The great, the gay, fhall they partake
The heav'n that thou alone canft make;
And wilt thou quit the stream,

That murmurs through the dewy mead,
The grove and the fequefter'd shade,
To be a guest with them?

For thee I panted, thee I priz'd,
For thee I gladly facrific'd

Whate'er I lov'd before;
And fhall I fee thee start away,
And helpless, hopeless, hear thee fay
Farewel! we meet no more?

SECTION XIII.

Ode to Adverfity.

COWPER.

DAUGHTER of Heav'n, relentless power,
Thou tamer of the human breaft,

Whofe iron fcourge, and tort'ring hour,
The bad affright, afflict the best!
Bound in thy adamantine chain,

The proud are taught to tafte of pain,
And purple tyrants vainly groan

With pangs unfelt before, unpitied and alone.

When first thy Sire to fend on earth
Virtue, his darling child, defign'd,
To thee he gave the heavenly birth,
And bade to form her infant mind.
Stern rugged nurfe! thy rigid lore
With patience many a year the bore.
What forrow was, thou bad'ft her know;

And from her own she learn'd to melt at others' woe.

K k

Scar'd at thy frown terrific, fly

Self-pleafing Folly's idle brood,

Wild Laughter, Noife, and thoughtless Joy,
And leave us leifure to be good.

Light they difperfe; and with them go
The fummer-friend, the flatt'ring foe.

By vain Prosperity receiv'd,

To her they vow their truth, and are again believ'd.

Wisdom, in fable garb array'd,
Immers'd in rapt'rous thought profound,

And Melancholy, filent maid,
With leaden eye, that loves the ground,
Still on thy folemn steps attend;
Warm Charity, the gen'ral friend,
With Juftice, to herself fevere,
And Pity, dropping soft the fadly-pleafing tear.

Oh, gently on thy fuppliant's head,
Dread Power, lay thy chaft'ning hand!

Not in thy gorgon terrors clad,

Nor circled with the vengeful band,
(As by the impious thou art feen,) |

With thund'ring voice, and threat'ning mien,
With screaming Horror's fun'ral cry,
Defpair, and fell Disease, and ghaftly Poverty.

Thy form benign, propitious, wear,
Thy milder influence impart ;

Thy philofophic train be there,
To soften, not to wound my heart.
The gen'rous fpark extinct revive;
Teach me to love, and to forgive;
Exact my own defects to fcan;

What others are to feel; and know myfelf a man.

GRAY.

SECTION XIV.

The Creation required to praife its Author. BEGIN, my foul, th' exalted lay! Let each enraptur'd thought obey, And praise th' Almighty's name .. Lo heaven and earth, and feas and fkies, In one melodious concert rife, To fwell th' infpiring theme. Ye fields of light, celeftial plains, Where gay tranfporting Beauty reigns, Ye fcenes divinely fair!

Your Maker's wond'rous pow'r proclaim,
Tell how he form'd your fhining frame,
And breath'd the fluid air.

Ye angels, catch the thrilling found!
While all th' adoring thrones around
His boundless mercy fing:

Let ev'ry lift'ning faint above
Wake all the tuneful foul of Love,
And touch the fweeteft ftring.

Join, ye loud fpheres, the vocal choir;
Thou dazzling orb of liquid fire,
The mighty chorus aid:

Soon as grey ev'ning gilds the plain,
Thou, Moon, protrac the melting strain,
And praise him in the shade.

Thou heav'n of heav'ns, his vaft abode;
Ye clouds, proclaim your forming God,
Who call'd yon worlds from night:
"Ye fhades, difpel !"-th' Eternal faid;
At once th' involving darkness fled,
And Nature fprung to light.

Whate'er a blooming world contains,

That wings the air, that skims the plains,
United praise bestow :

Ye dragons, found his awful name
To heav'n aloud; and roar acclaim,,
Ye fwelling deeps below.

Let ev'ry element rejoice;,

Ye thunders, burst with awful voice!
TO HIM who bids you roll:
His praise in fofter notes declare,
Each whifp'ring breeze of yielding air,
And breathe it to the foul.

To him, ye graceful cedars, bow;
Ye tow'ring mountains, bending low,
Your great Creator own;

Tell, when affrighted Nature fhook,
How Sinai kindled at his look,
And trembled at his frown.

Ye flocks, that haunt the humble vale,
Ye infects flutt'ring on the gale,
In mutual concourfe rife;
Crop the gay rofe's vermeil bloom,
And waft its fpoils, a fweet perfume,
In incenfe to the fkies.

Wake, all ye mounting tribes, and fing;
Ye plumy warblers of the spring,
Harmonious anthems raife

TO HIM who fhap'd your finer mould,
Who tipp'd your glitt ring wings with gold,
And tun'd your voice to praife.

Let man, by nobler paffions fway'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 found,
The gen'ral burst of joy.

Ye whom the charms of grandeur please,
Nurs'd on the downy lap of Eafe,

Fall proftrate at his throne:

Ye princes, rulers, all adore;

Praife him, ye kings, who makes your pow'r

An image of his own.

Ye fair, by nature form'd to move,
O praife th' eternal SOURCE OF LOVE,
With youth's enlivening fire :
Let age take up the tuneful lay,

Sigh his blefs'd name-then foar away,
And ask an angel's lyre.

SECTION XV.

The Univerfal Prayer.

FATHER OF ALL! in ev'ry age,

In ev'ry clime, ador'd,
By faint, by favage, and by sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!

ANON.

Thou GREAT FIRST CAUSE, leaft understood,

Who all my fense confin'd
To know but this, that Thou art good,

And that myfelf am blind;

Yet gave me in this dark estate,

To fee the good from ill;

And binding Nature faft in Fate,
Left free the human will;