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Soon, if none check th' invafive foe's defigns,
The lively luftre of these scenes declines!

'Tis thus, the spring of youth, the morn of life,
Rears in our minds the rival feeds of strife.
Then paffion riots, reafon then contends;
And, on the conqueft, ev'ry blifs depends:
Life, from the nice decifion, takes its hue;
And bleft thofe judges who decide like you
On worth like theirs shall ev'ry bliss attend :
The world their fav'rite, and the world their friend.
There are, who blind to thought's fatiguing ray,
As fortune gives examples, urge their way:
Not virtue's foes, tho' they her paths decline,
And scarce her friends, tho' with her friends they join,
In her's, or vice's cafual road advance
Thoughtlefs, the finners or the faints of chance!
Yet fome more nobly scorn the vulgar voice;
With judgment fix, with zeal pursue their choice,
When ripen'd thought, when reafon born to reign,
Checks the wild tumults of the youthful vein,
While paffion's lawless tides, at their command,
Glide thro' more ufeful tracts, and blefs the land.
Happiest of these is he whofe matchless mind,
By learning strengthen'd, and by taste refin'd,
In virtue's cause effay'd its earliest pow'rs;
Chofe virtue's paths, and ftrew'd her paths with flow'rs.
The firft alarm'd, if freedom waves her wings:
The fittest to adorn each art the brings:

Lov'd

Lov'd by that prince whom ev'ry virtue fires:
Prais'd by that bard whom ev'ry mufe inspires:
Bleft in the tuneful art, the focial flame;

In all that wins, in all that merits fame!

'Twas youth's perplexing stage his doubts inspir'd, When great ALCIDES to a grove retir'd.

Thro' the lone windings of a devious glade,
Refign'd to thought, with ling'ring steps he stray'd;
Bleft with a mind to tafte fincerer joys:

Arm'd with a heart each falfe one to despise.
Dubious he stray'd, with wav'ring thoughts poffeft,
Alternate paffions ftruggling fhar'd his breast;
The various arts which human cares divide,
In deep attention all his mind employ'd :
Anxious, if fame an equal bliss secur❜d;
Or filent ease with fofter charms allur'd.

The filvan choir whofe numbers fweetly flow'd,
The fount that murmur'd, and the flow'rs that blow'd;
The filver flood that in meanders led

His glitt'ring streams along th' enliven'd mead;
The foothing breeze, and all those beauties join'd,
Which, whilft they please, effeminate the mind.
In vain! while diftant, on a fummit rais'd,
Th' imperial tow'rs of fame attractive blaz❜d.
While thus he trac'd thro' fancy's puzzling maze
The fep'rate fweets of pleasure, and of praise;
Sudden the wind a fragrant gale convey'd,
And a new luftre gain'd upon the shade.

At once, before his wond'ring eyes were seen
Two female forms, of more than mortal mien.
Various their charms; and, in their drefs and face,
Each feem'd to vie with fome peculiar grace.
This, whofe attire lefs clogg'd with art appear'd,
The fimple fweets of innocence endear'd.
Her fprightly bloom, her quick fagacious eye,
Shew'd native merit mix'd with modefty.
Her air diffus'd a mild yet aweful ray,
Severely fweet, and innocently gay.
Such the chafte image of the martial maid,
In artless folds of virgin white array'd!

She let no borrow'd rose her cheeks adorn,
Her blushing cheeks, that fham'd the purple morn.
Her charms nor had, nor wanted artful foils,
Or study'd geftures, or well-practis'd fmiles.
She fcorn'd the toys which render beauty less;
She prov'd th' engaging chastity of drefs;
And while fhe chofe in native charms to fhine,
Ev'n'thus fhe seem'd, nay more than seem'd, divine.
One modeft em'rald clafp'd the robe she wore,
And, in her hand, th' imperial sword she bore.
Sublime her height, majeftic was her pace,
And match'd the aweful honours of her face.
The fhrubs, the flow'rs, that deck'd the verdant ground,
Seem'd, where fhe trod, with rifing luftre crown'd.
Still her approach with stronger influence warm'd;
She pleas'd, while diftant, but, when near, the charm'd.

So

So ftrikes the gazer's eye, the filver gleam
That glitt'ring quivers o'er a diftant stream:
But from its banks we fee new beauties rife,
And, in its crystal bofom, trace the skies.

With other charms the rival vifion glow'd;
And from her dress her tinfel beauties flow'd.
A flutt'ring robe her pamper'd fhape conceal'd,
And feem'd to fhade the charms it beft reveal'd.
Its form, contriv'd her faulty fize to grace;
Its hue, to give fresh luftre to her face.
Her plaited hair difguis'd with brilliants glar'd;
Her cheeks the ruby's neighb'ring lustre shar'd;
The gawdy topaz lent its gay supplies,
And ev'ry gem that strikes lefs curious eyes;
Expos'd her breast with foreign fweets perfum'd;
And, round her brow, a roseate garland bloom'd.
Soft-fmiling, blushing lips conceal'd her wiles;
Yet ah! the blushes artful as the fmiles.

Oft-gazing on her fhade, th' enraptur'd fair
Decreed the fubftance well deferv'd her care:
Her thoughts, to other's charms malignly blind,
Center'd in that, and were to that confin'd;
And if on other's eyes a glance were thrown,
'Twas but to watch the influence of her own.
Much like her guardian, fair CYTHERA'S queen,
When for her warrior she refines her mien;
Or when, to blefs her DELIAN fav'rite's arms,
The radiant fair invigorates her charms.

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Much like her pupil, EGYPT's fportive dame,
Her drefs expreffive, and her air the fame,
When her gay bark o'er filver CYDNOS roll'd,
And all th' emblazon'd ftreamers wav'd in gold.
Such fhone the vifion; nor forbore, to move,
The fond contagious airs of lawlefs love.
Each wanton eye deluding glances fir'd,
And am'rous dimples on each cheek confpir'd.
Lifelefs her gait, and flow, with feeming pain,
She dragg'd her loitering limbs along the plain;
Yet made fomefaint efforts,&firftapproach'dthefwain.
So glaring draughts, with taudry luftre bright,
Spring to the view, and rush upon the fight:
More flowly charms a RAPHAEL'S chafter air,
Waits the calm fearch, and pays the fearcher's care.
Wrap'd in a pleas'd fufpence, the youth survey'd
The various charms of each attractive maid:
Alternate each he view'd, and each admir'd,
And found, alternate, varying flames infpir'd.
Quick o'er their forms his eyes with pleasure ran,
When fhe, who firft approach'd him, firft began.
"Hither, dear boy, direct thy wand'ring eyes;
'Tis here the lovely vale of pleafure lies.
Debate no more, to me thy life refign;
Each fweet which nature can diffufe is mine.
For me the nymph diverfifies her pow'r,
Springs in a tree, or bloffoms in a flow'r;
To pleafe my ear, fhe tunes the linnet's ftrains;
To please my eye, with lilies paints the plains;

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