Page images
PDF
EPUB

No farther feek his merits to difclofe,

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode, (There they alike in trembling hope repose,)

The bofom of his Father and his God.

:

GRAY

[blocks in formation]

M

WARRINGTON ACADEMY..

ARK where its fimple front yon manfion rears,
The nursery of men for future years!'

3

Here callow chiefs and embryo ftatesmen lie,
And unfledg'd poets fhort excurfions try;
While Merfey's gentle current, which too long.
By fame neglected, and unknown to fong,
Between his rufhy banks, (no poet's theme)
Had crept inglorious, like a vulgar ftream,
Reflects th' afcending feats with confcious pride,,
And dares to emulate a claffic tide..

Soft mufic breathes along each op'ning fhade,
And smooths the dashing of his rough cafcade..
With myftic lines his fands are figur'd o'er,
And circles trac'd upon the letter'd shore.
Beneath his willows rove th' inquiring youth,
And court the fair majestic form of truth.
Here nature opens all her fecret fprings,
And heav'n-born science plumes her eagle-wings ;
Too long had bigot rage, with malice swell'd,
Crush'd her ftrong pinions, and her flight withheld ;
Too long to check her ardent progress strove :
So writhes the ferpent round the bird of Jove;
N.6

1

Hangs

Hangs on her flight, reftrains her tow'ring wing,
Twifts its dark folds, and points its venom'd fting.
Yet ftill (if aught aright the Mufe divine)
Her rifing pride fhall mock the vain defign;
On founding pinions yet aloft fhall foar,

And thro' the azure deep unrivall'd paths explore,
Where fcience fmiles, the Mufes join the train;
And gentleft arts and pureft manners reign.

Ye generous youth, who love this ftudious shade,
How rich a field is to your hopes display'd!
Knowledge to you unlocks the claffic page;
And virtue bloffoms for a better age,

Oh golden days! oh bright unvalued hours!
What blifs (did ye but know that bliss) were yours?
With richeft ftores your glowing bosoms fraught,
Perception quick, and luxury of thought ;
The high defigns that heave the labouring foul,
Panting for fame, impatient of controul;
And fond enthufiaftic thought, that feeds
On pictur'd tales of vaft heroic deeds;
And quick affections, kindling into flame
At virtue's, or their country's honour'd name ;
And fpirits light to every joy in tune ;
And friendship, ardent as a fummer's noon;
And generous fcorn of vice's venal tribe ;
And proud difdain of interest's fordid bribe ;
And comicious honour's quick inftinctive fenfe ;
And fmiles unforc'd; and eafy confidence;
And vivid fancy; and clear fimple truth;
And all the mental bloom of vernal youth.

How bright the fcene to fancy's eye appears,
Through the long perfpective of diftant years,

When

When this, this little group their country calls
From academic fhades and learned halls,
To fix her laws, her fpirit to fuftain,
And light up glory thro' her wide domain !
Their various taftes in different arts difplay'd,
Like temper'd harmony of light and shade,
With friendly union in one mass fhall blend,
And this adorn the ftate, and that defend,
Thefe the fequefter'd fhade fhall cheaply please,
With learned labour, and inglorious eafe:
While thofe, impell'd by fome refiftless force,
O'er feas and rocks fhall urge their vent'rous course;
Rich fruits matur'd by glowing funs behold,
And China's groves of vegetable gold;
From every land the various harvest spoil,

And bear the tribute to their native foil:
But tell each land (while every toil they fhore,
Firm to fuftain, and refolute to dare,)
MAN is the nobler growth our realms fupply,
And SOULS are ripen'd in our northern sky,

Some penfive creep along the shelly shore,
Unfold the filky texture of a flower,
With fharpen'd eyes infpect an hornet's fting.
And all the wonders of an infect's wing.
Some trace with curious fearch the hidden caufe
Of nature's changes, and her various laws
Untwist her beauteous web, difrobe her charms,
And hunt her to her elemental forms :

Or prove what hidden powers in herbs are found
To quench disease, and cool the burning wound;
With cordial drops the fainting head sustain,
Call back the flitting foul, and ftill the throbs of pain.

The

The patriot paffion that shall strongly feel, Ardent and glowing with undaunted zeal ; With lips of fire fhall plead his country's cause,

And vindicate the majefty of laws.

This, cloath'd with Britain's thunder, spread alarms
Thro' the wide earth, and shake the pole with arms..
That, to the founding lyre his deeds rehearse,
Enfhrine his name in fome immortal verse ;
To long pofterity his praife confign,
And pay a life of hardships by a line.
While others, confecrate to higher aims,
Whofe hallow'd bofoms glow with purer flames,.
Love in their heart, perfuafion in their tongue,
With words of peace fhall charm the lift'ning throng,
Draw the dread veil that wraps th' eternal throne,
And launch our fouls into the bright unknown.

MRS. BARBAUED..

CHAP.

XII.

ODE TO CONTENT..

THOU, the Nymph with placid eye!!
feldom found, yet ever nigh,

Receive my temperate vow:

Not all the ftorms that shake the pole
Can e'er difturb thy halcyon foul,
And fmooth unalter'd brow.

O come, in fimpleft veft array'd,
With all thy fober cheer display'd

To blefs my longing fight ;.

Thy

I

Thy mien compos'd, thy even pace,
Thy meek regard, thy matron grace,
And chafte fubdu'd delight.

No more by varying paffions beat,
O gently guide my pilgrim feet
To find thy hermit cell;

Where in fome pure and equal sky
Beneath thy foft indulgent eye
The modeft virtues dwell.

Simplicity in Attic vest,

And Innocence with candid breast,

And clear undaunted eye;

And Hope, who points to diftant years,
Fair op'ning thro' this vale of tears

A vifta to the sky.

There Health, thro' whose calm bofom glide

The temperate joys in even tide,

That rarely ebb or flow; .

And Patience there, thy fifter meek,
Prefents her mild, unvarying check
To meet the offer'd blow.

Her influence taught the Phrygian fage
A tyrant master's wanton rage

With fettled fimiles to meet;
Inur'd to toil and bitter bread,
He bow'd his meek fubmitted head,

And kifs'd thy fainted feet.

But

« PreviousContinue »