The centre moved, a circle straight succeeds, Friend, parent, neighbour, first it will embrace; Wide and more wide, the o'erflowings of the mind Come, then, my friend! my genius! come along ; And while the Muse now stoops, or now ascends, Oh! while along the stream of time thy name Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame; Say, shall my little bark attendant sail, 385 Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale? When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose, Whose sons shall blush their fathers were thy foes, Shall then this verse to future age pretend Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend? 390 That, urged by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art, 25 In the MS. thus : "And now transported o'er so vast a plain, While the wing'd courser flies with all her rein, 26 ["Did he rise with temper when he drove furiously out of the kingdom the Duke of Marlborough? Or did he fall with dignity when he fled from justice himself, and joined the Pretender ?"-Letter to Mr. Pope, 1735.] ; For Wit's false mirror held up Nature's light; 395 27 In the MS. thus: "That just to find a God in all we can, And all the study of mankind is man." THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER. DEO OPT. MAX. FATHER of all! in every age, By saint, by savage, and by sage, Thou great First Cause, least understood, To know but this, that Thou art good, Yet gave me, in this dark estate, What conscience dictates to be done, Or warns me not to do, This, teach me more than hell to shun, What blessings thy free bounty gives, For God is paid when man receives; Yet not to earth's contracted span 1 [Originally," Left conscience free, and will."] |