POETRY. Order is Heaven's first law; and this confest, Needful austerities our wills restrain; As thorns fence in the tender plant from harm. Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, On earth nought precious is obtain❜d, By travel and to travel born, Our sabbaths are but few. Who noble ends by noble means obtains, Our hearts are fasten'd to this world, But every sorrow cuts a string, Oft pining cares in rich brocades are drest, Teach me to feel another's wo, To hide the fault I see; That mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me. 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. Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, If nothing more than purpose in thy power, In faith and hope the world will disagree, To be resign'd when ills betide, And pleas'd with favours giv'n; Whose fragrance smells to Heav'n. All fame is foreign, but of true desert; Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, They kept the noiseless tenor of their way. What nothing earthly gives, or can destroy, Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, Whose trembling limbs have borne him to thy door, Who lives to nature, rarely can be poor When young, life's journey I began, Joy after joy successive rise. But soon I found 'twas all a dream; 'Tis greatly wise to talk with our past hours; And ask them, what report they bore to Heav'n. All nature is but art unknown to thee; All chance, direction which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony not understood; All partial evil, universal good. Heav'n's choice is safer than our own; What the most formidable fate; "To have our own desire." If ceaseless, thus, the fowls of heav'n he feeds, The spacious firmament on high, Th' unwearied sun, from day to day, Soon as the ev❜ning shades prevail, The moon takes up the wond'rous tale, And, nightly, to the list'ning earth, Repeats the story of her birth : Whilst all the stars that round her burn, What tho', in solemn silence, all D 2 RULE IV. Words ending with y, preceded by a consonant, upon assuming an additional syllable beginning with a consonant, commonly change y into i; as, happy, happily, happiness. But when y is preceded by a vowel, it is very rarely changed in the additional syllable ; as coy, coyly; boy, boyish, boyhood; annoy, annoyed, annoyance; joy, joyless, joyful, &c. Grammar, p. 38. Key, p. 2. It is a great blessing to have a sound mind, uninfluenced by fancyful humours. Common calamities, and common blessings, fall heavyly upon the envious. The comelyness of youth are modesty and frankness; of age, condescension and dignity. When we act against conscience, we become the destroiers of our own peace. We may be plaiful, and yet innocent; grave, and yet corrupt. It is only from general conduct, that our true character can be portraied. RULE V. Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllable, ending with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double that consonant, when they take another syllable beginning with a vowel: as, wit, witty; thin, thinnish; to abet, an abettor; to begin, a beginner. But if a diphthong precedes, or the accent is on the preceding syllable, the consonant remains single: as, to toil, toiling; to offer, an offering; maid, maiden, &c. Grammar, p. 38. Key, p. 3. When we bring the lawmaker into contempt, we have in effect annuled his laws. By defering our repentance, we accumulate our sorrows. The pupils of a certain ancient philosopher, were |