rears

This once-round fabric, half depriv'd by years,
Which rofe a flately colonnade, and crown'd
Encircling pillars now unfaithful found;
In fragments,these the fall of those forebode, [170
Which, nodding, juft up-heave their crumbling load.
High, on yon column, which has batter'd stood,
Like fome stripp'd oak, the grandeur of the wood,
The ftork inhabits her aerial neft;
By her are liberty and peace careft;

180

She flies the realms that own defpotic kings, 175
And only spreads o'er free-born states her wings.
The roof is now the daw's, or raven's haunt,
And loathfome toads in the dark entrance pant;
Or fnakes, that lurk to snap the heedlefs fly,
And fated bird, that oft comes fluttering by.
An aqueduct across yon vale is laid,
Its channel through a ruin'd arch betray'd;
Whirl'd down a fteep, it flies with torrent-force,
Flashes, and roars, and ploughs a devious course.
Attracted mists a golden cloud commence, 185
While through high-colour'd air strike rays intenfe.
Betwixt two points, which yon fteep mountains
fhow,

Lies a mild bay, to which kind breezes flow.
Beneath a grotto, arch'd for calm retreat,
Leads lengthening in the rock-Be this myfeat. 190
Heat never enters here; but Coolness reigns
O'er zephyrs, and diftilling, watery veins.
Secluded now I trace th' inftructive page,
And live o'er fcenes of many a backward age;
Through days, months, years, through time's
whole courfe I run,

And prefent stand where time itself begun

195

But hark! a fudden power attunes the air! Th' inchanting found enamour'd breezes bear; Now low, now high, they fink, or lift the fong, Which the cave echoes sweet, and sweet the creeks prolong.

I liften'd, gaz'd, when, wondrous to behold! 225 From ocean fteam'd, a vapour gathering roll'd: A blue, round fpot on the mid-roof it came. Spread broad, and redden'd into dazzling flame. Full-orb'd it fhone, and dimm'd the swimming fight,

While doubling objects danc'd with darkling light. 230

Amaz'd I stood!—amaz'd I still remain !
What earthly power this wonder can explain?
Gradual, at length, the luftre dies away:
My eyes reftor'd, a mortal form survey.
My Hermit-friend! 'Tis he.-All hail! (he cries)
I fee, and would alleviate, thy surprize. 216
The vanish'd meteor was heaven's meffage meant,
To warn thee hence: I knew the high intent.
Hear then! in this fequefter'd cave retir'd,
Departed faints converse with men infpir'd. 240
Tis facred ground; nor can thy mind endure,
Yet unprepar'd, an intercourse so pure.
Quick let us hence. And now extend thy views
O'er yonder lawn; there find the heaven-born
Mufe!

Or feek her, where the trufts her tuneful tale 245
To the mid, filent wood, or vocal vale;
Where trees half check the light with trembling
fhades,

Clofe in deep glooms, or open clear in glades;
Or where surrounding vistas far defcend,
The landscape varied at each leffening end; 250
She, only the can mortal thought refine,
And raise thy voice to vifitants divine.

claim.

Here ancient knowledge opens nature's springs;
Here truths hiftoric give the hearts of kings. 200
Hence contemplation learns white hours to find,
And labours virtue on th' attentive mind:
Olov'd retreat! thy joys content bestow,
Nor guilt, nor fhame, nor fharp repentance know.
What the fifth Charles long aim'd in power to fee,
That happiness he found referv'd in thee. 206
Now let me change the page Here Tully weeps,
While in death's icy arms his Tullia fleeps,
His daughter dear!-Retir'd I fee him mourn,
By all the phrenfy now of anguifh torn.
Wild his complaint! Nor fweeter Sorrow's strains,
When Singer for Alexis loft complains.
Each friend condoles, expoftulates, reproves;
More than a father raving Tully loves;

210

Or Salluft cenfures thus !-Unheeding blame, 215
He schemes a temple to his Tullia's name.
VOL. V.

E left the cave. Be Fear (faid I) defy'd! Virtue (for thou art Virtue) is my guide. By time-worn steps a steep ascent we gain, Whofe fummit yields a profpect o'er the plain. There, bench'd with turf, an oak our feat extends, Whofe top a verdant, branch'd pavilion bends. 6 Vistas, with leaves, diversify the scene, Some pale, fome brown, and fome of lively green.

Now, from the full-grown day a beamy shower Gleams on the lake, and gilds each gloffy flower. 10 Gay infects fparkle in the genial blaze, Various as light, and countless as its rays: They dance on every stream, and pictur❜d play, Till, by the watery racer, fnatch'd away.

Now, from yon range of rocks, strong rays re bound, Doubling the day on flowery plains around : King-cups beneath far ftriking colours glance, Bright as th' etherial glows the green expanse. Gems of the field !-the topaz charms the fight, Like thefe, effulging yellow ftreams of light. 20 Ef

255

In darkening fpots, mid fields of various dies,
Tilth new manur'd, or naked fallow lies.
Near uplands fertil: pride enclos'd difplay,
The green grafs yellowing into scentful hay.
And thick-fet hedges fence the full-ear'd corn,
And berries blacken on the virid thorn.
Mark in yon heath oppos 'd the cultur'd scene,
Wild thyme, pale box, and firs of darker green. 260
The native strawberry red-ripening grows,
By nettles guarded, as by thorns the rofe.
There nightingales in unprun'd copfes build,
In fhaggy furzes lies the hare conceal'd.
'Twixt ferns and thistles, unfown flowers amuse, 265
And form a lucid chace of various hues;
Many half-grey with duft: confus'd they lie,
Scent the rich year, and lead the wandering eye.
Contemplative, we tread the flowery plain,
The Mufe preceding with her heavenly train. 270
When, lo! the mendicant, fo late behind,
Strange view! now journeying in our front we find!
And yet a view, more ftrange, our heed demands;
Touch'd by the Muse's wand transform'd he stands.
O'er skin late wrinkled, instant beauty spreads; 275
The late-dimm'd eye, a vivid luftre sheds;
Hairs, once fo thin, now graceful locks decline;
And rags now chang'd, in regal vestments fhine.

The Hermit thus. In him the BARD behold,
Once feen by midnight's lamp in winter's cold; 280
The BARD, whofe want fo multiplied his woes,
He funk a mortal, and a seraph rose.
See!-where those stately yew-trees darkling grow,
And, waving o'er yon graves, brown horrors throw,
Scornful he points-there, o'er his facred duft, 285
Arife the fculptur'd tomb, and labour'd buft.
Vain pomp! beflow'd by oftentatious pride,
Who to a life of want relief deny'd.

But thus the BARD. Are these the gifts of ftate?

Gifts unreceiv'd!

great!

These? Ye ungenerous

291

295

How was I treated when in life forlorn?
My claim your pity; but my lot your scorn.
Why were my ftudious hours oppos'd by need?
In me did poverty from guilt proceed?
Did I contemporary authors wrong?
And deem their worth, but as they priz'd my fong:
Did I footh vice, or venal strokes betray,
In the low-purpos'd, loud polemic fray?
Did e'er my verse immodeft warmth contain,
Or, once-licentious, heavenly truths profane? 30c
Never. And yet when envy funk my name,
Who call'd my fhadow'd merit into fame?
When, undeferv'd, a prifon's grate I saw,
What hand redeem'd me from the wrested law?
Who cloath'd me naked, or when hungry fed? 30
Why crush'd the living? Why extoll'd the dead?
But foreign languages adopt my lays,
And distant nations shame you into praise.
Why should unrelish'd wit these honours cause?
Custom, not knowlege, dictates your applaufe: 310

Or think you thus a self-renown to raise,
And mingle your vain-glories with my bays?
Be yours the mouldering tomb! Be mine the lay
Immortal!-Thus he fcoffs the pomp away.
Though words like these unletter'd pride im-
315
To the meek heart he turns with milder speech.
Though now a feraph, oft he deigns to wear
The face of human friendship, oft of care;
To walk disguis'd an object of relief.

peach,

325

A learn'd, good man, long exercis'd in grief; 320
Forlorn, a friendless orphan oft to roam,
Craving fome kind, fome hofpitable home;
Or, like Ulyffes, a low lazar stand;
Befeeching Pity's eye, and Bounty's hand;
Or, like Ulyffes, royal aid request,
Wandering from court to court, a king diftreft.
Thus varying fhapes, the seeming fon of woe
Eyes the cold heart, and hearts that generous glow:
Then to the Muse relates each lordly name,
Who deals impartial infamy and fame.
Oft, as when man in mortal state deprefs'd,
His lays taught virtue, which his life confefs'd,
He now forms vifionary scenes below,
Infpiring patience in the heart of woe;
Patience, that foftens every fad extreme,
That cafts through dungeon-glooms a chearful
gleam,

330

335

Difarms disease of pain, mocks flander's sting,
And ftrips of terrors the terrific king,
'Gainft Want, a fourer foe, its fuccour lends,
And smiling fees th' ingratitude of friends. 340
Nor are these tasks to him alone confign'd,
Millions invifible befriend mankind.
When watery ftructures, feen cross heav'n t' afcend,
Arch above arch in radiant order bend,
Fancy beholds, adown each glittering fide, 345
Myriads of miffionary feraphs glide;
She fees good angels genial showers bestow
From the red convex of the dewy bow.
They fmile upon the swain: He views the prize;
Then grateful bends,to blefs the bounteous fkies. 350
Some winds collect, and fend propitious gales
Oft where Britannia's navy spreads her fails;
There ever wafting, on the breath of fame,
Unequal'd glory in her Sovereign's name.
Some teach young zephyrs vernal sweets to bear, 355
And float the balmy health on ambient air;
Zephyrs, that oft, where lovers liftening lie,
Along the grove in melting music die,
And in lone caves to minds poetic roll
Seraphic whifpers, that abstract the foul.
560
3ome range the colours, as they parted fly,
Clear-pointed to the philofophic eye;
The flaming red, that pains the dwelling gaze;
The ftainless, lightsome yellow's gilding rays;
The clouded orange, that betwixt them glows, 365
And to kind mixture tawny luftre owes;
All-chearing green, that gives the fpring its dye;
The bright, tranfparent blue, that robes the sky;

370

And indigo, which shaded light displays;
And violet, which in the view decays.
Parental hues, whence others all proceed;
An ever-mingling, changeful, countless breed;
Unravel'd, variegated, lines of light,
When blended, dazzling in promifcuous white.
Oft through thefe bows departed fpirits range, 375
New to the skies, admiring at their change;
Each mind a void, as when first born to earth,
Behold a fecond blank in fecond birth;
Then, as yon feraph bard fram'd hearts below,
Each fees him here transcendent knowledge fhow,
New faints he tutors into truth refin'd, 381
And tunes to rapturous love the new-form'd mind.
He fwells the lyre, whose loud, melodious lays
Call high Hofannas from the voice of praise;
Though one bad age fuch poefy could wrong, 385
Now worlds around retentive roll the fong.
Now God's high throne the full-voic'd raptures
gain,

Celestial hofts returning ftrain for strain.

Thus he, who once knew want without relief, Sees joys refulting from well-fuffering grief. 390 Hark! while we talk, a distant pattering rain Refounds!-See! up the broad ætherial plain Shoots the bright bow!-The feraph flits away; The Muse, the Graces from our view decay. Behind yon wettern hill the globe of light 395 Drops fudden; faft-pursued by fhades of night. Yon graves from winter-fcenes to mind recall Rebellion's council, and rebellion's fall. What fiends in fulphurous, car-like clouds up-flew! What midnight treafon glar'd beneath their view! 400

And now the traitors rear their Babel-fchemes, Big, and more big, ftupendous mischief seems; But Juftice, rouz'd, fuperior ftrength employs, Their scheme wide fhatters, and their destroys.

Difcord fhe wills: the miffile ruin flies; Sudden, unnatural debates arise,

hope

405

His frength of mind, by luxury half diffolv❜d,
Ill brooks the woe, where deep he ftands involv'd.
He weeps, ftamps wild, and to and fro now flies;
Now wrings his hands, and fends unmanly cries, 430
Arraigns his judge, affirms unjust he bleeds,
And now recants, and now for mercy pleads;
Now blames affociates, raves with inward strife,
Upbraids himself; then thinks alone on life.
He rolls red fwelling, tearful eyes around,
435
Sore fmites his breast, and finks upon the ground.
He wails, he quite defponds, convulfive lies,
Shrinks from the fancied axe, and thinks he dies;
Revives, with hope enquires, ftops fhort with fear,
Entreats ev'n flattery, nor the worst will hear; 440
The worst, alas, his doom!-What friend replies?
Each speaks with fhaking head, and down-caft eyes.
One filence breaks, then pauses, drops a tear;
Nor hope affords, nor quite confirms his fear;
But what kind friendship part referves unknown 445
Comes thundering in his keeper's furly tone.
Enough ftruck through and through, in ghastly
ftare,

455

He ftands transfix'd, the statue of despair;
Nor aught of life, nor aught of death he knows,
Till thought returns, and brings return of woes: 450
Now pours a ftorm of grief in gushing streams:
That paft-collected in himself he feems,
And with forc'd fmile retires-His latent thought
Dark, horrid, as the prison's dismal vault.
If with himself at variance ever-wild,
With angry heaven how stands he reconcil'd?
No penitential orifons arife;
Nay, he obtefts the justice of the skies.
Not for his guilt, for fentenc'd life he moans;
His chains rough-clanking to difcordant groans, 460
To bars harfh-grating, heavy-creaking doors,
Hoarse-echoing walls, and hollow-ringing floors,
To thoughts more diffonant, far, far lefs kind,
One anarchy, one chaos of the mind.
At length, fatigued with grief, on earth he lies: 465
But foon as fleep weighs down th' unwilling eyes,
Glad liberty appears, no damps annoy,

410

Treafon fucceeds, and all transforms to joy.
Proud palaces their glittering ftores difplay:
Gain he purfues, and rapine leads the way.
What gold! What gems!-he ftrains to feize the
prize;

470

Doubt, mutual jealousy, and dumb disgust,
Dark-hinted mutterings, and avow'd distrust;
To fecret ferment is each heart refign'd;
Sufpicion hovers in each clouded mind;
They jar, accus'd accufe, revil'd revile,
And wrath to wrath oppofe, and guile to guile;
Wrangling they part,themselves themselves betray;
Each dire device starts naked into day;
They feel confusion in the van with fear;
They feel the king of terrors in the rear.

415

Quick from his touch dissolv'd, a cloud it flies.
Confcious he cries-and muft I wake to weep?
Ah, yet return, return, delufive fleep!
Sleep comes; but liberty no more:-Unkind, 475
The dungeon-glooms hang heavy on his mind.
Shrill winds are heard, and howling dæmons call;
Wide-flying portals feem unhing'd to fall:
Then clofe with fudden claps; a dreadful din!
He ftarts, wakes, ftorms, and all is hell within. 480
His genius flies-reflects he now on prayer?
Alas! bad fpirits turn thofe thoughts to air.
What shall he next? What, ftraight relinquifh
breath,

To bar a public, juft, though fhameful death?