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By SCIENCE youthful minds are taught to know, What to their God, their Country, Friends, they owe; Life's glorious scope, and whence it first began, What springs direct the Microcosm, Man; What bids a favage like a fage to fhine, Or makes an * Attila an† Antonine; All that ennobles man's exalted race, All that Religion, Virtue, Truth, embrace! 'Tis ber's with loftier feelings to inspire, And fit a mortal for the heavenly choir!

* The tyrannical King of the Hunns.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, equally fam'd for his clemency and philofophy.

VERSES,

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Written and pronounced as an Exercise at the Public Commencement, May 30, 1765, on taking the Degree of M. A. in faid College.

"TWA

WAS nobly done! the Mufe's feat to
raise

In this fair land, and earn immortal praise !
To civilize our firft fam'd fires began,'
'Twas yours to profecute the glorious plan;
They peopled deserts with unwearied toil,
Establish'd laws and till'd the fruitful foil;
'Twas yours to call in each refining art,
T'improve the manners and exalt the heart;
To train the rifing race in wifdom's lore,
And teach them virtue's fummit to explore.

What land than this can choicer bleffings claim, Where facred liberty has fixt her name;

Where

Where o'er each field gay Plenty spreads her ftore, * river laves the winding fhore;

Free as yon
Where active Trade pours forth her jovial train.
O'er the green bosom of the boundless main;
Where honeft Induftry's bright tools refound,
And Peace her olive scepter waves around?
To fuch a state fair SCIENCE to convey,
And beam afar the philofophic day;

To make our native treasures doubly bleft,
Was fure a scheme to fire each worthy breaft;
Was fit for gen'rous patriots to pursue,

Was fit for learning's patrons and for

-

you!

As from the east yon orb first darts his ray

O'er heav'ns blue vault, and weftward bends his

way,

So Science in the orient climes begun,

And, like bright Sol, a western circuit run;

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From eastern realms to Greece was learning brought, What e'er Pythagoras or Cadmus taught;

Her form illuftrious Athens did illume,

And rais'd the genius of imperial Rome;

From Latium's plains fhe fought Britannia's fhore, And bid her barb'rous fons be rude no more;

*The Delaware.

Fierce

Fierce nations roam'd around the rugged ifle,"
Till Science on its fields began to smile;

Fair Cam and Ifis heard no mufe's strains,

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Their fhades were trod by wolves and fiercer Danes,
Till with the ARTS Augufta's grandeur rofe,
And her loud thunder fhook the deep's repose.
Juft fo, in time (if right the Mufe defcries)
Shall this wide realm with tow'ry cities rife ;
The spacious Delaware, thro' future fong,
Shall roll in deathlefs majefty along;

Each

grove and mountain fhall be facred made, As now is Cooper's hill and Windfor's fhade.

Flush'd with the thought I'm borne to ages hence, The mufe-wrought vision rushes on my fenfe. Methinks MESSIAH's enfign I behold

In the deep gloom of yonder fhades unroll'd,
And hear the Gofpel's filver clarion found,
Roufing with heav'nly ftrains the heathen round;
Methinks I hear the nations fhout aloud,
And to the glory-beaming ftandard crowd;
New infpirations fhake each trembling frame,
The PARACLETE pours forth the lambent flame,
In renovating streams on ev'ry foul,

While through their breasts celestial transports roll.
Stupendous

Stupendous change! methinks th' effects appear;
In the dark region facred temples rear
Their lofty heads; fair cities ftrike my fight,
And heav'n-taught Science spreads a dazzling light
O'er the rough scene, where error's court was found,
And red-ey'd flaughter crimfon'd all the ground.

O hafte, bleft days! till ign'rance flee the ball, And the bright rays of knowledge lighten all, Till in yon wild new feats of Science rife, And fuch as you the arts fhall patronize!

For this your names fhall fwell the trump of fame, And ages yet unborn your worth proclaim.

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