Each pedant fage unlocks his ftore
Of myftic, dark, difcordant lore;
And points with tott'ring hand the ways
That lead me to the thorny maze.
There, in a winding, close retreat,
Is Justice doom'd to fix her feat,
There, fenc'd by bulwarks of the Law,
She keeps the wond'ring world in awe,
And there, from vulgar fight retir'd,
Like eastern queens, is more admir'd.
O let me pierce the secret shade
Where dwells the venerable maid!
There humbly mark, with rev'rent awe,
The guardian of Britannia's Law,
Unfold with joy her facred page,
(Th' united boast of many an age,
Where mix'd, yet uniform, appears
The wisdom of a thousand years)
In that pure spring the bottom view,
Clear, deep, and regularly true,
And other doctrines thence imbibe
Than lurk within the fordid scribe;
Obferve how parts with parts
In one harmonious rule of right;
See countless wheels diftinctly tend
By various laws to one great end;
While mighty Alfred's piercing foul
Pervades, and regulates the whole.
Then welcome business, welcome ftrife,
Welcome the cares, the thorns of life,
The vifage wan, the pore-blind fight,
The toil by day, the lamp at night,
The tedious forms, the folemn prate,
The pert difpute, the dull debate,
The drowsy bench, the babling Hall,
For thee, fair Juftice, welcome all!
Thus though my noon of life be past,
Yet let my fetting fun, at last,
Find out the ftill, the rural cell,
Where fage Retirement loves to dwell!
There let me tafte the homefelt blifs
Of innocence, and inward peace;
Untainted by the guilty bribe;
Uncurs'd amid the harpy-tribe;
No orphan's cry to wound my ear;
My honour and my conscience clear;
Thus may I calmly meet my end,
By Miss COOPER (now Mrs. MADAN) in her Brother's Coke upon Littleton.
Thou, who labour'st in this rugged mine, May'st thou to gold th' unpolish'd ore refine! May each dark page unfold its haggard brow! Doubt not to reap, if thou canst bear to plough. To tempt thy care, may, each revolving night, Purses and maces fwim before thy fight! From hence in times to come, advent'rous deed! May'st thou essay, to look and speak like Mead. When the black bag and rose no more shall shade With martial air the honours of thy head; When the full wig thy vifage fhall enclose,
And only leave to view thy learned nose :
Safely may'st thou defy beaux, wits, and fcoffers;
While tenants, in fee fimple, ftuff thy coffers.
Solitude, romantic maid,
Whether by nodding towers you tread,
Or haunt the defart's trackless gloom,
Or hover o'er the yawning tomb,
Or climb the Andes' clifted fide,
Or by the Nile's coy fource abide,
Or starting from your half-year's fleep
From Hecla view the thawing deep,
Or at the purple dawn of day,
Tadmor's marble waftes furvey;
You, Reclufe, again I woo,
And again your steps pursue.
Plum'd Conceit himself surveying,
Folly with her fhadow playing,
Purfe-proud, elbowing Infolence,
Bloated empiric, puff'd Pretence,
Noise that through a trumpet speaks,
Laughter in loud peals that breaks,
Intrusion with a fopling's face,
(Ignorant of time and place)
Sparks of fire Diffention blowing,
Ductile, court-bred Flattery, bowing,
Restraint's ftiff neck, Grimace's leer,
Squint-ey'd Cenfure's artful fneer,
Ambition's bufkins fteep'd in blood,
Fly thy prefence, Solitude.
Sage Reflection bent with years,
Conscious Virtue void of fears,
Muffled Silence, wood-nymph shy,
Meditation's piercing eye,
Halcyon Peace on mofs reclin'd,
Retrospect that scans the mind,
Rapt earth-gazing Refvery,
Blushing artless Modefty,
Health that fnuffs the morning air,
Full-ey'd Truth with bofom bare,
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