He quits his cell; the pilgram staff he bore,
And fix'd the scallop in his hat before;
Then with the fun a rifing journey went,
Sedate to think, and watching each event.

The morn was wasted in the pathless grass,
And long and lonesome was the wild to pass;
But when the fouthern fun had warm'd the day,
A youth came pofting o'er a croffing way;
His raiment decent. his complexion fair,
And foft in graceful ringlets wav'd his hair.
Then near approaching, Father, hail ! he cry'd,
And hail, my fon, the reverend fire reply'd;
Words follow'd words, from queftion answer
flow'd,

And talk of various kind deceiv'd the road;
Till each with other pleas'd, and loth to part,
While in their age they differ, join in heart.
Thus ftands an aged elm in ivy bound,
Thus youthful ivy clafps an elm around.

Now funk the fun; the clofing hour of day
Came onward, mantled o'er with fober grey;
Nature in filence bid the world repofe;

When near the road a stately palace rofe: [pafs, There, by the moon, through ranks of trees they Whose verdure crown'd their floping fides of grafs. It chanc'd the noble master of the dome

Still made his house the wandering stranger's

home :

Yet ftill the kindness, from a thirst of praife,
Prov'd the vain flourish of expensive ease.
The pair arrive: the livery'd fervants wait;
Their lord receives them at the pompous gate.
The table groans with coftly piles of food,
And all is more than hofpitably good.

Then led to reft, the day's long toil they drown,
Deep funk in fleep, and filk, and heaps of down.

At length 'tis morn, and at the dawn of day,
Along the wide canals the zephyrs play :
Fresh o'er the gay parterres the breezes creep,
And thake the neighbouring wood to banish fleep.
Up rife the guests, obedient to the call:
An early banquet deck'd the splendid hall;
Rich lufcious wine a golden goblet grac'd,
Which the kind mafter forc'd the guests to taste.
Then, pleas'd and thankful, from the porch they
go;

And, but the landlord, none had caufe of woe;
His cup was vanifh'd; for in fecret guife
The younger gueft purloin'd the glittering prize.
As one who fpies a ferpent in his way,
Glistening and basking in the fummer ray,
Diforder'd ftops to fhun the danger near,
Then walks with faintnefs on, and looks with
fear;

So feem'd the fire; when far upon the road,
The fhiningofpoil his wiley partner fhow'd.
He ftop'd with filence, walk'd with trembling
heart,

And much he wifh'd, but durft not ask to part:
Murmuring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it hard,
That generous actions meet a base reward.

While thus they pafs, the fun his glory fhrouds, The changing fkies hang out their fable clouds; A found in air prefag'd approaching :ain, And beafts to covert fcud across the plain.

Warn'd by the signs, the wandering pair retreat,
To feek for fhelter at a neighbouring feat.
'Twas built with turrets, on a rising ground,
And ftrong, and large, and unimprov'd around;
Its owner's temper, timorous and severe,
Unkind and griping, caus'd a defert there.

As near the mifer's heavy doors they drew,
Fierce rifing gufts with fudden fury blew;
The nimble lightning mix'd with fhowers began,
And o'er their heads loud rolling thunders ran.
Here long they knock, but knock or call in vain,
Driven by the wind, and batter'd by the rain.
At length fome pity warm'd the master's breast
('Twas then his threshold first receiv'd a guest);
Slow creeking turns the door with jealous care,
And half he welcomes in the fhivering pair;
One frugal faggot lights the naked walls,
And nature's fervour through their limbs recalls:
Bread of the coarseft fort, with cager wine,
(Each hardly granted) ferv'd them both to dine;
And when the tempest first appear'd to cease,
A ready warning bid them part in peace.

With still remark the pondering hermit view'd,
In one fo rich, a life fo poor and rude;
And why should fuch, within himself he cry'd,
Lock the loft wealth a thousand want befide?
But what new marks of wonder soon took place,
In every fettling feature of his face;
When from his veft the young companion bore
That cup, the generous landlor'd own'd before,
And paid profufely with the precious bowl
The flinted kindness of this churlish foul.

But now the clouds in airy tumult fly;
The fun emerging opes an azure sky;
A fresher green the fmelling leaves display,
And, glittering as they tremble, cheer the day:
The weather courts them from the poor retreat,
And the glad mafter bolts the wary gate.

While hence they walk, the pilgrim's bofor
wrought

With all the travel of uncertain thought;
His partner's acts without their caule appear,
'Twas there a vice, and feem'd a madnefs here:
Detefting that, and pitying this, he goes,
Loft and confounded with the various fhows.

Now night's dim fhades again involve the sky,
Again the wanderers want a place to lie,
Again they fearch, and find a lodging nigh.
The foil improv'd around, the mansion neat,
And neither poorly low, nor idly great:
It feem'd to fpeak its master's turn of mind,
Content, and not to praise, but virtue kind.

Hither the walkers turn with weary feet,
Then blefs the manfion, and the mafter greet:
Their greeting fair, bestow'd with modeft guife,
The courteous master hears, and thus replies:

Without a vain, without a grudging heart, To him who gives us all, I yield a part; From him you come, for him accept it here, A frank and fober, more than costly cheer. He fpoke, and bid the welcome table spread, Then talk of virtue till the time of bed, When the grave household round his hall repair, Warn'd by a bell, and clofe the hours with prayer.

At length the world, renew'd by calm repose, Was ftrong for toil, the dappled morn arofe; Before the pilgrims part, the younger crept, Near the clos'd cradle where an infant flept, And writh'd his neck: the landlord's little pride, O ftrange return! grew black, and gafp'd, and dy'd.

Horror of horrors! what! his only fon!

How look'd our hermit when the fact was done;
Not hell, though hell's black jaws in funder part,
And breathe blue fire, could more affault his heart.
Confus'd, and ftruck with filence at the deed,
He flies, but trembling fails to fly with speed.
His fteps the youth purfues; the country lay
Perplex'd with roads, a fervant show'd the way:
A river crofs'd the path; the paffage o'er
Was mice to find; the fervant trod before;
Long arms of oaks an open bridge supply'd,
And deep the waves beneath the bending glide.
The youth, who feem'd to watch a time to fin,
Approach'd the careless guide, and thrust him in;
Plunging he falls, and rifing lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and finks among the dead.
Wild, fparkling rage inflames the father's eyes,
He burfts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
Detefted wretch-But fcarce his speech began,
When the strange partner feem'd no longer man:
His youthful face grew more ferenely sweet;
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon his feet;
Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair;
Celeftial odours breathe through purpled air;
And wings, whofe colours glitter'd on the day,
Wide at his back their gradual plumes difplay.
The form etherial burft upon his fight,
And moves in all the majesty of light.
Though loud at firft the pilgrim's paffion grew,
Sudden he gaz'd, and wift not what to do;
Surprise in fecret chains his words fufpends,
And in a calm his fettling temper ends.
But filence here the beauteous angel broke
(The voice of mufic ravish'd as he spoke).

Thy prayer, thy praife, thy life to vice unknown,

In fweet memorial rife before the throne:
Thefe charms, fuccefs in our bright region find,
And force an angel down, to calm thy mind;
For this, commiffion'd, I forfook the sky,
Nay, ceafe to kneel-Thy fellow-fervant I.
Then know the truth of government divine,
And let thefe fcruples be no longer thine.

The Maker justly claims that world he made,
In this the right of Providence is laid;
Its facred majesty through all depends
On ufing fecond means to work his ends:
'Tis thus, withdrawn in state from human eye,
The Power exerts his attributes on high,
Your actions uses nor controls your will,
And bids the doubting fons of men be still,

What ftrange events can ftrike with more furprise,

Than thofe which lately ftruck thy wondering eyes? Yet, taught by thefe, confefs th' Almighty juft, And where you can't unriddle, learn to trust!

The great, vain man, who far'd on costly food, Whofe life was too luxurious to be good;

Who made his ivory ftands with goblets shine,
And forc'd his guests to morning draughts of wine,
Has, with the cup, the graceless custom loit,
And still he welcomes, but with lefs of coft.

The mean, fufpicious wretch, whose bolted door
Ne'er mov'd in duty to the wandering poor;
With him I left the cup, to teach his mind
That heaven can bless, if mortals will be kind.
Conscious of wanting worth, he views the bowl,
And feels compaffion touch his grateful foul.
Thus artifts melt the fullen ore of lead,
With heaping coals of fire upon its head;
In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,
And loose from drofs the filver runs below.

Long had our pious friend in virtue trod, But now the child half wean'd his heart from God (Child of his age) for him he liv'd in pain, And meafur'd back his steps to earth again. To what exceffes had his dotage run? But God, to fave the father, took the fon. | To all but thee, in fits he feem'd to go, (And 'twas my ministry to deal the blow) The poor fond parent, humbled in the dust, Now owns in tears the punishment was just.

But now had all his fortune felt a wrack, Had that falfe fervant fped in fafety back; This night his treafur'd heaps he meant to steal, And what a fund of charity would fail! Thus Heaven inftructs thy mind: this trial o'er, Depart in peace, resign, and fin no more.

On founding pinions here the youth withdrew, The fage flood wondering as the feraph flew. Thus look'd Elifha when, to mount on high, His mafter took the chariot of the sky; The fiery pomp afcending left to view; The prophet gaz'd, and wish'd to follow ton. The bending hermit here a prayer begun, Lord! as in beaven, on earth thy will be done : Then, gladly turning, fought his ancient place, And pais'd a life of piety and peace.

PIETY, OR THE VISION,

'Twas when the night in filent fable fled,
When cheerful morning fprung with rifing red,
When dreams and vapours leave to crowd the brain,
And best the vision draws its heavenly scene;
'Twas then, as flumbering on my couch I lay,
A fudden fplendor feem'd to kindle day,
A breeze came breathing in a sweet perfume,
Blown from eternal gardens, fill'd the room;
And in a void of blue, that clouds invest,
Appear'd a daughter of the realms of reft;
Her head a ring of golden glory wore,
Her honour'd hand the facred volume bore,
Her raiment glittering feem'd a filver white,
And all her sweet companions fons of light.

Straight as I gaz'd, my fear and wonder grew,
Fear barr'd my voice, and wonder fix'd my view;
When lo! a cherub of the fhining crowd
That fail'd as guardian in her azure cloud,
Fann'd the foft air, and downwards seem'd to glide,
And to my lips a living coal apply'd.

Then while the warmth o'er all my pulfes ran
Diffufing comfort, thus the maid began:

"Where glorious manfions are prepar'd above, "The feats of mufic, and the feats of love, "Thence I defcend, and Piety my name, "To warm thy bofom with celestial flame, "To teach thee praifes mix'd with humble prayers, "And tune thy foul to fing seraphic airs. "Be thou my bard." A vial here she caught (An angel's hand the cryftal vial brought); And as with awful found the word was faid, She pour'd a facred unction on my head; Then thus proceeded: "Be thy mufe thy zeal, "Dare to be good and all my joys reveal. "While other pencils flattering forms create, "And paint the gaudy plumes that deck the great; "While other pens exalt the vain delight, "Whofe wafteful revel wakes the depth of night; "Or others foftly fing in idle lines "How Damon courts, or Amaryllis shines; "More wifely thou felect a theme divine, "Fame is their recompence, 'tis heaven is thine. "Despise the raptures of difcorded fire, "Where wine, or paffion, or applause inspire "Low reftlefs life, and ravings born of earth, "Whose meaner subjects speak their humble birth, "Like working feas, that, when loud winters

"blow,

"Not made for rifing, only rage below. "Mine is a warm and yet a lambent heat, "More lafting ftill, as more intensely great, "Produc'd where prayer, and praise, and pleasure "breathe,

"And ever mounting whence it shot beneath. "Unpaint the love, that, hovering over beds, "From glittering pinions guilty pleasure sheds; "Reftore the colour to the golden mines "With which behind the feather'd idol fhines; "To flowering greens give back their native 66 care,

"The rofe and lily, never his to wear; "To fweet Arabia send the balmy breath; "Strip the fair flesh, and call the phantom death : "His bow he fabled o'er, his fhafts the fame, "And fork and point them with eternal flame. "But urge thy powers, thine utmost voice ad

66 vance,

“Make the loud strings against thy fingers dance: "'Tis love that angels praise and men adore, ""Tis love divine that asks it all and more. "Fling back the gates of ever-blazing day, "Pour floods of liquid light to gild the way; "And all in glory wrapt, through paths untrod, "Pursue the great unfeen defcent of God. "Hail the meek virgin, bid the child appear, "The child is God, and call himn Jesus here. "He comes, but where to reft? A manger's nigh, "Make the great Being in a manger lie; "Fill the wide sky with angels on the wing, "Make thousands gaze, and make ten thousand

«fing;

"Let men afflict him, men he came to save, "And ftill affli&t him till he reach the grave; "Make him refign'd, his loads of forrow meet, "And me, like Mary, weep beneath his feet;

“I'll bathe my treffes there, my prayers rehcarfe, "And glide in flames of love along my verse. "Ah! while I fpeak, I feel my bofom fwell,

"

My raptures fmother what I long to tell. ""Tis God! a prefent God! through cleaving air "I'fee the throne, and fee the Jefus there "Plac'd on the right. He fhews the wounds he bore

"(My fervours oft have won him thus before); "How pleas'd he looks! my words have reach'd "his ear;

"He bids the gates unbar; and calls me near."

She ceas'd. The cloud on which the feem'd to
tread

Its curls unfolded, and around her fpread;
Bright angels waft their wings to raise the cloud,
And sweep their ivory lutes, and fing aloud;
The scene moves off, while all its ambient sky
Is turn'd to wondrous mufic as they fly;
And foft the fwelling founds of mufic grow,
And faint their foftnefs, till they fail below..

My downy fleep the warmth of Phœbus broke,
And while my thoughts were fettling, thus I fpoke.
Thou beauteous vifion! on the foul imprefs'd,
When moft my reafon would appear to rest,
"Twas fure with pencils dipt in various lights
Some curious angel linn'd thy facred fights;
From blazing funs his radiant gold he drew,
While moons the filver gave, and air the blue.
I'll mount the roving winds expanded wing,
And feek the facred hill, and light to fing;
('Tis known in Jewry well) I'l make my lays,
Obedient to thy fummons, found with praise.

But ftill I fear, unwarm'd with holy flame,
I take for truth the fiatteries of a dream;
And barely with the wondrous gift I boast,
And faintly practife what deferves it most.

Indulgent Lord! whofe gracious love displays
Joy in the light, and fills the dark with ease!
Be this, to blefs my days, no dream of bliss;
Or be, to bless the nights, my dreams like this.

BACCHU S;

OR,

THE DRUNKEN METAMORPHOSIS.

As Bacchus, ranging at his leifure,
(Jolly Bacchus, king of pleasure!)
Charm'd the wide world with drink and dances,
And all his thousand airy fancies,
Alas! he quite forgot the while
His favourite vines in Lefbos ifle.

The god, returning ere they dy'd,
Ah! fee my jolly fauns, he cry'd,
The leaves but hardly borne are red,
And the bare arms for pity fpread:
The beafts afford a rich manure;
Fly, my boys, to bring the cure;
Up the mountains, o'er the vales,
Through the woods, and down the dales
For this, if full the cluster grow,
Your bowls fhall doubly overflow.

So cheer'd with more officious hafte They bring the dung of every beaft; The loads they wheel, the roots they bare, They lay the rich manure with care; While oft he calls to labour hard, And names as oft the red reward.

The plants refresh'd, new leaves appear,
The thickening clusters load the year;
The feason swiftly purple grew,
The grapes hung dangling deep with blue.
A vineyard ripe, a day ferene
Now calls them all to work again.
The fauns through every furrow shoot
To load their flaskets with the fruit ;
And now the vintage early trod,
The wines invite the jovial god.
Strow the roses, raise the song,
See the mafter comes along;
Lufty revel join'd with laughter,
Whim and frolic follow after:
The fauns afide the vats remain,
To show the work, and reap the gain,
All around, and all around,
They fit to riot on the ground;
A vessel stands amidst the ring,

And here they laugh, and there they fing
Or rife a jolly jolly band,
And dance about it hand in hand;
Dance about, and shout amain,
Then fit to laugh and fing again.
Thus they drink, and thus they play
The fun and all their wits away.

But, as an ancient author fung,
The vine manur'd with every dung,
From every creature ftrangely drew
A twang of brutal nature too;

'Twas hence in drinking on the lawns
New turns of humour feiz'd the fauns.
Here one was crying out, By Jove!
Another, Fight me in the grove;
This wounds a friend, and that the trees;
The lion's temper reign'd in these.

Another grins, and leaps about,
And keeps a merry world of rout,
And talks impertinently free,
And twenty talk the fame as he :
Chattering, idle, airy, kind:

Thele take the monkeys turn of mind,

Here one, that faw the nymphs which flood
To peep upon them from the wood,
Skulks off to try if any maid

Be lagging late beneath the fhade;
While loofe difcourfe another raises
In naked Nature's plaineft phrafes,
And every glass he drinks enjoys,
Which change of nonfenfe, luft, and noise;
Mad and careless, hot and vain:
Such as these the goat retain.

Another drinks and cafts it up,
And drinks, and wants another cup;
Solemn, filent, and fedate,
Ever long, and ever late,

Fall of meats, and full of wine:
This takes his temper from the swine.
Here fome who hardly feem to breathe,

Drink, and hang the jaw beneath.

Gaping, tender, apt to weep:
Their nature's alter'd by the sheep.

'Twas thus one autumn all the crew (If what the poets say be true) While Bacchus made the merry feast, Inclin'd to one or other beaft: And fince, 'tis faid, for many a mile He spread the vines of Lefbos ifle.

THE HORSE AND THE OLIVE.

WITH moral tale let ancient wisdom move,
Whilft thus I fing to make the moderns wife.
Strong Neptune once with fage Minerva strove,
And rifing Athens was the victor's prize.
By Neptune, Plutus (guardian power of gain);
By great Minerva, bright Apollo ftood:
But Jove fuperior bade the fide obtain,

Which best contriv'd to do the nation good.

Then Neptune striking, from the parted ground The warlike horse came pawing on the plain, And as it toft its mane, and pranc'd around,

By this, he cries, I'll make the people reign.

The goddess, fmiling, gently bow'd her spear, And rather thus they shall be biefs'd, she said: Then upwards fhooting in the vernal air,

With loaded boughs the fruitful olive spread.

Jove faw what gift the rural powers defign'd; And took th' impartial fcales, refolv'd to show, If greater blifs in warlike pomp we find,

Or in the calm which peaceful times bestow.

On Neptune's part he plac'd victorious days, Gay trophies won, and fame extending wide; But plenty, fafety, fcience, arts, and ease,

Minerva's fcale with greater weight supply'd.

Fierce war devours whom gentle peace would fave:

Sweet peace restores what angry war destroys; War made for peace with that rewards the brave, While peace its pleasures from itself enjoys.

Hence vanquish'd Neptune to the fea withdrew, Hence wife Minerva rul'd Athenian lands; Her Athens hence in arts and honours grew, And still her olives deck pacific hands.

From fables, thus difclos'd, a monarch's mind
May form juft rules to choose the truly great,
And fubjects weary'd with diftreffes find,
Whofe kind endeavours moft befriend the state.

Ev'n Britain here may learn to place her love,
If cities won her kingdom's wealth have coft;
If Anna's thoughts the patriot fouls approve,
Whose care restore that wealth the wars had
loft.

But if we afk, the moral to disclose, Whom her best patronefs Europa calls,

Great Anna's title no exception knows, And unapply'd in this the fable falls.

With her nor Neptune or Minerva vies : Whene'er the pleas'd, her troops to conquest flew;

Whene'er the pleafes, peaceful times arise :

She gave the horse, and gives the olive too,

DR. DONNE'S THIRD SATIRE VERSIFIED.

COMPASSION Checks my spleen, yet scorn denies,
The tears a paffage through my fwelling eyes;
To laugh or weep at fins, might idly show
Unheedful paffion, or unfruitful woe.
Satire arife, and try thy fharper ways,
If ever fatire cur'd an old disease.

Is not Religion (heaven-descended dame)
As worthy all our foul's devoutest flame,
As moral virtue in her early fway,
When the best heathens faw by doubtful day?
Are not the joys, the promis'd joys above,
As great and strong to vanquish earthly love,
As earthly glory, fame, refpect, and show,
As all rewards their virtue found below?
Alas! religion proper means prepares,
Thefe means are ours, and must its end be theirs?
And fhall thy father's fpirit meet the fight
Of heathen fages cloth'd in heavenly light,
Whofe merit of ftrict life, feverely fuited
To reafon's dictates, may be faith imputed,
Whilft thou, to whom he taught the nearer road,
Art ever banish'd from the bleft abode ?

Oh if thy temper such a fear can find,
This fear were valour of the nobleft kind.

Dar'ft thou provoke, when rebel fouls afpire,
Thy Maker's vengeance, and thy Monarch's ire,
Or live entomb'd in fhips, thy leader's prey,
Spoil of the war, the famine, or the fea;
In fearch of pearl, in depth of ocean breathe,
Or live, exil'd the fun, in mines beneath,
Or, where in tempefts icy mountains roll,
Attempt a paffage by the northern pole?
Or dar'st thou parch within the fires of Spain,
Or burn beneath the line, for Indian gain?
Or for fome idol of thy fancy draw [ftraw?
Some loofe-gown'd dame; O courage made of
Thus, defperate coward, would't thou bold ap-
pear,

Yet when thy God has plac'd thee centry here,
To thy own foes, to his, ignoble yield;
And leave, for wars forbid, th' appointed field?
Know thy own foes; th' apoftate angel; he
You ftrive to pleafe, the formott of the three;
He makes the pleasures of his realm the bait,
But can he give for love that acts in hate?
The world's thy fecond love, thy fecond foe,
The world, whofe beauties perifh as they blow,
They fly, the fades herself, and at the best,
You grafp a wither'd ftrumpet to your breast;
The flesh is next, which in fruition wastes,
High flufh'd with all the fenfual joys it tastes.
While men the fair, the goodly foul destroy,
From whence the flesh has power to taste a joy,

1

Seek thou religion primitively found-
Well, gentle friend, but where may the be found?
By faith implicit blind Ignaro led,

Thinks the bright feraph from his country fled,
And feeks her feat at Rome, because we know,
She there was feen a thousand years ago;
And loves her relic rags, as men obey
The foot-cloth where the prince fat yesterday.
These pageant forms are whining Obed's fcorn,
Who feeks religion at Geneva born,'

A fullen thing, whofe coarfenefs fuits the crowd: Though young, unhandfome; though unhandfome, proud;

Thus, with the wanton, fome perversely judge
All girls unhealthy but the country drudge.

No foreign fchemes make easy Cæpio roam,
The man contented takes his church at home,
Nay, fhould fome preachers, fervile bawds of
gain,
[reign,
Should fome new laws, which like new fashions
Command his faith to count falvation ty❜d,
To vifit his, and visit none befide;
He grants falvation centres in his own,
And grants it centres but in his alone;
From youth to age he grafps the proffer'd dame,
And they confer his faith, who give his name;
So from the guardian's hands the wards, who live.
Enthrall'd to guardians, take the wives they give,
From all profeffions careless Airy flies,

For all profeffions can't be good, he cries;
And here a fault, and there another views,
And lives unfix'd for want of heart to choose;
So men, who know what fome loose girls have
done,

For fear of marrying fuch, will marry none.
The charms of all obfequious courtly strike;
On each he dotes, on each attends alike;
And thinks, as different countries deck the dame,
The dreffes altering, and the fex the fame :
So fares religion, chang'd in outward show,
But 'tis religion ftill where'er we go:
This blindness fprings from an excess of light,
And men embrace the wrong, to choose the right.
But thou of force muft one religion own,
And only one, and that the right alone;
To find that right one, afk thy reverend fire,
Let his of him, and him of his enquire;
Though truth and falfehood seem as twins ally'd,
There's eldership on truth's delightful fide;
Her feek with heed-who seeks the foundest first,
Is not of no religion, nor the worst.
T'adore or fcorn the image, or proteft,
May all be bad; doubt wifely for the beft,
'Twere wrong to fleep, or headlong run astray ;
It is not wandering to inquire the way.

On a large mountain, at the bafis wide,
Steep to the top, and craggy at the fide,
Sits facred truth enthron'd; and he who means
To reach the fummit, mounts with weary pains,
Winds round and round, and every turn essays,
Where fudden breaks refift the fhorter ways.
Yet labour fo, that ere faint age arrive,
Thy fearching foul poffeft her reft alive:
To work by twilight were to work too late,
And age is twilight to the night of fate.