What were the praise if Virtue idly stood,
Content alike to do nor harm nor good?

Though fhunning ill, unactive and fupine,

Like painted funs, that warm not while they shine?
The nobler foul fuch narrow life difdains,

Flows out, and meets another's joys and pains,
Taftelefs of bleffings, if poffeft alone,

And in imparted pleasures seeks its own.

Hence grows the fenfe of Friendship's generous fires,
Hence Liberality the heart inspires,

Hence ftreams of good in conftant actions flow,
And man to man becomes a god below!

A foul thus form'd, and fuch a foul is here, Needs not the dangerous teft of riches fear, But, unfubdued to wealth, may fafely stand, And count o'er heaps with an unsully'd hand. Heaven that knew this, and where t' intrust its ftore, And, bleffing one, oft' bleffes many more, First gave a will to give, then fitly join'd A liberal fortune to a liberal mind.

With fuch a graceful eafe her bounty flows;

She gives, and scarce that he's the giver knows, But feems receiving most, when the the most beftows.

Rich in herself, well may the value more

Her wealth within, the mind's immortal ftore;
Paffions fubdued, and knowledge free from pride,
Good humour, ever to good fenfe ally'd,
T

Well

Well-feafon'd mitth, and wisdom unfevere,
An equal temper, and a heart fincere

Gifts that alone from Nature's bounty flow,
Which fortune may difplay, but not bestow;
For wealth but fets the picture more in fight,
And brings the beauties or the faults to light.
How true th' efteem, that's founded in desert !
How pleafing is the tribute of the heart!
Here willing duty ne'er was paid in vain,
And ev'n dependence cannot feel its chain,
Yet whom he thus fets free fhe clofer binds,
(Affection is the chain of grateful minds)
And, doubly bleffing her adopted care,
Makes them her virtues with her fortune hare,
Leads by example, and by kindness guards,
And raises first the merit fhe rewards.

Oft too abroad fhe cafts a friendly eye,
As fhe would help to every need supply.
The poor near her almost their cares forget,
Their want but ferves as hunger to their meat;
For, fince her foul 's ally'd to human kind,
Not to her house alone her ftore 's confin'd,
But paffing on, its own full banks o'erflows,
Enlarg'd, and deals forth plenty as it goes.
Through fome fair garden thus a river leads
It's watery wealth, and firft th' inclofure feeds,
Vifits each plant, and every flower supplies;
Or, taught in fportive fountains to arife,
Cats fprinkled fhowers o'er every figur'd green;
Or in canals walks round the beauteous fcene,

Yet

Yet ftops not there, but its free courfe maintains,
And fpreads gay verdure through th' adjacent plains;
The labouring hinds with pleafure fee it flow,
And bless thofe ftreams by which their paftures grow.

O generous ufe of power! O virtuous pride! Ne'er may the means be to fuch fouls deny'd, Executors of Heaven's all-bounteous will, Who well the great Firft-giver's ends fulfil, Who, from fuperior heights ftill looking down On glittering heaps, which fearce they think their own, Defpife the empty fhow of ufeiefs state,

And only would by doing good be great!

Now paufe a while, my Mufe, and then renew The pleasing taik, and take a second view!

*

A train of virtues yet undrawn appear;

Here just Oeconomy, ftrict Prudence there;
Near Liberality they ever ftand;

This guides her judgment, that directs her hand.
By thefe, fee wild Profufion chac'd away,

And wanton Luxury, like birds of prey.
Whilft meek Humility, with charms ferene,
Forbids vain Pomp t' approach the hallow'd scene;
Yet through her veil the more attracts the fight,
And on her sister-virtues cafts a light.

But wherefore ftarts the Painter-Mufe, and why, The piece unfinish'd, throws the pencil by?

T 2

Methinks,

Methinks, (he fays), Humility I hear,

With gentle voice reproving, cry-Forbear!
Forbear, rafh Mufe! nor longer now commend,
Left whom thou would'st describe, thou should'st offend,
And in her breast a painful glowing raise,
Who, conscious of the merit, fhuns the praise.

"Me vero primum dulces ante omnia Mufæ
Accipiant, ccelique vias & fidera monftrent.”

VIRG.

ADVERTISEMENT.

It may be proper to acquaint the reader that the following poem was begun on the model of a Latin ode of Cafimire, intitled E REBUS HUMANIS EXCESSUS, from which it is plain that COWLEY likewife took the first hint of his ode called the ECSTASY. The former part therefore is chiefly an imitation of that ode, though with confiderable variations, and the addition of the whole fecond

stanza,

ftanza, except the first three lines: but the plan itself feeming capable of a farther improvement, the latter part, which attempts a fhort view of the heavens according to the modern philofophy, is entirely original, and not founded on any thing in the Latin author.

I

I.

LEAVE Mortality's low fphere.

Ye winds and clouds, come lift me high,
And on your airy pinions bear

Swift through the regions of the fky.
What lofty mountains downward fly!
And lo, how wide a space of air
Extends new prospects to my eye!
The gilded fanes, reflecting light,
And royal palaces, as bright,
(The rich abodes

Of heavenly and of earthly gods)
Retire apace; whole cities too
Decrease beneath my rifing view.
And now far off the rolling globe appears;
Its fcatter'd nations I furvey,

And all the mafs of earth and fea;

Oh object well deserving tears!

Capricious ftate of things below,

That, changeful from their birth, no fix'd duration

know!

I 3

II. Here