She guides the foot that treads on Parian floors
She wins the ear when formal pleas are vain ;
She tempts patricians from the fatal doors

Of vice's brothel, forth to virtue's fane.

He wish'd for wealth, for much he wifh'd to give; He griev'd that virtue might not wealth obtain ; Piteous of woes, and hopeless to relieve,

The penfive profpect fadden'd all his strain.

I faw him faint! I faw him fink to reft!

Like one ordain'd to fwell the vulgar throng; As though the virtues had not warm'd his breast, As though the Mufes not infpir'd his tongue, I faw his bier ignobly crofs the plain; Saw peafant hands the pious rite fupply: The generous ruftics mourn'd the friendly fwain, But power and wealth's unvarying cheek was dry! Such Alcon fell; in meagre want forlorn!

Where were ye then, ye powerful patrons, where Would ye the purple should your limbs adorn, Go wash the confcious bleinith with a tear.

EL EGY IV.

OPHELIA's URN. To Mr. GRAVES.

THROUGH the dim veil of evening's dusky shade,

Near fome lone fane, or yew's funereal green,

What dreary forms has magic fear furvey'd !

What shrouded spectres fuperftition seen!

But

you fecure fhall pour your fad complaint,
Nor dread the meagre phantoms wan array;
What none but fear's officious hand can paint,
What none, but fuperftition's eye, furvey.
The glimmering twilight and the doubtful dawn
Shall fee your step to these fad fcenes return:
Conftant, as crystal dews impearl the lawn,
Shall Strephon's tear bedew Ophelia's urn!
Sure nought unhallow'd shall presume to stray
Where fleep the reliques of that virtuous maid:
Nor aught unlovely bend its devious way,
Where foft Ophelia's dear remains are laid.
Haply thy Mufe, as with unceasing fighs
She keeps late vigils on her urn reclin'd,
May fee light groups of pleasing visions rife ;
And phantoms glide, but of celestial kind.
There fame, her clarion pendant at her fide,
Shall feek forgiveness of Ophelia's shade;
"Why has fuch worth, without distinction, dy'd,
"Why, like the defert's lily, bloom'd to fade ?”
Then young fimplicity, averfe to feign,

Shall unmolefted breathe her softest sigh :
And candour with unwonted warmth complain,
And innocence indulge a wailful cry.

Then elegance, with coy judicious hand,
Shall cull fresh flowrets for Ophelia's tomb :
And beauty chide the Fates' severe command,
That fhew'd the frailty of so fair a bloom!

And fancy then, with wild ungovern'd woe,
Shall her lov'd pupil's native taste explain;
For mournful fable all her hues forego,

And afk fweet folace of the Mufe in vain!
Ah, gentle forms, expect no fond relief;

Too much the facred Nine their lofs deplore: Well may ye grieve, nor find an end of griefYour beft, your brighteft favourite is no more.

ELE GY V.

He compares the turbulence of love with the tranquillity of friendship. To MELISSA his Friend.

FROM love, from angry love's inclement reign

I pass a while to friendship's equal skies ; Thou, generous maid, reliev'st my partial pain, And chear'ft the victim of another's eyes.

'Tis thou, Meliffa, thou deferv'ft my care:
How can my will and reason disagree?

How can my paffion live beneath defpair!
How can my bofom figh for aught but thee?
Ah dear Meliffa! pleas'd with thee to rove,
My foul has yet furviv'd its dreariest time;
Ill can I bear the various clime of love!

Love is a pleafing, but a various clime!
So fmiles immortal Maro's favourite shore,
Parthenope, with every verdure crown'd!
When ftrait Vefuvio's horrid cauldrons roar,
And the dry vapour blasts the regions round.

Oh

Oh blissful regions! oh unrival'd plains!
When Maro to these fragrant haunts retir’d!
Oh fatal realms! and oh accurft domains!
When Pliny, 'mid fulphureous clouds, expir'd!
So fmiles the furface of the treacherous main,
As o'er its waves the peaceful halcyons play;
When foon rude winds their wonted rule regain,
And sky and ocean mingle in the fray.

But let or air contend, or ocean rave;

Ev'n hope fubfide amid the billows toft; Hope, ftill emergent, ftill contemns the wave, And not a feature's wonted fmile is loft.

ELE GY VI.

To a lady on the language of birds.

COME then, Dione, let us range the grove,

The fcience of the feather'd choirs explore :

Hear linnets argue, larks defcant of love,
And blame the gloom of folitude no more.
My doubt fubfides -'tis no Italian fong,

Nor fenfelefs ditty, chears the vernal tree :
Ah! who, that hears Dione's tuneful tongue,
Shall doubt that mufic with fenfe agree?

may

And come, my Mufe! that lov'ft the fylvan fhade
Evolve the mazes, and the mist dispel :

Tranflate the fong; convince my doubting maid,
No folemn dervise can can explain fo well.-

3

1

Penfive beneath the twilight fhades I fate,

The slave of hopeless vows, and cold difdain!
When Philomel addrefs'd his mournful mate,

And thus I conftrued the mellifluent ftrain.
"Sing on, my bird-the liquid notes prolong,
At every note a lover sheds his tear;
Sing on, my bird-'tis Damon hears thy song;
Nor doubt to gain applause, when lovers hear.
He the fad fource of our complaining knows ;
A foe to Tereus, and to lawless love!
He mourns the story of our ancient woes ;

Ah could our music his complaints remove!
Yon' plains are govern'd by peerless maid

And fee pale Cynthia mounts the vaulted sky,
A train of lovers court the checquer'd shade;

Sing on, my bird, and hear thy mate's reply.
Erewhile no fhepherd to these woods retir'd;
No lover bleft the glow-worm's pallid ray:
But ill-ftar'd birds, that liftening not admir'd,
Or listening envy'd our fuperior lay.
Chear'd by the fun, the vaffals of his power,

Let fuch by day unite their jarring strains!
But let us chufe the calm, the filent hour,
Nor want fit audience while Dione reigns."

ELEGY