And wonted vigour, of paternal cot Or little farm; of bag, or scrip, or staff, Cup, dish, spoon, plate, or worldly utensil, A poet fram'd; yet fram'd not to repine, And wish the cobler's loftiest site his own; Nor, partial as they seem, upbraid the Fates, Who to the humbler mechanism join'd Goods so superior, such exalted bliss!
See with what seeming ease, what labour'd peace, He, hapless hypocrite! refines his nail,
His chief amusement! then how feign'd, how forc'd, That care-defying sonnet which implies His debts discharg'd, and he of half a crown In full possession, uncontested right
And property. Yet, ah! whoe'er this wight Admiring view, if such there be, distrust
The vain pretence; the smiles that harbour grief, As lurks the serpent deep in flow'rs enwreath'd. Forewarn'd, be frugal; or with prudent rage Thy pen demolish; choose the trustier flail, And bless those labours which the choice inspir'd. But if thou view'st a vulgar mind, a wight Of common sense, who seeks no brighter name, Him envy, him admire, him from thy breast, Prescient of future dignities, salute Sheriff, or may'r, in comfortable furs
Enwrapt, secure; nor yet the laureat's crown In thought exclude him! he perchance shall rise To nobler heights than foresight can decree. When fir'd with wrath for his intrigues display'd In many an idle song, Saturnian Jove
Vow'd sure destruction to the tuneful race, Appeas'd by suppliant Phœbus; ' Bards,' he said,
'Henceforth of plenty, wealth, and pomp, debarr'd, But fed by frugal cares, might wear the bay Secure of thunder.'-Low the Delian bow'd, Nor at the' invidious favour dar'd repine.
THE EFFECTS OF SUPERSTITION.
Ar length fair Peace, with olive crown'd, regains Her lawful throne, and to the sacred haupts Of wood or fount the frighted Muse returns. Happy the bard who, from his native hills, Soft musing on a summer's eve, surveys His azure stream, with pensile woods enclos'd, Or o'er the glassy surface with his friend, Or faithful fair, through bordering willows green Wafts his small frigate. Fearless he of shouts Or taunts, the rhetoric of the watery crew, That ape confusion from the realms they rule; Fearless of these; who shares the gentler voice Of peace and music; birds of sweetest song Attune from native boughs their various lay, And cheer the forest; birds of brighter plume With busy pinion skim the glitt'ring wave, And tempt the sun, ambitious to display Their several merit, while the vocal flute Or number'd verse, by female voice endear'd, Crowns his delight, and mollifies the scene. If Solitude his wandering steps invite
To some more deep recess, (for hours there are When gay, when social minds to Friendship's voice Or Beauty's charm her wild abodes prefer)
How pleas'd he treads her venerable shades, Her solemn courts! the centre of the grove! The root-built cave, by far-extended rocks Around embosom'd, how it soothes the soul! If scoop'd at first by superstitious hands The rugged cell receiv'd alone the shoals Of bigot minds, Religion dwells not here, Yet Virtue pleas'd, at intervals, retires: Yet here may Wisdom, as she walks the maze, Some serious truths collect, the rules of life, And serious truths of mightier weight than gold! I ask not wealth; but let me hoard with care, With frugal cunning, with a niggard's art, A few fix'd principles, in early life,
Ere indolence impede the search, explor'd; Then like old Latimer, when age impairs My judgment's eye, when quibbling schools attack My grounded hope, or subtler wits deride, Will I not blush to shun the vain debate, And this mine answer: Thus, 'twas thus I thought, My mind yet vigorous, and my soul entire ; Thus will I think, averse to listen more To intricate discussion, prone to stray. Perhaps my reason may but ill defend My settled faith; my mind, with age impair'd, Too sure its own infirmities declare.
But I am arm'd by caution, studious youth, And early foresight: now the winds may rise, The tempest whistle, and the billows roar; My pinnace rides in port, despoil'd and worn, Shatter'd by time and storms, but while it shuns The' unequal conflict, and declines the deep, Sees the strong vessel fluctuate, less secure.'
Thus while he strays, a thousand rural scenes
Suggest instruction, and instructing please : And see betwixt the grove's extended arms An Abbey's rude remains attract thy view, Gilt by the mid-day sun: with lingering step Produce thine axe, (for, aiming to destroy Tree, branch, or shade, for never shall thy breast Too long deliberate) with timorous hand Remove the' obstructive bough; nor yet refuse, Though sighing, to destroy that favourite pine, Rais'd by thine hand, in its luxuriant prime Of beauty fair, that screens the vast remains. Aggriev'd, but constant as the Roman sire, The rigid Manlius, when his conquering son Bled by a parent's voice, the cruel meed Of virtuous ardour timelessly display'd; Nor cease till, through the gloomy road, the pile Gleam unobstructed: thither oft thine eye Shall sweetly wander; thence returning, sooth With pensive scenes thy philosophic mind.
These were thy haunts, thy opulent abodes, O Superstition! hence the dire disease (Balanc'd with which the fam'd Athenian pest Were a short headach, were the trivial pain Of transient indigestion) seiz'd mankind.
Long time she rag'd, and scarce a'southern gale Warm'd our chill air, unloaded with the threats Of tyrant Rome; but futile all, till she, Rome's abler legate, magnified their pow'r, And in a thousand horrid forms attir'd.
Where then was truth to sanctify the page Of British annals? if a foe expir'd, The perjur'd monk suborn'd infernal shrieks And fiends to snatch at the departing soul With hellish emulation; if a friend,
High o'er his roof exultant angels tune
Their golden lyres, and waft him to the skies. What then were vows, were oaths, were plighted faith?
The sovereign's just, the subject's loyal pact, To cherish mutual good, annull'd and vain, By Roman magic, grew an idle scroll Ere the frail sanction of the wax was cold. With thee, Plantagenet'! from civil broils The land awhile respir'd, and all was peace. Then Becket rose, and, impotent of mind, From regal courts with lawless fury march'd The church's blood-stain'd convicts, and forgave, Bid murderous priests the sovereign frown contemn, And with unhallow'd crosier bruis'd the crown.. Yet yielded not supinely tame a prince Of Henry's virtues; learn'd, courageous, wise, Of fair ambition. Long his regal soul, Firm and erect, the peevish priest exil'd, And brav'd the fury of revengeful Rome. In vain! let one faint malady diffuse
The pensive gloom which Superstition loves, And see him, dwindled to a recreant groom, Rein the proud palfrey while the priest ascends! Was Coeur-de-Lion 2 bless'd with whiter days? Here the cowl'd zealots with united cries Urg'd the crusade; and see! of half his stores Despoil'd the wretch whose wiser bosom chose To bless his friends, his race, his native land.
Of ten fair suns that roll'd their annual race, Not one beheld him on his vacant throne; While haughty Longchamp 3, 'mid his liveried files
1 Henry II. 2 Richard I. 3 Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor.
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