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AN EPISTLE TO MIRA.

1

W flow to him who feels the fmart of love

HTime's leaden hours to move!

Time's leaden hours to fweet poffeffion move!
His wing'd defires out-ftrip each tardy morn;
Eager he cries-long-wifh'd for day be born,
When to my heart foft vows fhall Mira tie,
And love's own laws the priest shall fanctify!
Dull lingering days revolve, and nights fucceed,
And still on love's fond dreams I hapless feed.
The throbs of paffion, and the heart-felt pain,

The hope far diftant, and the longing vain ;

The figh unfeigned, the bofom's troublous fwell-
Ah! what are thefe ?- fay lovers, ye can tell!

What shall divide the pair whom love hath join'd,
And heaven hath form'd with fympathy of mind?
Shall grov'ling fortune bafely interpose,

To part thofe hearts where mutual paffion glows?
Forbid it love! For raiment, house and food,
Thefe brows fhall be with honeft sweat bedew'd.
Early each morn I'll wake the cherub health,
And cheerful industry's best prize is wealth;

We'll

We'll bound our wishes in a temp'rate round,
Yet fhall our table be with plenty crown'd;

No friend, nor ftranger, will we fend away
Without a meal, and glass, difcreetly gay;
Neat elegance fhall deck our little store,
And fair œconomy fhall keep the door;
How fhall the proud with wonder then behold
Our blissful lives without a hoard of gold!

Oh then! my Mira, love-infpiring fair,
Who with thy fwain should then in bliss compare ?
Not only that thy beauty's pleasing charms

Shall fire my panting foul with love's alarms;
Nor that thy cheek which fhames the peach's bloom,
And ruby lips that breathe divine perfume,
Enchant me all; nor yet thy fpotless breast,
Which gently heaves, can make me wholly bleft.
'Tis that thy manners, void of guile and art,
Speak the internal goodness of thy heart;
'Tis that thy fweetnefs heightens ev'ry grace,
And dove-like innocence adorns thy face.
'Tis that thy foul is warm'd with virtue's fire,
Merit can love, and real worth admire!
Can view a coxcomb's tinfel and despise,
And fenfe, without a figure, truly prize.

**

*But to the world no bugbear is fo great, As want of figure and a small eftate.

POPE.

Can

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Can with thy lover feel unfeign'd defire,
And own that paffion which thy charms inspire.
Nor blush at thefe, thou deareft, lovely maid;

These shall attract, when beauty's bloom fhall fade;
When all the radiance of thy form fhall die,
These, with fresh luftre, fhall thy age supply;
Enhance our love when fprightly youth is past,
Improve with years, and all our lives fhall laft.

AN

A N

ORATION

Ο Ν

SCIENC E.

Spoken at a Performance of SOLEMN MUSIC and ORATORY, in the Hall of the College of PHILA

DELPHIA.

N Wisdom's lore the tender mind to frame,

IN

The youthful breaft to fire with virtue's flame, The thoughts to raife, the paffions to control, And plant each godlike purpose in the foul; TO SCIENCE this illuftrious field's affign'd, To beam the rays of knowledge o'er mankind For this were plan'd the noble laws of art, T' unfold the embrio powers of the heart; To guide each movement to its native goal, And scan the fyftems of this mighty whole!

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Heav'n has on man the reasoning gift bestow'd, And in his breaft fublime ideas fow'd;

But as it fares with rich luxuriant land,

When left to chance, nor till'd by culture's hand,
For fragrant flowers the rankling weeds arise,
Poifon the plains and all their charms disguise;
So when the thoughts are in a lawless state,
Which in the mind's fair garden vegetate,
Soon fball intentions foul pollute the breast,
Like noxious weeds that flow'ry lawns infeft.

Not more diftinguish'd in creation's chain
Is man, by reafon, o'er the bestial train,
Than man from man, by education made,
When native fenfe by Science is array'd,
When ev'ry faculty matur'd by fkill,
Obeys the dictates of the fapient will;

Then, led by Science, fancy wings her flight
Round the wide world, or to the realms of light,
Extracting wifdom from each scene below,

Or foaring 'mid the radiant planets glow ;Where, wonder ftruck!- fhe finds their sparkling

rays,

But bright reflections from the folar blaze!

And views with fteady eye thofe wandering stars, That fright the world with prodigies and wars!

By

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