All-winning mild to each of lowly state; To equals free, unfervile to the great; 40 Greatness you honour, when by worth acquir'd; O trace that friend with me!-he's yours!-he's mine!— The world's beneficent behold him shine! Is wealth his sphere? If riches, like a tide, Is knowledge his? Benevolently great, 50 55 60 Is power his orb? He then, like power divine, 65 On all, though with a varied ray, will fine. Ere 70 75 Ere power was his, the man, he once carefs'd, 80 85 And all their joys and forrows are his own. feft; This, this the fpirit, which informs thy breast. Through fortune's cloud thy genuine worth can fhine; What would't thou not, were wealth and greatness thine? 90 AN A N EPIS MR. AUTHOR N T 0 T LE JOHN DYER, In Answer to his from the Country †. OW various birds in melting concert fing, And hail the beauty of the opening spring: Now to thy dreams the nightingale complains, Till the lark wakes thee with her cheerful trains; Wakes, in thy verfe and friendship ever kind, Melodious comfort to my jarring mind. 5 Oh could my foul through repths of knowledge fee, Could I read nature and mankind like thee, Ifhould o'ercome, or bear the fhocks of fate, And e'en draw envy to the humbleft state. Thou canst raise honour from each ill event, From shocks gain vigour, and from want content. Think not light poetry my life's chief care! The Mufe's manfion is, at beft, but air; But, if more solid works my meaning forms, Th' unfinish'd ftructures fall by fortune's ftorms. Oft have I faid we falfely thofe accufe, Whofe god-like fouls life's middle state refuse. Self-love, 1 cry'd, there feeks ignoble reft; 15 Care fleeps not calm, when millions wake unbleft; 20 M † See Dyer's Poems. Mean Mean let me fhrink, or spread sweet shade o'er all, Low as the fhrub, or as the cedar tall! 'Twas vain! 'twas wild-I fought the middle state, And found the good, and found the truly great. Though verfe can never give my foul her aim; 25 Though action only claims fubftantial fame; Though fate denies what my proad wants require, Yet grant me, heaven, by knowledge to aspire: Thus to enquiry let me prompt the mind; Thus clear dimm'd truth, and bid her blefs mankind; 30 From the pierc'd orphan thus draw shafts of grief, Arm want with patience, and teach wealth relief! To ferve lov'd liberty infpire my breath! Or, if my life be useless, grant me death; For he, who useless is in life furvey'd, Burthens that world, his duty bids him aid. Say, what have honours to allure the mind, Which he gains most, who least has ferv'd mankind? Titles, when worn by fools, I dare despise; 35 Yet they claim homage, when they crown the wife. 40 When high diftinction marks deferving heirs, Defert ftill dignifies the mark it wears. But, who to birth alone would honours owe? 50 Nor Nor view an Equal's hope with jealous eyes; 55 In wealth and want true minds preferve their weight; Meek, though exalted; though difgrac'd, elate; 60 Generous and grateful, wrong'd or help'd, they live; Grateful to serve, and generous to forgive. ; 65 This may they learn, who clofe thy life attend Which, dear in memory, ftill inftructs thy friend. Though cruel distance bars my groffer eye, My foul, clear-fighted, draws thy virtue nigh; Through her deep woe that quickening comfort gleams, And lights up Fortitude with Friendship's beams. VER SE OCCASIONED BY THE S VICE-PRINCIPAL of St MARY-HALL, OXFORD, Being prefented by the Honourable Mrs. KNIGHT, to the Living of GOSFIELD in ESSEX. HILE by mean arts and meaner patrons rife WH Priefts, whom the learned and the good defpife; This fees fair Knight, in whose transcendent mind, Are wisdom, purity, and truth enfhrin'd. |