When dark defign invades the cheerful hour,
And draws the heart with focial freedom warm,
Its cares,
its wishes, and its thoughts to pour,
Smiling infidious with the hopes of harm.

Vain man, to others' failings ftill fevere,

Yet not one foible in himfelf can find;
Another's faults to Folly's eye are clear,
But to her own e'en Wifdom's felf is blind.

O let me ftill, from thefe low follies free,
This fordid malice, and inglorious strife,
Myfelf the fubject of my cenfure be,

And teach my heart to comment on my life.
With thee, Philofophy, ftill let me dwell,

My tutor'd mind from vulgar meanness fave;
Bring Peace, bring Quiet to my humble cell,
And bid them lay the green turf on my grave.

ELEGY III.

BRIGHT o'er the green hills rofe the morning ray,
The woodlark's fong refounded on the plain;
Fair Nature felt the warm embrace of day,
And fmil'd through all her animated reign.

When young Delight, of Hope and Fancy born,
His head on tufted wild thyme half-reclin'd,
Caught the gay colours of the orient morn,

And thence of life this picture vain defign'd.

"O born to thoughts, to pleasures more fublime "Than beings of inferior nature prove!

"To triumph in the golden hours of time,

"And feel the charms of Fancy and of Love!

"High-favour'd Man! for him unfolding fair "In orient light this native landscape fmiles; "For him fweet Hope difarms the hand of Care,

"Exalts his pleafures, and his grief beguiles. "Blows not a bloffem on the breaft of Spring, Breathes not a gale along the bending mead, "Trills not a fongfter of the foaring wing, "But fragrance, health, and melody fucceed. "O let me ftill with fimple Nature live, "My lowly field-flowers on her altar lay, "Enjoy the bleffings that he meant to give, "And calmly wafte my inoffenfive day! "No titled name, no en'vy-teafing dome,

"No glittering wealth, my tutor'd wishes crave; "So Health and Peace be near my humble home, "A cool ftream murmur, and a green tree wave. "So may the fweet Euterpe not difdain

"At Eve's chafte hour her filver lyre to bring; "The Mufe of Pity wake her foothing ftrain,

"And tune to Sympathy the trembling ftring. "Thus glide the penfive moments, o'er the vale "While floating fhades of dufky night defcend: "Not left untold the lover's tender tale,

"Nor unenjoy'd the heart-enlarging friend. "To love and friendship flow the focial bowl! "To attic wit and elegance of mind;

To all the native beauties of the foul;

"The fimple charms of truth, and sense refin'd!

Then to explore whatever ancient fage

Studious from Nature's early volume drew,

"To chafe fweet Fiction through her golden age,

"

“And mark how fair the fun-flower, Science, blew !

Haply to catch fome spark of eastern fire,

Hefperean fancy, or Aonian eafe;

"Some melting note from Sappho's tender lyre,

"Some ftrain that Love and Phoebus taught to please.

"When waves the grey light o'er the mountain's head, "Then let me meet the morn's first beauteous ray;

"

Carelessly wander from my fylvan shed,

"And catch the sweet breath of the rifing day.

"Nor feldom, loitering as I muse along,

"Mark from what flower the breeze its sweetness bore;

"Or liften to the labour-foothing fong

"Of bees that range the thymy uplands o'er.

"Slow let me climb the mountain's airy brow,
"The green height gain'd, in museful rapture lie,
"Sleep to the murmur of the woods below,
"Or look on Nature with a lover's eye.

"Delightful hours! O thus for ever flow;
"Led by fair Fancy round the varied year:
"So fhall my breaft with native raptures glow,
"Nor feel one pang from folly, pride, or fear.
"Firm be my heart to Nature and to truth,

"Nor vainly wander from their dictates fage;
"So Joy shall triumph on the brows of Youth,
"So Hope fhall imooth the dreary paths of Age.

ELEGY IV.

OH! yet, ye dear deluding Visions, slay!

Fond hopes of Innocence and Fancy born!

K

For you I'll caft thefe waking thoughts away,

For one wild dream of life's romantic morn.

Ah! no: the funfhine o'er each object spread,

By flattering Hope, the flowers that blew so fair, Like the gay gardens of Armida fled,

And vanish'd from the powerful rod of Care.

So the poor pilgrim, who in rapturous thought
Plains his dear journey to Loretto's fhrine,
Seems on his way by guardian feraphs brought,
Sees aiding angels favour his defign.

Ambrofial bloffoms, fuch of old as blew

By thofe fresh founts on Eden's happy plain, And Sharon's rofes all his paffage ftrew:

So Fancy dreams; but Fancy's dreams are vain. Wafted and weary on the mountain's fide,

His way unknown, the hapless pilgrim lies, Or takes fome ruthless robber for his guide, And prone beneath his cruel fabre dies. Life's morning-landscape, gilt with orient light,

Where Hope, and Joy, and Fancy hold their reign, The grove's green wave, the blue stream sparkling bright, The blithe hours dancing round Hyperion's wain, In radiant colours youth's free hand pourtrays, Then holds the flattering tablet to his eye; Nor thinks how foon the vernal grove decays, Nor fees the dark cloud gathering o'er the sky, Hence Fancy conquer'd by the dart of Pain,

And wandering far from her Platonic shade, Mourns o'er the ruins of her tranfient reign, Nor unrepining fees her vifions fade.

Their parent banifh'd, hence her children fly,
The fairy race that fill'd her feftive train;
Joy tears his wreath, and Hope inverts her eye,
And Folly wonders that her dream was vain.

THE EVENING PRIMROSE.

From the Fables of Flora.

THERE are that love the fhades of life,

And fhun the fplendid walks of fame; There are that hold it rueful ftrife

To rifque Ambition's lofing game :

That far from Envy's lurid eye

The faireft fruits of Genius rear, Content to fee them bloom and die

In Friendship's fmall, but genial, fphere.

Than vainer flowers, though fweeter far,
The Evening Primrofe fhuns the day;
Blooms only to the western ftar,

And loves its folitary ray.

In Eden's vale an aged hind,

At the dim twilight's clofing hour,
On his time-fmoothed ftaff reclin'd,
With wonder view'd the opening flower.

"Ill-fated flower, at eve to blow!"
In pity's fimple thought he cries;
"Thy bofom muft not feel the glow
"Of splendid funs, or fmiling skies.