T Breathing toward the Heavenly Country. Cafimire, Book I. Od. 19. imitated. "Urit me Patriæ Decor, &c." HE beauty of my native land I burn, I burn with strong defires, A thousand lamps of golden light Hung high, in vaulted azure, charm my fight, Bright centinels who guard my Father's court, When will my Father's chariot come ? For ever see the mourner lie An exile of the sky, A prifoner of the ground? Defcend fome fhining fervants from on high, Build me a hafty tomb; A graffy turf will raife my head; The neighbouring lilies drefs my bed; And shed a sweet perfume. Here Here I put off the chains of death, My foul too long has worn: Or tear to wet my urn; Raphael, behold me all undrest, Here gently lay this flesh to reft; Then mount, and lead the path unknown, Swift I purfue thee, flaming guide, on pinions of my own. The HUNDREDTH EPIGRAM of CASSIMIRE. On Saint Ardalio, who from a Stage-Player became a Chriftian, and fuffered Martyrdom. ARDALIO jeers, and in his comic ftrains The myfteries of our bleeding God profanes, While his loud laughter Thakes the painted fcenes. Heaven heard, and ftrait around the fimoaking throne The kindling lightning in thick flashes fhone, And vengeful thunder murmur'd to be gone. Mercy food near, and with a fmiling brow Calm'd the loud thunder; "There's no need of you; "Grace fhall defcend, and the weak man fubdue." Grace leaves the fkies, and he the ftage forfakes, He bows his head down to the martyring ax, And as he bows, this gentle farewell speaks; "So goes the comedy of life "Vain earth, adieu; Heaven will applaud to-day ; "Strike, courteous tyrant, and conclude the play." away; When When the Proteftant Church at Montpelier was demolished by the French King's Order, the Proteftants laid Stones up in their Buryingplace, whereon a Jefuit made a Latin Epigram. Englished thus: A Hug'not church, once at Montpelier built, Stood and proclaim'd their madness and their guilt; Too long it ftood beneath heaven's angry frown, Worthy when rifing to be thunder'd down. Lewis, at last, th' avenger of the fkies, Commands, and level with the ground it lies: The ftones difpers'd, their wretched offspring come, Gather, and heap them on their father's tomb. Thus the curs'd house falls on the builder's head And though beneath the ground their bones are laid, The Answer by a French Proteftant. A Chriftian church once at Montpelier flood, And nobly spoke the builder's zeal for God. It flood the envy of the fierce dragoon, Young Young faithful hands pile up the facred ftones (Dear monument !), o'er their dead fathers' bones; The ftones fhall move when the dead fathers rife, Start up before the pale destroyer's eyes, And testify his madness to th' avenging skies. Two happy Rivals, Devotion and the Mufe. WILD ILD as the lightning, various as the moon, Here the glows like burning noon In fierceft flames, and here fhe plays Gentle as ftar-beams on the midnight feas; Anon the rides upon the storm, Loud as the noify thunder, as a deluge ftrong. The links and chains, Meafures and rules of vulgar strains, } [reigns. And o'er the laws of harmony a Sovereign Queen she If the roves By ftreams or groves Tuning her pleasures or her pains, My paffion keeps her still in fight, My paffion holds an equal flight Through love's, or nature's wide campaigns. If If with bold attempt she fings Tottering thrones and nations flain;' While thunders roar From fhore to shore, My foul fits faft upon her wings, And fweeps the crimson furge, or fcours the purple plain; Still I attend her as the flies, Round the broad globe, and all beneath the fkies. But when from the meridian star The Mufe afcends her heavenly carr, And climbs the fteepy path and means the throne divine. Clogg'd with clay, and unrefin'd, Cannot rife, -Swift and high As the winged numbers fly, And faint devotion panting lies And yet the Mufe fo ftrong? When fhall thefe hateful fetters break That have confin' me long? |