Her folemn courts! the center of the grove!
The root-built cave, by far-extended rocks
Around embofom'd, how it foothes the foul!
If fcoop'd at firft by fuperftitious hands
The rugged cell receiv'd alone the fhoals
Of bigot-minds, religion dwells not here,
Yet virtue pleas'd, at intervals, retires:
Yet here may wisdom, as fhe walks the maze,
Some serious truths collect, the rules of life,
And ferious truths of mightier weight than gold!
I afk not wealth; but let me hoard with care,
With frugal cunning, with a niggard's art,
A few fix'd principles; in early life,
Ere indolence impede the fearch, explor❜d.
Then like old LATIMER, when age impairs
My judgment's eye, when quibbling schools attack
My grounded hope, or fubtler wits deride,
Will I not blush to fhun the vain debate,

And this mine anfwer; "Thus, 'twas thus I thought.

66

My mind yet vigorous, and my foul entire; "Thus will I think, averfe to liften more "To intricate difcuffion, prone to ftray.

"Perhaps my reafon may but ill defend

My fettled faith; my mind, with age impair'd, "Too fure its own infirmities declare.

"But I am arm'd by caution, ftudious youth,
"And early forefight; now the winds may rife,
"The tempeft whistle, and the billows roar;
My pinnace rides in port, defpoil'd and worn,
X 3

"Shat

"Shatter'd by time and ftorms, but while it fhuns
"Th' inequal conflict, and declines the deep,
"Sees the ftrong veffel fluctuate lefs fecure."

Thus while he ftrays, a thoufand rural fcenes
Suggest instruction, and inftructing please.
And fee betwixt the grove's extended arms
An abby's rude remains attract thy view,
Gilt by the mid-day fun: with ling'ring step
Produce thine axe, (for, aiming to destroy
Tree, branch, or fhade, for never fhall thy breaft
Too long deliberate) with timorous hand.
Remove th' obstructive bough; nor yet refuse,
Tho' fighing, to destroy that fav'rite pine;
Rais'd by thine hand, in its luxuriant prime
Of beauty fair, that fcreens the vast remains.
Aggriev'd but conftant as the Roman fire,
The rigid MANLIUS, when his conqu❜ring fon
Bled by a parent's voice; the cruel meed
Of virtuous ardor, timelessly display'd;
Nor cease till, thro' the gloomy road, the pile
Gleam unobstructed; thither oft thine eye
Shall sweetly wander; thence returning, foothe
With pensive scenes thy philofophic mind.

These were thy haunts, thy opulent abodes,
O fuperftition! hence the dire disease,
(Ballanc'd with which the fam'd Athenian pest
Were a fhort head-ach, were the trivial pain
Of tranfient indigestion) feiz'd mankind.

Long time fhe rag'd, and scarce a fouthern gale

Warm'd our chill air, unloaded with the threats
Of tyrant ROME; but futile all, till fhe,
ROME's abler legate, magnify'd their pow'r,
And in a thousand horrid forms attir'd.

Where then was truth, to fanctify the page
Of British annals? if a foe expir'd,

The perjur'd monk fuborn'd infernal shrieks,
And fiends to fnatch at the departing foul
With hellish emulation. If a friend,
High o'er his roof exultant angels tune

Their golden lyres, and waft him to the skies.

What then were vows, were oaths, were plighted faith? The fovereign's juft, the fubjects loyal pact To cherish mutual good, annull'd and vain, By Roman magic, grew an idle fcroll Ere the frail fanction of the wax was cold.

With thee, *PLANTAGENET, from civil broils
The land awhile refpir'd, and all was peace.
Then BECKET rofe, and impotent of mind,
From regal courts with lawless fury march'd
The church's blood-ftain'd convicts, and forgave;
Bid murd'rous priests the fov'reign frown contemn,
And with unhallowed +crofier bruis'd the crown.
Yet yielded not fupinely tame a prince

Of HENRY's virtues; learn'd, courageous, wife,
Of fair ambition. Long his regal foul
Firm and erect the peevish priest exil'd,

And brav'd the fury of revengeful ROME.

In vain! let one faint malady diffufe
The pensive gloom which fuperftition loves,
And fee him, dwindled to a recreant groom,
Rein the proud palfrey while the priest ascends !
Was COEUR-DE-LION bleft with whiter days?
Hear the cowl'd zealots with united cries
Urge the crufade; and fee, of half his stores
Defpoil'd the wretch, whose wiser bofom chofe
To bless his friends, his race, his native land.
Of ten fair funs that roll'd their annual race,
Not one beheld him on his vacant throne:
While haughty *LONGCHAMP, 'mid his liv'ry'd files
Of wanton vaffals, fpoil'd his faithful realm,
Battling in foreign fields; collecting wide
A laurel harveft for a pillag'd land,

Oh dear-bought trophies! when a prince deserts
His drooping realm, to pluck the barren sprays!
When faithless JOHN ufurp'd the fully'd crown
What ample tyranny! the groaning land
Deem'd earth, deem'd heav'n its foe! fix tedious years
Our helpless fathers in despair obey'd

The papal interdict; and who obey'd,
The fovereign plunder'd. O inglorious days!
When the French tyrant by the futile grant
Of papal refcript, claim'd BRITANNIA's throne,
And durft invade; be fuch inglorious days
Or hence forgot, or not recall'd in vain !
Scarce had the tortur'd ear dejected heard

Bishop of ELY, Lord Chancellor.

ROME'S

ROME's loud anathema, but heartless, dead
To ev'ry purpose, men nor wifh'd to live,
Nor dar'd to die. The poor laborious hind
Heard the dire curfe, and from his trembling hand.
Fell the neglected crook that rul'd the plain.
Thence journeying home, in ev'ry cloud he fees
A vengeful angel, in whose waving fcroll
He reads damnation; fees its fable train
Of grim attendants, pencil'd by defpair!

The weary pilgrim from remoter climes
By painful fteps arriv'd; his home, his friends,
His offspring left, to lavish on the shrine
Of fome far-honour'd faint his coftly ftores,
Inverts his footstep; fickens at the fight

Of the barr'd fane, and filent sheds his tear.

The wretch whose hope by stern oppression chas'd From ev'ry earthly blifs, ftill as it faw. Triumphant wrong, took wing and flew to heav'n, And refted there, now mourn'd his refuge loft And wonted peace. The facred fane was barr'd, And the lone altar, where the mourners throng'd To fupplicate remiffion, fmok'd no more; While the green weed, luxuriant round uprose. Some from their death-bed, whofe delirious faith Thro' ev'ry stage of life to ROME's decrees Obfequious, humbly hop'd to die in peace, Now faw the ghaftly king approach, begirt In tenfold terrors; now expiring heard

The last loud clarion found, and heav'n's decree