One favour'd fon engag'd his tenderest care; Such charms difplay'd, fuch sweets diffus'd around. But whilft gay transport in his face appears, A noxious vapour clogs the poifon'd sky; Blafts the fair crop-the fire is drown'd in tears, And, fçarce furviving, fees his CYNTHIO die! O'er the pale corse we faw him gently bend; Snatch'd in thy prime! alas the stroke were mild, Five fleepless nights he stem'd this tide of woes; From yonder dome the mournful bier was borne. 'Twas on thofe * downs, by Roman hosts annoy'd, Fought our bold fathers; ruftic, unrefin'd! Freedom's plain fons, in martial cares employ'd! They ting'd their bodies, but unmafk'd their mind. * HARBOROUGH Downs. "Twas '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 seat. No wild ambition fir'd their tranquil breaft, To fwell with empty founds a spotless name; If foft'ring fkies, the fun, the fhow'r were bleft, Their bounty spread; their field's extent the fame. Those fields, profuse of raiment, food, and fire, None, to a virgin's mind, prefer'd her dow'r; They spoke of fortune, as fome doubtful dame, 1 That sway'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; Those wholesome sweets, that border virtue's way; Those cooling fruits, that we may taste and live. Their board no strange ambiguous viand bore; The fole deceit their artless bofom knew! Sincere themselves, ah too fecure to find Sketch'd on the lattice of th' adjacent fane, Their fuppliant bufts implore the reader's pray'r; 'Ah gentle fouls! enjoy your blissful reign, And let frail mortals claim your guardian care. For fure, to blissful realms the fouls are flown, The journeying peasant, thro' the fecret fhade, Heard their foft lyres engage his lift'ning ear; And haply deem'd fome courteous angel play'd; No angel play'd-but might with transport hear. For these the founds that chafe unholy strife! Farewel, The praise you fought from lips angelic flows; Farewel! the virtues which deserve to live, Deserve an ampler blifs than life bestows. Laft of his race, PALEMON, now no more E LEG Y XVI. He fuggefts the advantages of birth to a person of merit, and the folly of a fupercilioufness that is built upon that fole foundation. WHEN genius grac'd with lineal splendor glows, When title fhines, with ambient virtues crown'd, Like fome fair almond's flow'ry pomp it shews; The pride, the perfume of the regions round. Then learn, ye fair! to foften fplendor's ray; Pity the fandal'd fwain, the fhepherd's boy; He mourns his lot; he wishes, merits fame. In vain to groves and pathlefs vales we fly; Vainly, to guard from love's unequal chain, Nor |