When first thy fire to send on earth
Virtue, his darling child, defign'd,
To thee he gave the heavenly Birth,
And bade to form her infant mind.
Stern rugged Nurse! thy rigid lore
What patience many a year she bore:
What forrow was, thou bad'ft her know,
And from her own, fhe learn'd to melt at
other's woe.
Scar'd at thy frown terrific, fly
Self-pleafing Folly's idle brood,
Wild Laughter, Noise, and thoughtless Joy,
And leaves us leisure to be good.
Light they difperfe, and with them go
The fummer friend, the flatt'ring Foe;
By vain profperity receiv'd,
To her they vow their truth, and are again believ❜d.
Wisdom in fable garb array'd,
Immers'd in rapt'rous thought profound,
And Melancholy filent maid,
With leaden eye that loves the ground,
Still on thy folemn steps attend
Warm Charity, the gan'ral Friend,
With juftice to herself fevere, [tear.
And Pity dropping foft the fadly-pleafing
Oh, gently on thy Suppliant's head,
Dread Goddess! lay thy chaft'ning hand;
Not in thy Gorgon terrors clad,
Nor circled with the vengeful Band,
(As by the Impious thou art feen)
With thund'ring voice, and threat'ning mien,
With screaming Horror's funeral cry,
Defpair, and fell Disease, and ghaftly Po-
verty.
Thy form benign, oh Goddess! wear,
Thy milder influence impart,
Thy philofophic Train be there
To foften, not to wound my heart.
The generous fpark extinct, revive;
Teach me to love, and to forgive;
Exact my own defects to scan,
What others are, to feel, and know myself
a Man.
ADVERTISEMENT.
WHEN the Author first published this and the following Ode, he was advised even by his friends, to fubjoin fome few explanatory Notes; but had too much refpect for the understanding of his Readers to take that liberty.
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