Can fuch a mind, ye gods! admit DISDAIN;
Be PARTIAL, ENVIOUS, COVETOUS, and VAIN!
Unwelcome truth! to love, to blindnefs clear!
Yet, GILLMAN, bear it while you blush to hear...

That in your gentle breaft DISDAIN can dwell,
Let knavery, meanness, pride, that feel it, tell!
With PARTIAL eye a friend's defects you see,
And look with kindness on my faults and me.
And does no ENVY that fair mind o'ershade ;
Does no fhort figh for greater wealth invade;
When filent merit wants the foftering meed,
And the warm wifh fuggefts the virtuous deed?
Fairly the charge of VANITY you prove,
Vain of each virtue of the friends you love.

What charms, what arts of magick have conspir'd,
Of power to make fo many faults admir'd ?

IN

There dwelt, hiftorians fay, a worthy prince,
Who to his people's good confin'd his care,
And fix'd the bafis of his empire there;
Enlarg'd their trade, the lib'ral arts improv'd,
Made nations happy, and himself-belov'd;

To all the neighb'ring ftates a terror grown,
The dear delight and glory of his own.
Not like those kings, who vainly feek renown
From countries ruin'd, and from battles won ;1!
Those mighty Nimrods, who mean laws despise,
Call murder but a princely exercise:;

And, if one bloodless fun should steal away,
Cry out, with Titus, they have lost a day;
Who, to be more than men, themselves debase,
Beneath the brute, their Maker's form deface,
Raising their titles by their God's disgrace.
Like fame to bold Eroftratus we give,
Who fcorn'd by lefs than facrilege to live;
On holy ruins rais'd a lasting namė,
And in the temple's fire diffus'd his fhame.
Far diff'rent praises, and a brighter fame,
The virtues of the young Porfenna claim;
For by that name the Ruffian king was known,
And fure a nobler ne'er adorn'd the throne.
In war he knew the deathful fword to wield,
And fought the thickeft dangers of the field; D'
A bold commander! but, the ftorm o'erblown,
He feem'd as he were made for peace alone;
Then was the golden age again reftor'd,
Nor less his juftice honour'd than his fword.
All needless pomp and outward grandeur fpar'd,
The deeds that grac'd him were his only guard ;
No private views beneath a borrow'd name;
His and the publick intereft were the same.
In wealth and pleasure let the fubject live,
But virtue is the king's prerogative;
Porfenna there without a rival stood,
And would maintain his right of doing good.
Nor did his perfon lefs attraction wear,
Such majefty and fweetnefs mingled there;

Heav'n with uncommon art the clay refin'd,
A proper mansion for so fair a mind

d;
Each look, each action, bore peculiar grace,
And love itself was painted on his face.

In peaceful time he suffer'd not his mind
To ruft in floth, though much to peace inclin'd ;
Nor wanton in the lap of pleasure lay,

And, loft to glory, loiter'd life away ;

But active rifing ere the prime of day,

Through woods and lonely defarts lov'd to stray;
With hounds and horns to wake the furious bear,
Or rouze the tawny lion from his laire;
To rid the foreft of the favage brood,

And whet his courage for his country's good.
One day, as he purfu'd the dang❜rous sport,
Attended by the nobles of his court,

It chanc'd a beaft of more than common speed:

Sprang from the brake, and through the desart fled.....
The ardent prince, impetuous as the wind,
Rush'd on, and left his lagging train behind.
Fir'd with the chace, and full of youthful blood,:..
O'er plains, and vales, and woodland wilds he rode,
Urging his courfer's speed; nor thought the day
How wafted, nor how intricate the way :
Nor, till the night in dufky clouds came on,
Reftrain'd his pace, or found himself alone.
Miffing his train, he ftrove to measure back

The road he came, but could not find the track;
Still turning to the place he left before, bu

And only lab'ring to be loft the more.

The bugle horn, which o'er his fhoulders hung,

So loud he winded, that the foreft rung:

In vain; no voice but echo from the ground, Li

And vocal woods made mock'ry of the found..

And now the gath'ring clouds began to spread

O'er the dun face of night a deeper shade;

And

And the hoarfe thunder, growling from afar,
With herald voice proclaim'd th' approaching war;
Silence awhile enfu'd-then by degrees

A hollow wind came mutt'ring through the trees;
Sudden the full-fraught sky discharg'd it's store,
Of rain and rattling hail, a mingled show'r ;
The active lightning ran along the ground;
The fiery bolts by fits were hurl'd around,
And the wide forests trembled at the sound.
Amazement feiz'd the prince: where could he fly;
No guide to lead, no friendly cottage nigh! :
Penfive and unrefolv'd awhile he stood,

Beneath the fcanty covert of the wood;

But, drove from thence, foon fally'd forth again,.,
As chance directed, on the dreary plain;

Conftrain'd his melancholy way to take
Through many a loathfome bog, and thorny brake,
Caught in the thicket, flound'ring in the lake.
Wet with the storm, and wearied with the way,
By hunger pinch'd, himself to beasts a prey;
Nor wine to chear his heart, nor fire to burn,
Nor place to reft, nor profpect to return:
Drooping and spiritlefs, at life's despair,
He bade it pafs, not worth his farther care;
When fuddenly he fpy'd a diftant light,

}

That faintly twinkled through the gloom of night,

And his heart leap'd for joy, and blefs'd the welcome fight.

Oft-times he doubted, it appear'd fo far,

And hung fo high, 'twas nothing but a ftar,

Or kindled vapour wand'ring thro' the sky,

But ftill prefs'd on his fteed, ftill kept it in his eye;
Till, much fatigue, and many dangers past,

At a huge mountain he arriv'd at last.

There, lighting from his horse, on hands and knees,
Grop'd out the darkfome road, by flow degrees,

Crawling

Crawling or clamb'ring o'er the rugged way;

The thunder rolls above, the flames around him play;
Joyful at length he gain'd the fleepy height,
And found the rift whence fprang the friendly light.
And here he stopp'd to reft his wearied feet,
And weigh the perils he had still to meet;
Unfheath'd his trusty sword, and dealt his eyes
With caution round him, to prevent furprize;
Then fummon'd all the forces of his mind,
And ent'ring boldly caft his fears behind't bor
Refolv'd to push his way, whate'er withstood,ingra
Or perish bravely as a monarch thou'd. Em suas I
While he the wonders of the place survey'd, bodi fo
3
I
And thro' the various cells at random stray'dytost elib qu'i
In a dark corner of the cave he view'd LANE - 5 A
Somewhat that in the shape of woman ftood;
But more deform'd than dreams can represent
The midnight hag, or poet's fancy paint
The Lapland witch, when the her broom beftrides,
And fcatters ftorms and tempefts as the rides.
She look'd, as Nature made her to difgrace
Her kind, and cast a blot on all the race.
Her fhrivel'd skin with yellow fpots befmear'd
Like mouldy records feem'd; her eyes were blear'd;
Her feeble limbs with age and palsy shook;

Bent was her body, haggard was her look :

From the dark nook out crept the filthy crone ;
And, propp'd upon her crutch, came tott'ring on.
The prince in civil guife approach'd the dame,
Told her his piteous cafe, and whence he came;
And, till Aurora fhould the fhades expel,
Implor'd a lodging in her friendly cell."

• Mortal! whoe'er thou art,' the fiend began ;

And as the fpake, a deadly horror ran

Thro' all his frame; his cheeks the blood forfook,
Chatter'd his teeth, his knees together ftruck.

• Whoe'er