Such, of refin'd ambition juftly proud,
His candid spirit to the world avow'd,
When of his lot he spoke his early sense,

And confecrated life to toil intense *.

Let pert Conceit, whom lighter fancies guide,
The aid of Toil and Piety deride;

Let flippant Wit conceive them dull allies,
That might forbid his active wing to rise,

And with a swallow's flight to dart at gilded flies;
Pure minds, to whom the highest powers are given,

Own what they owe to industry and heaven.
Milton by ceaseless toil to glory climb'd,

And strong devotion's fire his foul sublim'd;

Meek Newton thus his modeft wisdom taught,

"All that I've done is due to patient thought +."

Hard is their fate, moft pitiably hard,

Who feel the shatter'd mind from toil debarr'd;

Whom, on exploits of intellect intent,

Diftemper holds in Sloth's dark prison pent,

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Forbid in Fancy's favourite wilds to range,
And deftin'd with reluctance to exchange
Refin'd ambition's brave and spotless strife,

For low and little cares of languid life *

How oft, dear active friend! in listless pain,

Thy diftant invalid has wifh'd in vain

For ftrength, through Roman fanes with thee to rove;

And paufing near the Capitolian Jove,

In scenes with folemn infpiration fraught,

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Catch the ftrong impulfe of infpiring thought!

While thou, in mental luxury refin'd,

Haft nobly banqueted thy thirsty mind
With all that art could yield, or taste require,
As pureft aliment to Fancy's fire-
While thy unwearied hand, and foul elate,
Have jointly toil'd to copy or create,

My fuffering mind would to itself complain,
Too confcious that the cloister of the brain

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* See NOTE V.

Seem'd like a fabric ranfack'd by a Goth,
Whose cruel enmity and wasteful wrath,
Defacing all that Truth had treasur’d there,
Left but a cell for Sorrow's filent prayer.

But hence, defponding Sloth! hence, dull Complaint!
That make e'en Pity's wearied fpirit faint!

If Health, like Fortune, with capricious sway
Chequers the course of life's contracting day,

From each coy goddess with delight we learn,
Long absence but endears the late return.

Since my firm friend, for travel's noblest use,

Sail'd with the bleffing of a fick reclufe,

I have not loft, though cramp'd and cabin'd here,
In fruitless sloth each intervening year.

Though Health denied me limbs that might ascend
Rough Alpine heights with my excurfive friend,

A different caufe, and of a later date,

Fixing to English ground my ftudious fate,

D

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Bade me no more that pleafing hope refume, 5 ....... With thee, inftructive guide, to study Rome*.

The high and hallow'd bard, whose Muse of Fire

May, as I wish'd, thy plastic hand inspire:

Milton himself, with unrefifted sway,

Held me from thee and Roman joys away.
Justice and truth, with ftrong affection join'd,
Imperious rulers of the feeling mind,
Urg'd me to vindicate from many a wrong
The flander'd paramount of English fong:
Happy, dear friend! if this reviving hand
The line of just resemblance may command,
True as thy chiffel, that can marble warm
With all the life that speaks in outward form.
O if, in kind beneficence profufe,
Heaven deigns, at deftin'd periods, to produce
Superior spirits on this earthly stage,

To light and elevate a grov'ling age,

* See NOTE VI.

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To fhew how Genius bears Affliction's rod,

And fix the defultory foul on God;

Such, the fond reverence of the world to claim,

Nature to England gave, in Milton's name,
By darkness undismay'd, by toil untir'd,
When confcience dictated, or Heaven infpir'd.

First of poetic minds! if, fondly true,
My willing heart has paid thee homage due;
If this weak hand, elaborately juft,
Clear'd thy bright image from detraction's ruft;
Teach me to baffle adverfe Health's controul

With all thy fervency, and force of foul!

As amulets againft all worldly ill,

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In my free breast thy sentiments inftill!

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Not thy crude thoughts of democratic sway,
The hafty fruits of a distemper'd day,

But, never changing with the changeful hour,
Thy sense of human hopes and heavenly power!

In one fenfation, one- my dearest pride

Well may

I boast a heart to thine allied: