From all the futile cares of business free;
Not fond of life, but yet content to be:
Here mark the fleeting hours; regret the paft;
And seriously prepare, to meet the laft.

So fafe on shore the penfion'd failor lies;
And all the malice of the ftorm defies:
With cafe of body bleft, and peace of mind,
Pities the reftlefs crew he left behind;
Whilft, in his cell, he meditates alone
On his great voyage, to the world unknown.

SON G.

By the Same.

S o'er Afteria's fields I rove,

The blissful feat of peace and love,

Ten thousand beauties round me rife,
And mingle pleasure with surprize.

By nature bleft in every part,
Adorn'd with every grace of art,
This paradife of blooming joys

Each raptur'd fenfe, at once, employs.

II.

But when I view the radiant queen,
Who form'd this fair enchanting scene;
Pardon ye grots! ye cryftal floods!
Ye breathing flow'rs! ye fhady woods!

Your coolness now no more invites ;
No more your murmuring ftream delights;
Your sweets decay, your verdure's flown;
My foul's intent on her alone..

ODE to a FRIEND wounded in a Duel.

OW long fhall tyrant Cuftom bind

How long shall

In flavish chains the human mind?

How long fhall falfe fantastic Honour draw
The vengeful fword, with fury fell,

And ranc'rous Malice dark as hell,

In fpight of Reafon's rule, and Nature's eldeft law?

Too many gallant youths have bled;
Too much of British blood been shed
By Britons' swords, and that foul monster's laws:
Youths that might elfe have nobly dar'd;

More glorious wounds and dangers fhar'd

For Britain's juft defence, and virtue's injur'd caufe.

So

So when the fierce Cadmean youth Sprung from the dragon's venom'd tooth, Each chief arose in shining armour dreft: With rage infpir'd, the furious band

Soon found a ready foe at hand,

And plung'd the pointed steel each in a brother's breast.

Has Britain then no other foes,

That thus her fons their lives expofe

To private war, and feuds, and civil fray? Does Spain infult her flag no more ? Does Lewis yet his thoughts give o'er Of univerfal rule, and arbitrary sway ?

'Tis Britons' to support the law;
"Tis theirs ambitious kings to awe,
And equal rights of empire to maintain.
For this our fathers, brave and ftout,
At Agincourt and Creffy fought

And heap'd fam'dBlenheim'sfield with mountains oftheflain.

How will the Gallic monarch fmile,

To fee the fons of Albion's ifle

Their country's blood with ruthlefs weapons drain?
Themfelves avenge the glorious day

When Marlb'rough swept whole hofts away,
And sent the frighted Danube purple to the main ?

O fay,

O fay, in this inglorious ftrife

Thy arm had robb'd thy friend of life,

What pangs, what anguish had thy besom prøv'd? · How hadst thou curs'd the cruel deed,

That caus'd the gallant youth to bleed, Pierc'd by thy guilty fword, and flain by him he lov'd? ·

How did the fair Maria blame

Thy high-bred fpirit's eager flame,
That courting danger flighted her foft love?
Far other wreaths for thee fhe twin'd;

Far other cares for thee defign'd;

And for the laurel erown, the myrtle chaplet wove,

If not for her's, for Britain's fake,
Forbear thy precious life to flake;

Nor taint thy honour with fo foul a deed.

One day thy country may require

Thy gallant arm and martial fire:

Then may'at thou bravely conquer, or as bravely bleed.

ODE

ODE to NIGH T.

THE

bufy cares of day are done;

In yonder western cloud the fun

Now fets, in other worlds to rife,

And glad with light the nether skies.

With ling'ring pace the parting day retires, And flowly leaves the mountain tops, and gilded spires.

Yon azure cloud, enrob'd with white,
Still fhoots a gleam of fainter light:
At length defcends a browner fhade;
At length the glim'ring objects fade:
'Till all fubmit to NIGHT's impartial reign,
And undistinguish'd darkness covers all the plain.

No more the ivy-crowned oak

Refounds beneath the wood-man's stroke.
Now Silence holds her folemn fway;
Mute is each bush, and ev'ry fpray :

Nought but the found of murm'ring rills is heard, Or from the mould'ring tow'r, NIGHT's folitary bird.