gloom: When left by honor, and by sorrow spent, Unused to pray, unable to repent, The nobler powers that once exalted high Th' aspiring man shall then degraded lie: Reason, through anguish, shall her throne forsake, And strength of mind but stronger madness make. [From Edward Shore.] SLEEP THE DETRACTOR OF BEAUTY. WE indeed have heard To life's low cares will thy proud Of sleeping beauty, and it has ap thought confine, And make her sufferings, her impatience thine. Evil and strong, seducing passions prey On soaring minds, and win them from their way, Who then to Vice the subject spirits give, [live: And in the service of the conqueror Like captive Samson making sport for all, peared: 'Tis seen in infants- there indeed we find, The features softened by the slumbering mind; But other beauties, when disposed 10 sleep, Should from the eye of keen inspector keep: The lovely nymph who would her close her mouth, but not conceal swain surprise, May her eyes; Who feared their strength, and glo-Sleep from the fairest face some ry in their fall. Genius, with virtue, still may lack the aid Implored by humble minds, and hearts afraid: May leave to timid souls the shield and sword Of the tried Faith and the resistless Word; Amid a world of dangers venturing forth, Frai!, but yet fearless, proud in conscious worth, Tili strong temptation, in some fatal time, Assails the heart, and wins the soul to crime; Is all intent on duties of the day; No more the tyrant stern or judge severe, But they who read must first begin to spell; There may be profit in these arts, but still, Learning is labor, call it what you will; Upon the youthful mind a heavy load, He feels the father's and the hus-Nor must we hope to find the royal band's fear. road. Ah! little think the timid, trem-Some will their easy steps to science bling crowd, That one so wise, so powerful, and so proud, Should feel himself, and dread the humble ills Of rent-day charges and of coalmen's bills; That while they mercy from their judge implore, He fears himself -a knocking at the door: And feels the burden as his neighbor states His humble portion to the parish rates. They sit the allotted hours, then eager run, Rushing to pleasure when the duty's done: His hour of pleasure is of different kind, And Ah! Must learn by labor, and must live by care. [From the Gentleman Farmer.] WHO would by law regain his plundered store, Would pick up fallen mercury from the floor; If he pursue it, here and there it slides, He would collect it, but it more divides; This part and this he stops, but still in vain, It slips aside, and breaks in parts again; Till, after time and pains, and care and cost, He finds his labor and his object lost. [From The Gentleman Farmer.] AGAINST RASH OPINIONS. The Sunday pew she filled with all her race, Each place of hers was now a sacred place, That, while it called up sorrows in the eyes, Pierced the full heart and forced them still to rise. O sacred Sorrow! by whom souls are tried, Sent not to punish mortals, but to guide; If thou art mine, (and who shall proudly dare WHEN men in health against phy- To tell his Maker he has had his sicians rail, share ?) Still let me feel for what thy pangs [From The Village.] APOSTROPHE TO THE WHIMSI- SAY, ye opprest by some fantastic woes, Je knew it seems, the one In his best days, beneath whose care he grew. At. this his terrors take a sudden flight, He sees his native village with delight: The house, the chamber, where he once arrayed His youthful person; where he knelt and prayed; Then too the comforts he enjoyed at home, The days of joy: the joys themselves are come; The hours of innocence; - the timid look Of his loved maid, when first her hand he took, And told his hope; her trembling joy appears, Her forced reserve, and his retreating fears. All now is present; -'tis a moment's gleam Of former sunshine-stay, delightful dream! Let him within his pleasant garden walk, Give him her arm; of blessings let them talk. Yes! all are with him now, and all the while Life's early prospects and his Fanny's smile: Then come his sister, and his villagefriend, And he will now the sweetest moments spend Life has to yield;- No! never will he find Again on earth such pleasures in his mind: He goes through shrubby walks these friends among, Love in their looks and honor on their tongue: Nay, there's a charm beyond what nature shows, The bloom is softer and more sweetly glows: Pierced by no crime, and urged by no desire For more than true and honest hearts require, And those live lucid jellies which the eye Delights to trace as they swim glittering by: Pearl-shells and rubied star-fish they admire, And will arrange above the parlor fire, Tokens of bliss! -"Oh! horrible! a wave They feel the calm delight, and thus proceed, Through the green lane, then lin- Roars as it rises ger in the mead, Stray o'er the heath in all its purple bloom, And pluck the blossoms where the wild bees hum; She save!" save me, Edward! cries: - Alas! the watchman on his way Calls, and lets in-truth, terror, and the day! [From The Lover's Journey.] EXTERNAL IMPRessions depEN DENT ON the soUL'S MOODS. IT is the Soul that sees: the outward eyes Present the object, but the Mind descries; And thence delight, disgust, or cool indifference rise: When minds are joyful, then we look around, And what is seen is all on fairy ground; Again they sicken, and on every view Cast their own dull and melancholy hue; Or, if absorbed by their peculiar cares, The vacant eye on viewless matter glares, Our feelings still upon our views attend, And their own natures to the objects lend; [sure, Sorrow and joy are in their influence Long as the passion reigns th' effects endure: But Love in minds his various changes makes, And clothes each object with the change he takes; His light and shade on every view he throws, And on each object, what he feels, bestows. |