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From hill to hill the rushing hoft purfu'd,

And view'd his banner, or believ'd fhe view'd.
Pleas'd with the diftart roar, with quicker tread
Faft by his hand one lifping boy fhe led ;
And one fair girl amid the loud alarm

Slept on her 'kerchief, cradled by her arm;

While round her brows bright beams of Honour dart,
And Love's warm eddies circle round her heart.

- Near and more near th' intrepid Beauty prefs'd, Saw through the driving smoke his dancing crest ; Heard the exulting fhout, "They run they run!" "Great God!" the cried, "he's fafe! the battle's won !" --A ball now hiffes through the airy tides,

(Some Fury wing'd it, and some Dæmon guides!)
Parts the fine locks, her graceful head that deck,
Wounds her fair ear, and finks into her neck;
The red ftream iffuing from her azure veins
Dyes her white veil, her ivory bofom ftains.-
"Ah me!" he cried, and, finking on the ground,
Kifs'd her dear babes, regardless of the wound;

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Oh, ceafe not yet to beat, thou vital urn!

"Wait, gushing Life, oh wait my Love's return! "Hoarfe barks the wolf, the vulture screams from far! "The angel, Pity, fhuns the walks of war!"Oh fpare, ye war hounds, fpare their tender age !"On me, on me," fhe cried, " exhauft your rage!" Then with weak arms her weeping babes carefs'd, And fighing, hid them in her blood-stain❜d vest. From tent to tent the impatient warrior flies, Fear in his heart, and frenzy in his eyes; Eliza's name along the camp he calls,

Eliza echoes through the canvafs walls;

Quick through the murmuring gloom his footsteps tread,
O'er groaning heaps, the dying and the dead,
Vault o'er the plain, and in the tangled wood,
Lo! dead ELIZA weltering in her blood!-

Soon

-Soon hears his liftening fon the welcome founds,
With open arms and sparkling eyes he bounds :—
"Speak low," he cries, and gives his little hand,
"ELIZA fleeps upon the dew cold fand;
"Poor weeping babe with bloody fingers prefs'd,
"And tried with pouting lips her milkless breast!
"Alas! we both with cold and hunger quake-

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Why do you weep?-Mamma will foon awake." "She'll wake no more!" the hopeless mourner cried, Upturn'd his eyes, and clafp'd his hands, and figh'd ; Stretch'd on the ground awhile entranc'd he lay, And prefs'd warm kisses on the lifeless clay; And then upfprung with wild convulfive start, And all the Father kindled in his heart:

"Oh, Heavens!" he cried, " my first rash vow forgive! "These bind to earth, for these I pray to live!"

Round his chill babes he wrapp'd his crimson veft,
And clafp'd them fobbing to his aching breaft.

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Like Ifaac, with a mind applied
To ferious thought at ev❜ning-tide.
Autumnal rains had made it chill,
And from the trees that fring'd his hill
Shades flanting at the close of day
Chill'd more his elfe delightful way..
Diftant a little mile he fpied

A western bank's ftill funny fide,
And right toward the favour'd place.
Proceeding with his nimbleft pace,
In hope to bask a little yet,`

Juft reach'd it when the fun was set.
Your Hermit, young and jovial Sirs!
Learns fomething from whate'er occurs.
And hence, he said, my mind computes,
The real worth of man's pursuits.
His object chofen, wealth or fame,,
Or other fublunary game,

Imagination to his view

Prefents it deck'd with ev'ry hue
That can feduce him not to fpare
His pow'rs of beft exertion there,
But youth, health, vigour to expend
On fo defirable an end.

Ere long, approach Life's evening shades,
The glow that Fancy gave it fades ;
And earn'd too late, it wants the grace

Which firft engag'd him in the chase..
True, anfwer'd an angelic guide,
Attendant at the fenior's fide-

But whether all the time it coft
Το urge the fruitless chafe be loft;
Must be decided by the worth
Of that which calls his ardour forth.
Trifles purfu'd, whate'er th' event,
Muft caufe him fhame or difcontent;
3.

A vicious

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My fhrubs difplac'd from that retreat,
Enjoy'd the open air ;

Two goldfinches, whose sprightly fong:
Had been their mutual folace long,
Liv'd happy pris'ners there.

They fang, as blithe as finches fing.
That flutter loofe on golden wing,
And frolic where they lift ;,

Strangers to liberty, 'tis true,
But that delight they never knew,
And, therefore, never miss'd..
But Nature works in ev'ry breaft;
Inftinct is never quite fupprefs'd;

And Dick felt fome defires,
Which, after many an effort vain,
Inftructed him at length to gain
A pafs between his wires.
D.6.

The

The open'd windows feem'd to invite
The freeman to a farewell flight;

But Tom was still confin'd;

And Dick, although his way was clear,
Was much too gen'rous and fincere
To leave his friend behind.

For, fettling on his grated roof,

He chirp'd and kiss'd him, giving proof
That he defir'd no more;

Nor would forfake his cage at last,
'Till gently feiz'd, I fhut him faft,
A pris'ner as before.

Oh

ye, who never know the joys Of Friendship, fatisfied with noise, Fandango, ball, and rout!

Blush, when I tell you how a bird,
A prifon, with a friend, preferr'd
To liberty without.

CHAP. XXIII.

PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED.

A FABLE.

SHALL not afk Jean Jacques Rousseau *, If birds confabulate or no ;

'Tis clear that they were always able To hold difcourfe, at leaft in fable;

COWFER.

It was one of the whimsical fpeculations of this philofopher, that all fables which ascribe reafon and fpeech to animals fhould be withheld from children, as being only vehicles of deception. But what child was ever deceived by them, or can be, against the evidence of h ́s fenfes ?

And

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