Saul, ftung by dire despair,

Gnafh'd his teeth, and tore his hair:
From his blood, by horror chill'd,
A cold and agonizing sweat diftill'd;
Then, foaming with unutterable fmart,
He aim'd a dagger at his heart.

His watchful train prevent the blow;

And call each lenient balm to foothe his frantick woe:
But pleas'd, the shepherd now beheld

His pride by Heaven's own terrors quell'd
Then bade his potent lyre controul

The mighty ftorm that rent his foul.

To heal the wounded mind.

Come, fair Repentance, from the skies;

O fainted maid, with upcaft eyes!

Descend, in thy celestial shroud,

• Vested in a weeping cloud!

They come. O king, thine ear incline!
Liften to their voice divine:

< Their voice fhall every pang compofe,

• To gentle forrow foothe thy woes ;

Till each pure wish to heaven shall soar, • And Peace return, to part no more!

Behold, obedient to their great command,
The lifted dagger quits his trembling hand!

Smooth'd is his brow, where fullen Care
And furrow'd Horror couch'd with fell Defpair:

1

No

No more his eyes with fury glow;

But heavenly grief fucceeds to hell-born woe.-
See, the figns of grace appear!

Yet, yet again!-Ah! fee, the pang returns!

Again with inward fire his heaving bofom burns!

Now, fhepherd, wake a mightier strain ;
Search the deep heart-rending pain;
Till the large floods of forrow roll,

• And quench the tortures of his soul.'

Almighty Lord, accept his pang fincere !

Let heavenly hope dispel each dark temptation! And, while he pours the penitential tear, • O vifit him with thy falvation!

Stoop from heaven, ye raptur'd throng!
Sink, ye fwelling tides of fong!

For lo! diffolv'd by Mufick's melting power,
• Celestial Sorrow rolls her plenteous shower:
O'er his wan cheek the colours rife,
• And beams of comfort brighten in his eyes.-
Happy king, thy woes are o'er!

Thy God fhall wound thy foul no more:
The pitying Father of mankind,

• Meets the pure-returning mind.'

• No more fhall black Despair afflict his foul!

< Each gentler found, ye fhepherds, now combine;

Now lowly let the ruftick meafure glide,

To quell the dark remains of felf-confuming pride;
Till Nature's home-fprung bleffings he confefs,
And own that calm content is happiness.'-
• Ye woods and lakes, ye cliffs and mountains!
Haunted grots, and living fountains!
Liften to your fhepherd's lay,

Whose artless carols close the day.
Bounding kids around him throng;
The steep rock echoes back his fong:
While all unfeen to mortal eye,

Sliding down the evening sky,

Holy Peace, tho' born above,

Daughter of Innocence and Love,

K Quits her throne and mansion bright,
Her crown of stars and robe of light,
Serene, in gentle fmiles array'd,
To dwell beneath his palm-tree fhade.
Hail, meek angel! awful guest!

Still pour thy radiance o'er my breast!
* Pride and Hate in courts may shine;

The fhepherd's calm and blameless tent is thine!"

And wrap his weary'd soul in flumbers !'

Gentle fleep becalm his breast,

And close his eyes in healing rest! Defcend, celeftial vifions, ye who wait,

God's miniftring powers, at Heaven's eternal gate!

Ye, who nightly vigils keep,

And rule the filent realms of fleep,

Exalt the just to joys refin'd,

And plunge in woe the guilty mind,

• Defcend! Oh, waft him to the skies,
And open all Heaven's glories to his eyes!

་

6

• Beyond yon starry roof, by feraphs trod,

Where Light's unclouded fountains blaze ;
Where choirs immortal hymn their God,
Intranc'd in extafy of ceafelefs praise.

Angels, heal his anguish!
Your harps and voices join!

His grief to blifs fhall languish,
• When footh'd by founds divine."

Behold, with dawning joy each feature glows!
See, the blissful tear o'erflows!-

The fiend is fled !-Let Mufick's rapture rise;

Now, Harmony, thy ev'ry nerve employ ; ⚫ Shake the dome, and pierce the skies; • Wake him, wake him into joy!'

What power can ev'ry Paffion's throne controul ?
What power can boast the charm divine,
To ftill the tempeft of the foul?

Celestial Harmony, that mighty charm is thine!
She, heavenly-born, came down to vifit earth,
When from God's eternal throne

The beam of all-creative Wisdom fhone,

And spake fair Order into birth.

At Wisdom's call she robe'd yon glitt'ring skies,
Attun'd the spheres, and taught confenting orbs to rife.

Angels wrapt in wonder stood,

And faw that all was fair, and all was good.

'Twas then, ye fons of God, in bright array,

Ye fhouted o'er creation's day :

Then kindling into joy,

The morning ftars together fung;

And thro' the vast ethereal sky

Seraphick hymns and loud hofannahs rung.

THE

THE BIRTH OF THE SQUIRE.

Y

AN ECLOGUE.

BY MR. GAY.

E fylvan Mufes! loftier ftrains recite;

Not all in fhades and humble cotes delight.
Hark! the bells ring; along the distant grounds
The driving gales convey the swelling founds;
Th' attentive fwain, forgetful of his work,
With gaping wonder leans upon his fork,
What fudden news alarms the waking morn?
To the glad Squire a hopeful heir is born.
Mourn, mourn, ye ftags! and all ye beafts of chase!
This hour destruction brings on all your race.
See the pleas'd tenants duteous off'rings bear,
Turkeys and geese, and grocer's sweetest ware;
With the new health the pond'rous tankard flows,
And old October reddens ev'ry nose.

Beagles and fpaniels round his cradle ftand,
Kifs his moift lip, and gently lick his hand;
He joys to hear the fhrill horn's echoing founds,
And learns to lifp the names of all the hounds,
With frothy ale to make his cup o'erflow,
Barley fhall in paternal acres grow;
The bee fall fip the fragrant dew from flow'rs,
To give metheglin for his morning hours;
For him the cluft'ring hop shall climb the poles,
And his own orchard sparkle in his bowls.

His fire's exploits he now with wonder hears;

The monstrous tales indulge his greedy ears:

How, when youth ftrung his nerves and warm'd his veins,
He rode the mighty Nimrod of the plains.