The infant, rear'd alone for earth, May live, may die,-to curse his birth; Is this a mother's love? A parent's heart may prove a snare; Blest infant! whom his mother taught And pour'd upon his dawning thought Behold that mother's love. Blest mother! who, in wisdom's path, Thus taught her son to flee the wrath, Ah! youth, like him enjoy your prime, Taught by that mother's love, That mother's love!-how sweet the name! As much of heaven as heart can hold, This was that mother's love. HUMAN KNOWLEDGE. HOWELL Ip of the smallest star in sky If those pure sparks that stars compose How then, poor shallow man, canst thou If we know not the air we draw, If scarce a cause we ken below; If it be a mysterious thing, Why steel should to the loadstone cling; If we scarce know the earth we tread, Which for man's health and food she brings; If Nature's so obscure, then how Can we the God of Nature know? What the hat's eye is to the sun; Or of a glow-worm to the moon; ELL. sky ty; stars compose O pose; Ow man, canst thou Lories know? adstone cling; ould draw a straw; reveal. ders heal; h we tread, e bred, nd things food she brings; then how Cure know? e sun; noon; The same is human intellect, Whose magnitude is so immense, That it transcends both soul and sense. Poor purblind man! then sit thee still; While she the wanton with the flame doth play, WONDERS AND MURMURS. HALL. STRANGE, that the Wind should be left so free, To play with a flower, or tear a tree; To range or ramble where'er it will, And, as it lists, to be fierce or still; Above and around to breathe of life, Or to mingle the earth and sky in strife; Gently to whisper, with morning light, Yet to growl like a fetter'd fiend ere night; Or to love, and cherish, and bless, to-day, What to-morrow it ruthlessly rends away! Strange, that the Sun should call into birth All the fairest flowers and fruits of earth, Then bid them perish, and see them die, While they cheer the soul and gladden the eye. At morn, its child is the pride of SpringAt night, a shrivell'd and loathsome thing! To-day, there is hope and life in its breath! To-morrow, it shrinks to a useless death. Strange doth it seem, that the Sun should joy To give life, alone, that it may destroy. Strange, that the Ocean should come and go, With its daily and nightly ebb and flow,Should bear on its placid breast at morn,The bark that ere night will be tempest-torn; Or cherish it all the way it must roam, To leave it a wreck within sight of home: To smile, as the mariner's toils are o'er, Then wash the dead to the cottage door; And gently ripple along the strand, To watch the widow behold him land! But, stranger than all, that man should die, Alas! if we murmur at things like these, pride of Springloathsome thing! life in its breath! a useless death. t the Sun should joy may destroy. hould come and go, webb and flow,breast at morn,-ill be tempest-torn; t must roam, sight of home: toils are o'er, e cottage door; ne strand, d him land! at man should die, nim part of its clay; is labour in vain; and wisdom woe; care and strife, cup of life! Ings like these, If we know 'tis well that such change shou ETERNITY. BOYSE. WHENCE sprung this glorious frame? or whence arose The various forms the universe compose? Sing, heavenly Guide! whose all efficient light First Cause of causes! Sire supreme of birth! Sole light of heaven! acknowledged life of earth: Whose Word from nothing call'd this beauteous whole, This wide expanded all from pole to pole! Should we, deceived by error's sceptic glass, BOYSE. In different individuals we find An evident disparity of mind; Hence ductile thought a thousand changes gains, And actions vary as the will ordains; But should two beings equally supreme, Divided power and parted empire claim; How soon would universal order cease! How soon would discord harmony displace! Eternal schemes maintain eternal fight, Nor yield, supported by eternal might; Where each would uncontroll'd his aim pursue, The links dissever, or the chain renew! Matter from motion cross impressions take, As served each power his rival's power to break, While neutral Chaos, from his deep recess, Would view the never-ending strife increase, And bless the contest that secured his peace! While new creations would opposing rise, And elemental war deform the skies; Around wild uproar and confusion hurl'd, Eclipse the heavens, and waste the ruin'd world. |