Then walks with faintness on, and looks with
So seemed the sire; when far upon the road,
The shining spoil his wily partner showed.
He stopped with silence, walked with trembling
heart,
And much he wished, but durst not ask to part ;
Murmuring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it hard,
That generous actions meet a base reward.
While thus they pass, the sun his glory shrouds,
The changing skies hang out their sable clouds;
A sound in air presaged approaching rain,
And beasts to covert scud across the plain.
Warned by the signs, the wandering pair
retreat,
To seek for shelter at a neighbouring seat.
'Twas built with turrets on a rising ground,
And strong, and large, and unimproved around;
Its owner's temper, timorous and severe,
Unkind and griping, caused a desert there.
As near the miser's heavy doors they drew,
Fierce rising gusts with sudden fury blew ;
The nimble lightning mixed with showers began,
And o'er their heads loud rolling thunders ran.
Here long they knock, but knock or call in vain,
Driven by the wind, and battered by the rain.
At length some pity warmed the master's breast,
('Twas then his threshold first received a guest)
Slow creeking turns the door with jealous care,
And half he welcomes in the shivering pair;
One frugal faggot lights the naked walls,
And Nature's fervour thro' their limbs recalls;
Bread of the coarsest sort, with eager wine,
(Each hardly granted) served them both to dine;
And when the tempest first appeared to cease,
A ready warning bid them part in peace.
With still remark the pondering hermit viewed,
In one so rich, a life so poor and rude; "And why should such," within himself he cried,
"Lock the lost wealth a thousand want beside ?" But what new marks of wonder soon take place, In every settling feature of his face ;
When from his vest the young companion bore
That cup, the generous landlord owned before,
And paid profusely with the precious bowl
The stinted kindness of this churlish soul.
But now the clouds in airy tumult fly;
The sun emerging opes an azure sky;
A fresher green the smelling leaves display,
And, glittering as they tremble, cheer the day;
The weather courts them from the poor retreat,
And the glad master bolts the wary gate.
While hence they walk, the pilgrim's bosom
wrought
With all the travail of uncertain thought; His partner's acts without their cause appear, 'Twas there a vice, and seemed a madness here;
Detesting that, and pitying this, he goes,
Lost and confounded with the various shows.
Now night's dim shades again involve the sky, Again the wanderers want a place to lie, Again they search, and find a lodging nigh, The soil improved around, the mansion neat, And neither poorly low, nor idly great; It seemed to speak its master's turn of mind, Content, and not to praise, but virtue kind.
Hither the walkers turn with weary feet, Then bless the mansion, and the master greet; Their greeting fair, bestowed with modest guise, The courteous master hears, and thus replies:
"Without a vain, without a grudging heart, To Him who gives us all, I yield a part; From Him you come, for Him accept it here, A frank and sober, more than costly cheer." He spoke, and bid the welcome table spread, Then talk of virtue till the time of bed,
When the grave household round his hall repair, Warned by a bell, and close the hours with prayer.
At length the world, renewed by calm repose, Was strong for toil, the dappled morn arose ; Before the pilgrims part, the younger crept, Near the closed cradle where an infant slept, And writhed his neck: the landlord's little
O strange return! grew black, and gasped, and
Horror of horrors! what! his only son!
How looked our hermit when the fact was done; Not Hell, tho' Hell's black jaws in sunder part, And breathe blue fire, could more assault his heart.
Confused, and struck with silence at the deed,
He flies, but trembling, fails to fly with speed.
His steps the youth pursues; the country lay
Perplexed with roads, a servant show'd the way;
A river crossed the path: the passage o'er
Was nice to find; the servant trod before;
Long arms of oak an open bridge supplied,
And deep the waves beneath the bending glide.
The youth, who seemed to watch a time to sin,
Approached the careless guide, and thrust him
Plunging he falls, and rising lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and sinks among the dead.
Wild, sparkling rage inflames the father's eyes,
He bursts the bands of fear, and madly cries:
"Detested wretch!". But scarce his speech
When the strange partner seemed no longer
His youthful face grew more serenely sweet; His robe turned white, and flowed upon his
Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair
;
Celestial odours breathe thro' purpled air;
And wings, whose colours glittered on the day,
Wide at his back their gradual plumes display.
The form etherial bursts upon his sight,
And moves in all the majesty of light.
Though loud at first the pilgrim's passion
Sudden he gazed, and wist not what to do ;
Surprise in secret chains his words suspends,
And in a calm his settling temper ends.
But silence here the beauteous angel broke
(The voice of music ravished as he spoke).
"Thy prayer, thy praise, thy life to vice un-
known,
In sweet memorial rise before the throne;
These charms, success in our bright region find,
And force an angel down, to calm thy mind;
For this, commissioned, I forsook the sky,
Nay, cease to kneel-thy fellow servant I.
"Then know the truth of government divine,
And let these scruples be no longer thine.
"The Maker justly claims that world he made,
In this the right of Providence is laid;
Its sacred majesty through all depends
On using second means to work his ends:
'Tis thus, withdrawn in state from human eye,
The power exerts his attributes on high,
Your actions uses, nor controls your will,
And bids the doubting sons of men be still.
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