Dull and inanimate, no more shall hang
Chained to its object in brute slavery;
But taught with patient interest to watch
The processes of things, and serve the cause
Of order and distinctness, not for this
Shall it forget that its most noble use,
Its most illustrious province, must be found
In furnishing clear guidance, a support
Not treacherous, to the mind's excursive power.
-So build we up the Being that we are;
Thus deeply drinking-in the soul of things,
We shall be wise perforce; and, while inspired
By choice, and conscious that the Will is free,
Shall move unswerving, even as if impelled
By strict necessity, along the path

Of order and of good. Whate'er we see,
Whate'er we feel, shall tend to feed and nurse,
By agency direct or indirect,

Our faculties; shall fix in calmer seats

Of moral strength, and raise to loftier heights Of divine love, our intellectual soul."

Here closed the Sage that eloquent harangue, Poured forth with fervour in continuous stream Such as, remote, mid savage wilderness, An Indian Chief discharges from his breast Into the hearing of assembled tribes,

In

open circle seated round, and hushed As the unbreathing air, when not a leaf

Stirs in the mighty woods.-So did he speak :
The words he uttered shall not pass away
Dispersed, like music that the wind takes up
By snatches, and lets fall, to be forgotten;
No-they sank into me, the bounteous gift
Of one whom time and nature had made wise,
Gracing his doctrine with authority
Which hostile spirits silently allow;

Of one accustomed to desires that feed
On fruitage gathered from the tree of life;
To hopes on knowledge and experience built;
Of one in whom persuasion and belief
Had ripened into faith, and faith become
A passionate intuition; whence the Soul,
Though bound to earth by ties of pity and love,
From all injurious servitude was free.

The Sun, before his place of rest were reached, Had yet to travel far, but unto us,

To us who stood low in that hollow dell,
He had become invisible,-
-a pomp
Leaving behind of yellow radiance spread
Over the mountain sides, in contrast bold
With ample shadows, seemingly, no less
Than those resplendent lights, his rich bequest;
A dispensation of his evening power.
-Adown the path that from the glen had led
The funeral train, the Shepherd and his Mate
Were seen descending :-forth to greet them ran

Our little Page: the rustic pair approach;
And in the Matron's aspect may be read
A plain assurance that the words, which told
How that neglected Pensioner was sent
Before his time into a quiet grave,

Had done to her humanity no wrong :
But we are kindly welcomed-promptly served
With ostentatious zeal.—Along the floor
Of the small Cottage in the lonely Dell
A grateful couch was spread for our repose;
Where, in the guise of mountaineers, we slept,
Stretched upon fragrant heath, and lulled by sound
Of far-off torrents charming the still night,
And, to tired limbs and over-busy thoughts,
Inviting sleep and soft forgetfulness.

END OF THE FOURTH BOOK.

THE EXCURSION.

BOOK V.

THE PASTOR.

ARGUMENT.

Page 165, Farewell to the Valley-166, Reflections-168, A large and populous Vale described-169, The Pastor's Dwelling, and some account of him-170, Church and Monuments-172, The Solitary musing, and where—173, Roused—174, In the Churchyard the Solitary communicates the thoughts which had recently passed through his mind—174, Lofty tone of the Wanderer's discourse of yesterday adverted to 175, Rite of Baptism, and the professions accompanying it, contrasted with the real state of human life—176, Apology for the Rite—178, Inconsistency of the best men—179, Acknowledgment that practice falls far below the injunctions of duty as existing in the mind-179, General complaint of a falling-off in the value of life after the time of youth-180, Outward appearances of content and happiness in degree illusive-181, Pastor approaches-182, Appeal made to him—182, His answer-185, Wanderer in sympathy with him-186, Suggestion that the least ambitious Inquirers may be most free from error-187, The Pastor is desired to give some portraits of the living or dead from his own observation of life among these Mountains-and for what purpose-189, Pastor consents 189, Mountain cottage-190, Excellent qualities of its Inhabitants-195, Solitary expresses his pleasure; but denies the praise of virtue to worth of this kind—197, Feelings of the Priest before he enters upon his account of persons interred in the Church-yard -199, Graves of unbaptized Infants-200, Funeral and sepulchral observances, whence-200, Ecclesiastical Establishments, whence derived-201, Profession of belief in the doctrine of Immortality.