Beneath her palm Idume vents her moan;
Raptur'd the once beheld its friendly shade!
And hoary Memphis boafts her tombs alone,
The mournful types of mighty power decay'd!
No crefcent here displays its baneful horns';

No turban'd hoft the voice of truth reproves;
Learning's free fource the fage's breast adorns,
And poets, not inglorious, chaunt their loves.
Boast, favour'd Media, boast thy flowery stores;
Thy thousand hues by chemic funs refin'd;
'Tis not the dress or mien thy foul adores,

'Tis the rich beauties of Britannia's mind.

While Grenville's breaft* could virtue's stores afford,
What envy'd flota bore fo fair a freight?
The mine compar'd in vain its latent hoard,
The gem its luftre, and the gold its weight.
Thee, Grenville, thee with calmeft courage fraught,
Thee the lov'd image of thy native shore !
Thee by the virtues arm'd, the graces taught,
When shall we ceafe to boaft, or to deplore?
Prefumptuous war, which could thy life destroy,
What shall it now in recompence decree?
While friends that merit every earthly joy,
Feel every anguish; feel the lofs of thee!
Bid me no more a fervile realm compare,
No more the Muse of partial praise arraign;
Britannia fees no foreign breast so fair,
And, if the glory, glories not in vain.

* Written about the time of Capt. Grenville's death.

ELEGY

XV.

*

In memory of a private family in Worcestershire.

FR

ROM a lone tower with reverend ivy crown'd, The pealing bell awak'd a tender figh; Still, as the village caught the waving found,

A fwelling tear diftream'd from every eye.

So droop'd, I ween, each Briton's breast of old,

When the dull curfew spoke their freedom fled; For, fighing as the mournful accent roll'd,

Our hope, they cry'd, our kind fupport is dead! 'Twas good Palemon-near a shaded pool, A group of ancient elms umbrageous rofe; The flocking rooks, by instinct's native rule, This peaceful fcene, for their asylum, chofe. A few small spires to Gothic fancy fair,

Amid the fhades emerging, ftruck the view; 'Twas here his youth refpir'd its earliest air;

"Twas here his age breath'd out its last adieu. One favour'd fon engag'd his tenderest care; One pious youth his whole affection crown'd: In his young breast the virtues sprung so fair, Such charms difplay'd, fuch fweets diffus'd around. But whilst gay transport in his face appears, A noxious vapour clogs the poifon'd fky; Blafts the fair crop-the fire is drown'd in tears, And, fcarce furviving, fees his Cynthio die!

* The Penns of Harborough.

O'er

O'er the pale corfe we saw him gently bend; Heart-chill'd with grief-" My thread, he cry'd, is fpun!

If heaven had meant I should my life extend,

Heaven had preferv'd my life's fupport, my fon. Snatch'd in thy prime! alas, the stroke were mild, Had my frail form obey'd the fate's decree! Bleft were my lot, O Cynthio! O my child!

Had heaven fo pleas'd, and I had dy'd for thee.” Five fleepless nights he stem'd this tide of woes; Five irksome funs he faw, through tears, forlorn! On his pale corfe the fixth fad morning rofe;

From yonder dome the mournful bier was borne. 'Twas on those downs, by Roman hofts annoy'd, Fought our bold fathers; ruftic, unrefin'd! Freedom's plain fons, in martial cares employ'd!

They ting'd their bodies, but unmask'd their mind. 'Twas there, in happier times, this virtuous race, Of milder merit, fix'd their calm retreat;

War's deadly crimson had forfook the place,
And freedom fondly lov'd the chosen feat.
No wild ambition fir'd their tranquil breast,
To fwell with empty founds a spotless name;
If fostering skies, the fun, the fhower were bleft,
Their bounty spread; their fields extent the fame,
Thofe fields, profufe of raiment, food, and fire,
They fcorn'd to leffen, carclefs to extend;

Bade luxury to lavish courts afpire,

And avarice to city-breasts descend.

None,

None, to a virgin's mind, prefer'd her dower;
To fire with vicious hopes a modest heir:
The fire, in place of titles, wealth, or power,
Affign'd him virtue; and his lot was fair.
They spoke of fortune, as some doubtful dame,
That fway'd the natives of a distant sphere;
From lucre's vagrant fons had learnt her fame,
But never wish'd to place her banners here.
Here youth's free fpirit, innocently gay,

Enjoy'd the most that innocence can give,
Thofe wholesome sweets that border virtue's way;
Thofe cooling fruits, that we may taste and live.
Their board no ftrange ambiguous viand bore;
From their own ftreams their choicer fare they drew,
To lure the fcaly glutton to the fhore,

The fole deceit their artless bofom knew!

Sincere themselves, ah too fecure to find

The common boom, like their own, fincere! 'Tis its own guilt alarms the jealous mind; 'Tis her own poifon bids the viper fear.

Sketch'd on the lattice of th' adjacent fane,

Their fuppliant bufts implore the reader's prayer; Ah gentle fouls! enjoy your blissful reign,

And let frail mortals claim your guardian care. For fure, to blissful realms the fouls are flown, That never flatter'd, injur'd, censur'd, strove; The friends of fcience! mufic, all their own;

Mufic the voice of. virtue and of love!

The

The journeying peafant, through the secret shade,
Heard their foft lyres engage his listening ear;
And haply deem'd fome courteous angel play'd;
No angel play'd-but might with tranfport hear.
For thefe the founds that chase unholy strife!
Solve envy's charm, ambition's wretch release!
Raife him to fpurn the radiant ills of life:

To pity pomp, to be content with peace.
Farewel, pure fpirits! vain the praise we give,
The praise you fought from lips angelic flows;
Farewel! the virtues which deferve to live,
Deferve an ampler blifs than life beftows.
Laft of his race, Palemon, now no more
The modeft merit of his line display'd;
Then pious Hugh Vigornia's mitre wore-
Soft fleep the dust of each deserving shade!

ELE GY XVI.

He fuggefts the advantages of birth to a perfon of merit, and the folly of a. fuperciliousness that is built upon that fole foundation.

W

HEN genius grac'd with lineal fplendor glows, When title fhines with ambient virtues crown'd, Like fome fair almond's flowery pomp it shews; The pride, the perfume of the regions round.

Then