2 Where wilt thou dwell', if not with me',
From av'rice and ambition free',
And pleasure's fatal wiles`;
For whom', alas! dost thou prepare
The sweets that I was wont to share',
The banquet of thy smiles`?
3 The great, the gay', shall they partake
The heav'n that thou alone canst make';
And wilt thou quit the stream',
That murmurs through the dewy mead',
The grove and the sequester'd shade',
To be a guest with them'?
4 For thee I panted`, thee I priz'd`,
For thee I gladly sacrific'd
Whate'er I lov'd before';
And shall I see thee start away,
And helpless', hopeless', hear thee say'-
Farewell', we meet no more'?-COWPER.
SECTION XIII.
Ode to adversity.
DAUGHTER of rent breast,
AUGHTER of Heav'n', relentless power,
Whose iron scourge, and tort'ring hour',
The bad affright', afflict the best!
Bound in thy adamantine chain',
The proud are taught to taste of pain,
And purple tyrants vainly groan
With pangs unfelt before', unpitied' and alone',
2 When first thy sire to send on earth
Virtue', his darling child', design'd',
To thee he gave the heav'nly birth',
And bade to form her infant mind.
Stern rugged nurse'! thy rigid lore
With patience many a year she bore.
What sorrow was', thou bad'st her know`;
And from her own she learn'd to melt at others wo
3 Scar'd at thy frown terrific', fly
Self-pleasing folly's idle brood,
Wild laughter, noise, and thoughtless joy',
And leave us leisure to be good.
Light they disperse`; and with them go
The summer-friend', the flatt'ring foe`.
By vain prosperity receiv'd',
To her they vow their truth', and are again believ❜ď
4 Wisdom', in sable garb array'd',
Immers d in rapt rous thought profound',
And melancholy', silent maid',
With leaden eye that loves the ground',
Still on thy solemn steps attend;
Warm charity', the gen'ral friend',
With justice to herself severe',
And pity', dropping soft the sadly pleasing tear`.
5 Oh', gently', on thy suppliant's head',
Dread power, lay thy chast'ning hand!
Not in thy gorgon terrors clad',
Nor circled with the vengeful band',
(As by the impious thou art seen',)
With thund'ring voice', and threat'ning mien",
With screaming horror's fun'ral cry',
Despair, and fell disease, and ghastly poverty'.
6 Thy form benign', propitious', wear,
Thy milder influence impart;
Thy philosophic train be there',
To soften, not to wound my heart'.
The gen'rous spark extinct revive`;
Teach me to love', and to forgive`;
Exact my own defects to scan`;
What others are to feel; and know myself a man'. GRAY SECTION XIV.
The creation required to praise its Author.
BEGIN', my soul', th' exalted lay`!
Let each enraptur'd thought obey',
And praise th' Almighty's name` :
Lo! heaven' and earth, and seas, and skies',
In one melodious concert rise',
To swell th' inspiring theme.
2 Ye fields of light', celestial plains',
Where gay transporting beauty reigns',
Ye scenes divinely fair!
Your Maker's wond'rous pow'r proclaim`;
Tell how he form'd your shining frame',
And breath'd the fluid air.
3 Ye angels', catch the thrilling sound'!
While all th' adoring thrones around',
His boundless mercy sing` :
Let ev'ry list'ning saint above',
Wake all the tuneful soul of love',
And touch the sweetest string'.
4 Jom', ye loud spheres', the vocal choir;
Thou dazzling orb of liquid fire',
The mighty chorus aid`;
Soon as gray ev'ning gilds the plain',
Thou, moon', protract the mesting strain',
And praise him in the shade.
5 Thou heav'n` of heav'ns', his vast abode';
Ye clouds', proclaim your forming God',
Who call'd yon worlds from night`:
"Ye shades dispel!"-th' Eternal said' ;
At once th' involving darkness fled',
And nature sprung to light`.
6 Whate'er a blooming world contains", That wings the air, that skims the plains", United praise bestow`:
Ye dragons', sound his awful name
To heav'n aloud'; and roar acclaim',
Ye swelling deeps below`.
7 Let ev'ry element rejoice`;
Ye thunders burst with awful voice',
TO HIM who bids you roll:
His praise in softer notes declare',
Each whispering breeze of yielding air,
And breathe it to the soul.
8 To him, ye grateful cedars', bow`;
Ye tow'ring mountains', bending low',
Your great Creator own`;
Tell', when affrighted nature shook',
How Sinai kindled at his look',
And trembled at his frown'.
9 Ye flocks that haunt the humble vale,
Ye insects flutt'ring on the gale',
In mutual concourse rise;
Crop the gay rose's vermeil bloom`,
And waft its spoils', a sweet perfume",
In incense to the skies,
10 Wake all ye mounting tribes', and sing`;
Ye plumy warblers of the spring',
Harmonious anthems raise
TO HIM who shap'd your finer mould`, Who tipp'd your glitt'ring wings with gold', *And tun'd your voice to praise`. 11 Let man', by nobler passions sway'd', The feeling heart, the judging head', In heav'nly praise employ`;
Spread his tremendous name around',
Till heav'n's broad arch rings back the sound',
The gen'ral burst of joy`.
12 Ye whom the charms of grandeur please',
Nurs'd on the downy lap of ease',
Fall prostrate at his throne:
Ye princes, rulers', all adore';
Praise him, ye kings', who makes your pow'r
An image of his own`.
13 Ye fair', by nature form'd to move',
O praise th' eternal SOURCE OF Love',
With youth's enliv'ning fire`:
age take up the tuneful lay',
Sigh his bless'd name-then soar away',
And ask an angel's lyre`.-OGILVIE.
SECTION XV.
The universal prayer.
FIn ev'ry clime', ador'd',
ATHER OF ALL! in ev'ry age,
By saint, by savage, and by sage',
Jehovah, Jove', or Lord!
Thou GREAT FIRST CAUSE, least understood',
Who all my sense confin'd
To know but this', that Thou art good',
And that myself am blind';
3 Yet gave me', in this dark estate',
To see the good from ill`;
And binding nature fast in fate',
Left free the human will.
4 What conscience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do',
This teach me more than hell to shun',
That more than heav'n pursue`.
5 What blessings thy free bounty gives',
Let me not cast away`;
For God is paid, when man receives',
T'enjoy', is to obey`.
$ Yet not to earth's contracted span',
Thy goodness let me bound',
Or think thee Lord alone of man',
When thousand worlds are round'.
7 Let not this weak`, unknowing hand',
Presume thy bolts to throw';
And deal damnation round the land',
On each I judge thy foe`,
8 If I am right', thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay`;
If I am wrong', oh teach my heart
To find that better way!
9 Save me alike from foolish pride',
Or impious discontent',
At aught thy wisdom has denied',
Or aught thy goodness lent`.
10 Teach me to feel another's wo`;
To hide the fault I see`:
That mercy I to others show',
That mercy show to me`.
11 Mean tho' I am', not wholly so',
Since quicken'd by thy breath':
O lead me wheresoe'er I go',
Thro' this day's life' or death.
12 This day', be bread and peace' my lot`:
All else beneath the sun',
Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not,
And let thy will be done`.
13 To thee', whose temple is all space`,
Whose altar, earth, sea, skies'!
One chorus let all beings raise'!
All nature's incense rise.-Pope,
TREACH'ROUS conscience! while she seems to sleep.
On rose and myrtle', lull'd with syren song;
While she seems, nodding o'er her charge', to drop
On headlong appetite the slacken'd rein ́,
And give us up to license', unrecall'd',
Unmark'd';-see', from behind her secret stand',
The sly informer minutes ev'ry fault',
And her dread diary with horror fills.
2 Not the gross act alone employs her pen ́;
She reconnoitres fancy's airy band`,
A watchful foe'! the formidable spy',
List'ning o'erhears the whispers of our camp';
Our dawning purposes of heart explores',
And steals our embryos of iniquity.
3 As all rapacious usurers conceal
Their doomsday-book from all-consuming heirs',
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