440

He wails, he quite defponds, convulfive lies,
Shrinks from the fancied axe, and thinks he dies:
Revives, with hope enquires, ftops fhort with fear,
Entreats ev'n flattery, nor the worst will hear;
The worst, alas, his doom!-What friend replies?
Each speaks with shaking head, and down caft eyes.
One filence breaks, then paufes, drops a tear;
Nor hope affords, nor quite confirms his fear;
But what kind friendship part reserves unknown 445
Comes thundering in his keeper's furly tone.

Enough struck through and through, in ghastly stare,
He stands transfix'd, the flatue of despair;

Nor aught of life, nor aught of death he knows,
Till thought returns, and brings return of woes: 450.
Now pours a ftorm of grief in gushing streams:
That paft-collected in himself he seems,
And with forc'd fmile retires-His latent thought
Dark, horrid, as the prison's dismal vault.

If with himself at variance ever-wild,
With

angry heaven how stands he reconcil'd?

No penitential orisons arife;

Nay, he obtefts the juftice of the skies.

Not for his guilt, for fentenc'd life he moans;

455

His chains rough-clanking to difcordant groans, 460
To bars harfh-grating, heavy-creaking doors,
Hoarfe-echoing walls, and hollow-ringing floors,
To thoughts more diffonant, far, far lefs kind,
One anarchy, one chaos of the mind.

At length, fatigued with grief, on earth he lies: 465.
But foon as sleep weighs down th' unwilling eyes,

Glad

Glad liberty appears, no damps annoy,
Treason fucceeds, and all transforms to joy.
Proud palaces their glittering ftores display:
Gain he pursues, and rapine leads the way.
What gold! What gems!-he strains to feize the prize;
Quick from his touch diffolv'd, a cloud it flies.
Confcious he cries-and must I wake to weep ?
Ah, yet return, return, delufive fleep!

Sleep comes; but liberty no more :-Unkind,
The dungeon-glooms hang heavy on his mind.
Shrill winds are heard, and howling dæmons call;
Wide-flying portals feem unhing'd to fall :

470

475

480

Then close with fudden claps; a dreadful din!
He starts, wakes, ftorms, and all is hell within.
His genius flies-reflects he now on prayer?
Alas! bad fpirits turn thofe thoughts to air.
What shall he next? What, ftraight relinquish breath,
To bar a public, just, though shameful death ?
Rash, horrid thought! yet now afraid to live,
Murderous he strikes may heaven the deed forgive!
Why had he thus falfe fpirit to rebel?

And why not fortitude to fuffer well?
Were his fuccefs, how terrible the blow!

485

And it recoils on him eternal woe.

Heaven this affliction then for mercy meant,

490

That a good end might clofe a life mifpent.
Where no kind lips the hallow'd dirge refound,
Far from the compass of yon facred ground;
Full in the centre of three meeting ways,
Stak'd through he lies.-Warn'd let the wicked gaze.

F 4

495

Near

Near yonder fane, where mifery fleeps in peace, Whose spire faft-leifens, as these shades increase, Left to the north, whence oft brew'd tempests roll, Tempefts, dire emblems, Cofmo, of thy foul! 500 There mark that Cosmo, much for guile renown'd! His grave by unbid plants of poison crown'd. When out of power, through him the public good, So ftrong his factious tribe, suspended stood. In power, vindictive actions were his aim, And patriots perifh'd by th' ungenerous flame. If the best cause he in the fenate chofe,

505

Ev'n right in him from fome wrong motive rose.
The bad he loath'd, and would the weak despife;
Yet courted for dark ends, and fhunn'd the wife. 510
When ill his purpose, eloquent his strain ;

His malice had a look, and voice humane.
His fmile, the fignal of fome vile intent,
A private poniard, or empoison'd scent;
Proud, yet to popular applause a flave;
No friend he honour'd, and no foe forgave.
His boons unfrequent, or unjust to need ;
The hire of guilt, of infamy the meed:

515

But, if they chanc'd on learned worth to fall,
Bounty in him was oftentation all.

520.

No true benevolence his thought fublimes,

His noblest actions are illuftrious crimes.

Fine parts, which virtue might have rank'd with fame, Enhance his guilt, and magnify his shame.

When parts in probity in man combine,

525

In wisdom's eye, how charming must he shine!

Let

530

Let him, lefs happy, truth at least impart,
And what he wants in genius bear in heart.
Cosmo, as death draws nigh, no more conceals
That ftorm of paffion, which his nature feels :
He feels much fear, more anger, and most pride;
But pride and anger make all fear fubfide.
Dauntless he meets at length untimely fate;
A desperate spirit! rather fierce, than great.
Darkling he glides along the dreary coast,
A fullen, wandering, self-tormenting ghost.
Where veiny marble dignifies the ground,
With emblem fair in fculpture rifing round,
Juft where a croffing, lengthening aifle we find,
Full eaft; whence God returns to judge mankind, 540
Once-lov'd Horatio fleeps, a mind elate!

Lamented shade, ambition was thy fate.

Ev'n angels, wondering, oft his worth survey'd ;
Behold a man, like one of us! they faid.
Straight heard the Furies, and with envy glar'd,
And to precipitate his fall prepar'd

535

545

First Avarice came. In vain Self-love the prefs'd;
The poor he pity'd ftill, and ftill redress'd:
Learning was his, and knowledge to commend,
Of arts a patron, and of want a friend.

Next came Revenge: but her effay how vain!
Not hate, nor envy, in his heart remain.
No previous malice could his mind engage,
Malice the mother of vindictive rage.
No-from his life his foes might learn to live;
He held it fill a triumph to forgive.

550

555

A:

At length Ambition urg'd his country's weal,
Affuming the fair look of public Zeal;
Still in his breaft fo generous glow'd the flame,
The vice, when there, a virtue half became.
His pitying eye faw millions in diftrefs,

560

He deem'd it godlike to have power to bless :
Thus, when unguarded, treafon ftain'd him o'er ;
And virtue and content were then no more.
But when to death by rigorous justice doom'd, 565
His genuine spirit faint-like state refum'd,
Oft from foft penitence diftill'd a tear;
Oft hope in heavenly mercy lighten'd fear;
Oft would a drop from struggling nature fall,
And then a fimile of patience brighten all.

He seeks in heaven a friend, nor feeks in vain.
His guardian angel swift descends again;
And refolution thus befpeaks a mind,
Not fcorning life, yet all to death refign'd;
-Ye chains, fit only to restrain the will
Of common, defperate veterans in ill,
Though rankling on my limbs ye lie, declare,
Did e'er my rifing foul your preffure wear?
No!-free as liberty, and quick as light,
To worlds remote she takes unbounded flight.
Ye dungeon-glooms, that dim corporeal eyes,
Could ye once blot her prospect of the skies?
No!-from, her clearer fight ye fled away,
Like error, pierc'd by truth's refiftless ray.
Ye walls, that witnefs my repentant moan!
Ye echoes, that to midnight forrows groan!

570

575

580

585

Do