網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

Rude earth-bred ftorms o'er meaner valleys blow, 375
And wandering mists roll, blackening, far below;
Dark, and debas'd, like them, is Envy's aim,
And clear, and eminent, like Truth, thy fame.
Thus I. From what dire caufe can envy spring?
Or why embofom we a viper's fting?

'Tis Envy ftings our darling paffion, pride.
Alas! (the man of mighty foul replied)

Why chufe we miseries? Most derive their birth
From one bad fource-we dread fuperior worth;
Prefer'd, it feems a fatire on our own;
Then heedless to excel we meanly moan:
Then we abstract our views, and Envy show,

380

385

390

395

Whence fprings the mifery, pride is doom'd. to know.
Thus folly pain creates: By wisdom's power,
We fhun the weight of many a restless hour-
Lo! I meet wrong; perhaps the wrong I feel
Tends, by the fcheme of things, to public weal.
I, of the whole, am part-the joy men see,
Muft circulate, and fo revolve to me.
Why should I then of private lofs complain ?
Of lofs, that proves, perchance, a brother's gain?
The wind, that binds one bark within the bay,
May waft a richer freight its will'd-for way.
If rains redundant flood the abject ground,
Mountains are but fupplied, when vales are drown'd; 400
If, with foft moifture fwell'd, the vale looks gay,
The verdure of the mountain fades away.
Shall clouds but at my welfare's call defcend?
Shall gravity for me her laws fufpend?

For

For me fhall funs their noon-tide course forbear? 405
Or motion not fubfift to influence air?

Let the means vary, be they froft, or flame,
Thy end, O Nature! ftill remains the fame!
Be this the motive of a wife man's care,-
To fhun deferving ills, and learn to bear.

410

WH

CANTO II.

HILE thus a mind humane, and wife, he shows,
All eloquent of truth his language flows.

Youth, though deprefs'd, through all his form appears;
Through all his fentiments the depth of years.
Thus he-Yet farther Industry behold,

[ocr errors]

Which confcious waits new wonders to unfold.
Enter my chapel next-Lo! here begin
The hallow'd rites, that check the growth of fin.
When first we met, how foon you feem'd to know
My bofom, labouring with the throbs of woe!
76
Such racking throbs!-Soft! when I roufe thofe cares,
On my
chill'd mind pale Recollection glares!
When moping Frenzy strove my thoughts to sway,
Here prudent labours chac'd her power away.

Full, and rough-rifing from yon fculptur'd wall, 15
Bold prophets nations to repentance call!;

Meek martyrs fmile in flames! gor'd champions groan ! And mufe-like cherubs tune their harps in stone!

[blocks in formation]

Next fhadow'd light a rounding force bestows,
Swells into life, and speaking action grows!
Here pleafing, melancholy fubjects find,
To calm, amufe, exalt the pensive mind!
This figure tender grief, like mine, implies,
And femblant thoughts, that earthly pomp despise.
Such penitential Magdalene reveals;
Loose-veil'd, in negligence of charms she kneels.
Though drefs, near-flor'd, its vanity fupplies,
The vanity of dress unheeded lies.
The finful world in forrowing eye he keeps,
As o'er Jerufalem Messiah weeps.

One hand her bofom fmites; in one appears

The lifted lawn, that drinks her falling tears.

Since evil outweighs good, and fways mankind, True fortitude affumes the patient mind:

20

25

30

Such prov'd Meffiah's, though to fuffering born, 35
To penury, repulfe, reproach, and fcorn.
Here, by the pencil, mark his flight design'd;
The weary'd virgin by a stream reclin'd,
Who feeds the child. Her looks a charm express,
A modeft charm, that dignifies distress.

Boughs o'er their heads with blushing fruits depend,
Which angels to her bufied confort bend.
Hence by the smiling infant seems discern'd,
Trifles, concerning Him, all heaven concern'd.
Here the transfigur'd Son from earth retires
See! the white form in a bright cloud aspires!
Full on his followers burts a flood of rays,
Proftrate they fall beneath th' o'erwhelming blaze!

40

45

Like

Like noon-tide fummer-funs the rays appear,
Unfufferable, magnificent, and near!

What fcene of agony the garden brings;

The cup of gall; the fuppliant King of kings! The crown of thorns; the cross, that felt him die ; These, languid in the sketch, unfinish'd lie.

50

There, from the dead, centurions fee him rise, 55 See! but ftruck down with horrible surprize ! As the first glory feem'd a fun at noon, This cafts the filver splendor of the moon. Here peopled day, th' afcending God furveys ! The glory varies, as the myriads gaze!

60

65

Now foften'd, like a fun at diftance feen,
When through a cloud bright-glancing, yet ferene !
Now faft-encreasing to the croud amaz'd,
Like fome vaft meteor high in æther rais'd!
My labour, yon high-vaulted altar stains
With dies, that emulate ætherial plains.
The convex glass, which in that opening glows,
Mid circling rays a pictur'd Saviour shows!
Bright it collects the beams, which, trembling all,
Back from the God, a fhowery radiance fall.
Lightening the fcene beneath! a scene divine!
Where faints, clouds, feraphs, intermingled shine!
Here water-falls, that play melodious round,

༡༠

Like a fweet organ, fwell a lofty found!
The folemn notes bid earthly paffions fly,
Lull all my cares, and lift my foul on high!
This monumental marble-this I rear
To one-Oh! ever mourn'd!-Oh! ever dear!

75

He ftopt-pathetic fighs the paufe fupply,

And the prompt tear starts, quivering, on his eye! 80

I look'd-two columns near the wall were feen,
An imag'd beauty ftretch'd at length between.
Near the wept fair, her harp Cecilia ftrung;
Leaning, from high, a listening angel hung!
Friendship, whofe figure at the feet remains,
A phoenix, with irradiate creft, fuftains

85

90

95

This grac'd one palm, while one extends t'impart
Two foreign hands, that clasp a burning heart.
A pendent veil two hovering feraphs raise,"
Which opening heaven upon the roof displays!
And two, benevolent, lefs-diftant, hold
A vafe, collective of perfumes uprol!'d!
These from the heart, by Friendship held, arise,
Odorous as incenfe gathering in the skies.
In the fond pelican is love exprest,
Who opens to her young her tender breast.
Two mated turtles hovering hang in air,
One by a faulcon ftruck !-in wild despair,
The hermit cries-So death, alas! destroys
The tender confort of my cares and joys!
Again faft tears upon his eye-lid hung,
Again check'd founds dy'd, fluttering, on his tongue.
Too well his pining inmost thought I know!

100

Too well ev'n filence tells the story'd woe!

To his my fighs, to his my tears reply !

105

I ftray o'er all the tomb a watery eye!

Next, on the wall, her fcenes of life I gaz'd, The form back-leaning, by a globe half-rais'd!

Cherubs

« 上一頁繼續 »