each pleafing topic ran;

'Till Phyllis figh'd, and own'd his merit,
The Captain's fure a charming man.

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

ODE on Ambition.

By the Same.

HE mariner, when first he fails,

While his bold oars the sparkling surface sweep,

With new delight, tranfported hails

The blue expanded skies, and level deep.

Such

young Ambition's fearless aim,

Pleas'd with the gorgeous scene of wealth and power, 7

In the gay morn of early fame,

Nor thinks of evening ftorm, and gloomy hour.

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

But woes unknown those charms conceal, And fair illufions cheat our fierce defire.

There Envy fhows 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 storms, has Glory fix'd her feat Rock'd by the roaring winds that blow, The lightnings blast 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 fhowers refresh their peaceful cells.

To better genius ever blind,

That points to each in varied life his share,
Man quits the path by heaven defign'd,
To search for bliss among the thorns of care.

Our native powers we fcorn to know ; With ftedfaft error ftill the wrong pursue ;

Inftruct our forward ills to grow;

While fad fucceffes but our pain renew.

In vain heaven tempers life with sweet,
With flowers the way, that leads us home, beftrews,
If dupes to paffion, and deceit,
We drink the bitter, and the rugged chufe.

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

Where rocks unnumber'd lúrk beneath the main,

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

G

ODE to FAN CY.

By the Same.

I.

ILDING with brighter beams the vernal skies,

Now haftes the car of day to rife.

Youth, and Mirth, and Beauty leads

In golden reins the sprightly steeds,

With wanton Love that rolls his sparkling eyes.

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 song,

Fancy, ever fair and free;
Whether on the mountains ftraying,

Or on beds of roses playing, ́·

Daughter of fweet Liberty:

H.

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 dreft,

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 fong.

Come, in thy heav'nly woven veft,
That Iris' hand has ting'd in every dye,

With which the paints the sky,
Flowing o'er thy zoneless breast.

III. Me,

III.

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

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

Thro' hail and rain, and vapours go;

Where is treafur'd up

the fnow:

Where fleeps the thunder in its cell;

Where the swift-wing'd light'nings dwell;
Or where the bluft'ring storms 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 descry.
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 list'ning ears ;

Unheard by all, but those alone

Whom to wisdom's fecret throne

The Muse, with heav'n-taught guidance, deigns to bring,
To trace the facred paths with hallowed feet;
Or, Fancy, who the mystic shade,

In thy airy car, pervade,

Where Plato's raptur'd fpirit holds its folemn feat.

VOL. IV.

T

IV. But,