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The PRAISE of the MORNING;

Or, The Sluggard Reproved.

F

THOMSON.

ALSELY luxurious, will not Man awake
And, fpringing from the Bed of Sloth, enjoy
The cool, the fragrant, and the filent Hour,
To Meditation due, and facred Song?

For is there ought in Sleep can charm the Wise ?
To lye in dead Oblivion, lofing Half
The fleeting Moments of too fhort a Life ?
Total Extinction of the enlighten'd Soul;
Or else to feverish Vanity alive,

Wilder'd, and toffing thro' diftemper'd Dreams?
Who would in fuch a gloomy State remain,
Longer than Nature craves; when every Muse
And every blooming Pleasure wait without,
To blefs the wildly-devious Morning Walk?

A Storm of Thunder and Lightening. THOMSON.

"T

IS listening Fear, and dumb Amazement all: When to the startled Eye the fudden Glance Appears far South, eruptive thro' the Cloud; And following flower, in Explofion vast, The Thunder raises his tremendous Voice. At first, heard folemn o'er the Verge of Heaven, The Tempeft growls; but as it nearer comes, And rolls its awful Burden on the Wind, The Light'nings flash a larger Curve and more The Noife aftounds: 'till over Head a Sheet Of livid Flame difclofes wide, then shuts And opens wider, shuts and opens ftill Expanfive, wrapping Ether in a Blaze.

Fol

Follows the loofen'd aggravated Roar,
Enlarging, deepening, mingling, Peal on Peal
Crush'd horrible, convulfing Heaven and Earth.

Down comes a Deluge of fonorous Hail,
Or prone-defcending Rain. Wide-rent, the Clouds
Pour a whole Flood; and yet, its Flame unquench'd,
Th' unconquerable Lightʼning struggles thro'
Ragged and fierce, or in red whirling Balls,
And fires the Mountain with redoubled Rage,
Black from the Stroke, above, the fimouldring Pine
Stands a fad shatter'd Trunk; and, ftretch'd below,
A lifeless Groupe the blafted Cattle lie;

Here the foft Flocks, with that fame harmless Look They wore alive, and ruminating still

In Fancy's Eye! and there the frowning Bull,
And Ox half-rais'd, Struck on the caftled Cliff,
The venerable Tower and fpiry Fane

Refign their aged Pride. The gloomy Woods
Start at the Flash, and from the deep Recefs,
Wide-flaming out, their trembling Inmates shake.
Amid Carnarvon's Mountains rages loud
The repercuffive Roar: with mighty Crush,
Into the flafhing Deep, from the rude Rocks
Of Penmanmaur heap'd hideous to the Sky,
Tumble the fmitten Cliffs; and Snowden's Peak,
Diffolving, inftant yields his wintry Load.
Far feen, the Heights of heathy Cheviot blaze,
And Thule bellows thro' her utmoft Ifles.

A Prayer

A Prayer for the Profperity of Great-Britain.

Ο

THOMSON.

Thou! by whofe almighty Nod the Scale
Of Empire rifes, or alternate falls,

Send forth the faving VIRTUES round the Land,
In bright Patrole: White Peace, and focial Love;
The tender-looking Charity, intent

On gentle Deeds, and shedding Tears thro' Smiles;
Undaunted Truth, and Dignity of Mind;
Courage compos'd, and keen; found Temperance,
Healthful in Heart and Look; clear Chastity
With Blushes reddening as fhe moves along,
Disorder'd at the deep Regard the draws;
Rough Inauftry, Activity untir'd,

With copious Life inform'd, and all awake;
While in the radiant Front, fuperior shines.
That firft paternal Virtue, public Zeal,
Who throws o'er all an equal wide Survey,
And, ever mufing on the common Weal,
Still labours glorious with fome great Design.

Moral Reflections on a future State, THOMSON.

IS done!-Dread WinToo for de his
latest Glooms,

And reigns tremendous o'er the conquer'd Year.
How dead the vegetable Kingdom lies!..
How dumb the tuneful! Horror wide extends
His defolate Domain. Behold, fond Man!
See here thy pictur'd Life; pass some few Years
Thy flowering Spring, thy Summer's ardent
Strength,

Thy

1

Thy fober Autumn fading into Age,

And pale concluding Winter comes at last,
And shuts the Scene. Ah! whither now are fled
Thofe Dreams of Greatness; those unfolid Hopes
Of Happiness? thofe Longings after Fame?
Thole reflefs Cares? thofe bufy bustling Days?
Thofe gay-fpent, feftive-Nights? thofe veering
Thoughts,

Loft between Good and Ill, that fhar'd thy Life?
All now are vanish'd! Virtue fole furvives,
Immortal, never-failing Friend of Man,
His Guide to Happinefs on high. And fee!
'Tis come, the glorious Morn! the second Birth
Of Heaven and Earth! Awakening Nature hears
The new-creating Word, and ftarts to Life,
In every heighten'd Form, from Pain and Death
For ever free. The great eternal Scheme
Involving All, and in a perfect Whole
Uniting, as the Prospect wider spreads.
To Reason's Eye refin'd clears up apace.
Ye vainly Wile! ye blind Prefumptuous! now,
Confounded in the Duft, adore that Power,
And Wildom oft arraign'd: See now the Caufe,
Why unaffuming Worth in fecret liv'd,

od dy'd, neglected: Why the good Man's S
In Life was Gall and Bitterness of Soul;
Why the lone Widow, and her Orphans pin'd,
In ftarving Solitude; while Luxury,

In Palaces, lay ftraining her low Thoughts,
To form unreal-Wants: Why Heaven-born Truth
And Moderation fair, wore the red Marks
Of Superftition's Scourge: Why licens'd Pain,
That cruel Spoiler, that embofom'd Foe,

Im

Imbitter'd all our Bliss. Ye good Distrest!
Ye noble Few! who here unbending stand
Beneath Life's Preffure, yet bear up a while,
And what your bounded View, which only faw
A little Part, deem'd Evil is no more:

The Storms of Win'try Time will quickly pafs,
And one unbounded Spring encircle All.

F

A PRAYER.

THOMSON.

ATHER of Light and Life! thou good fupreme! O teach me what is good! teach me Thyself! Save me from Folly, Vanity, and Vice,

From every low Pursuit ! and feed my Soul
With Knowledge, confcious Peace, and Virtue Pure,
Sacred, fubftantial, never-fading Blifs!

Man a Miracle to Himself.

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YOUNG.

OW poor? how rich? how abject? how august? How complicate? how wonderful is Man? How paffing wonder HE, who made him such ? Who center'd in our Make fuch ftrange Extremes ? From different Natures marvelously mixt, Connexion exquifite of diftant Worlds! Distinguisht Link in Being's endless Chain! Midway from Nothing to the Deity! A Beam æthereal, fully'd, and absorpt! Tho' fally'd and difhonour'd, ftill Divine ! Dim Miniature of Greatness abfolute ! An Heir of Glory! a frail Child of Dust! Helpless Immortal! Infect Infinite!

A Worm! a God !-I tremble at myself,

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