With each bright Virtue that adorns the mind !
O bid the Muses, thine harmonious train,
Who by thy aid erst humaniz’d mankind,
Inspire, direct, and moralize the strain,

That doth effay to teach thy treasures how to gain!

And THOU, whofe pious and maternal care,
The fubftitute of heavenly Providence,
With tenderest love my orphan life did rear,
And train me up to manly strength and sense;
With mildest awe, and virtuous influence,
Directing my unpractis'd wayward feet

To the smooth walks of Truth and Innocence;
Where Happiness heart-felt, Contentment fiveet,
Philofophy divine aye hold their blest retreat ;

THOU, most belov'd, most honour'd, moft rever'd!
Accept this verfe, to thy large merit due!
And blame me not, if by each tye endear'd,
Of nature, gratitude, and friendship true,
The whiles this moral thefes I pursue,

And trace the plan of goodly m Nurture o'er,

I bring thy modeft virtues into view;

And proudly boast that from thy precious store,

Which erût enrich'd my heart, I drew this facred lore.

Nurture, Education,

And

And thus, I ween, thus fhall I best

repay

The valued gifts, thy careful love bestow'd;
If imitating THEE, well as I may,

I labour to diffuse th' important good,
'Till this great truth by all be understood;
"That all the pious duties which we owe,
"Our parents, friends, our country, and our God;
"The feeds of every virtue here below,
"From Difcipline alone, and early Culture, grow”

CANTO I.

A

ARGUMENT.

The Knight, as to 1 PÆDIA's house

He his young fon conveys,
Is ftaid by CUSTOM; with him fights,

And his vain pride difmays.

I.

Gentle KNIGHт there was, whose noble deeds

O'er Fairy Land by Fame were blazon'd round:

For warlike enterprize, and fage areeds,

Among the chief alike was he renown'd;

Pædîa is a Greek word, fignifying Education. d Areeds, counfels.

Whence

Whence with the marks of highest honours crown'd
By GLORIANA, in domestic peace,

That port to which the wife are ever bound,
He anchor'd was, and chang'd the toffing feas
Of builing busy life, for calm fequeftred eaïe.

II.

There in domeftic virtue rich and great
As erit in public, 'mid his wide domain,
Long in primeval patriarchal state,

The lord. the judge, the father of the plain,
He dwelt; and with him, in the golden chain
Of wedded faith y-link’d, a matron sage
Aye dwelt; sweet partner of his joy and pain,
Sweet charmer of his youth, friend of his age,
Skill'd to improve his blifs, his forrows to affuage.

III.

From this fair union, not of fordid gain,

But merit fimilar and mutual love,

True fource of lineal virtue, sprung a train

Of youths and virgins; like the beauteous grove,
Which round the temple of Olympic Jove,

Eigirt with youthful bloom the parent tree,

The facred olive; whence old Elis wove

▸ Parent tree, the sacred o ̈ive.] This tree grew in the Altis, or facred grove of Olympic Jupiter at Olympia, having, as the Eleans pretended, been originally planted there by Hercules. It was efteemed facred, and from that were taken the Olympic crowns. See Paufanias. Eliac. and the Differtation on the Olympic games.

Her

Her verdant crowns of peaceful victory,
The guerdons of bold ftrength, and fwift activity.
IV.

So round their noble parents goodly rofe

These generous fcyons: they with watchful care
Still, as the fwelling paffions 'gan disclose
The buds of future virtues, did prepare
With prudent culture the young shoots to rear:
And aye in this endearing pious toil

r

They by a Palmer sage instructed were,

Who from deep thought and studious search erewhile Had learnt to mend the heart, and till the human foil. V.

For by cœleftial Wisdom whilom led

Through all th' apartments of th' immortal mind,

He view'd the secret stores, and mark'd the 3 sted
To judgment, wit, and memory affign'd;

And how fenfation and reflection join'd
To fill with images her darkfome grotte,
Where variously disjointed or combin'd,
As reason, fancy, or opinion wrought,

Their various masks they play'd, and fed her penfive thought.

4 Guerdons, rewards.

r Palmer, pilgrim. The Perfon here fignified is Mr. Locke, charac terized by his works.

s Sted, place, ftation.

VOL. IV.

B

VI. Alfe

VI.

* Alfe through the fields of Science had he stray'd
With eager fearch, and fent his piercing eye
Through each learn'd school, each philiphic frack,
Where Truth and Virtue erft were deem'd to lie;
If haply the fair vagrants hemote fpy,
Or hear the mufic of their charming lore:
But all unable there to fatisfy

His curious foul, he turn'd him to explore

The facred writ of Faith; to learn, believe, adora
VII.

Thence foe profefs'd of Falfbood and Deceit,
Those fly artificers of tyranny,

* Aye holding up before uncertain feet
His faithful light, to Knowledge, Liberty,
Mankind he led, to Civil Policy,
And mild Religion's charitable law,
That, fram'd by Mercy and Benignity,
The perfecuting fword forbids to draw,
And free-created fouls with penal terrors awe.
VIII.

Ne with these glorious gifts elate and vain
Lock'd he his wisdom up in churlish pride;
But, ftooping from his height, would even deign
The feeble steps of Infancy to guide.

Alfe, alfo, further.

x Mote, might.

u Aye, ever.

Ne, nor.

Eternal