No wither'd witch fhall here be seen, No goblins lead their nightly crew; The red-breaft oft at evening hours To deck the ground where thou art laid. When howling winds, and beating rain, The tender thought on thee shall dwell: Each lonely fcene fhali thee reftore, How : ODE, Written in the Year 1746. fleep the brave, who fink to reft By all their country's wishes bleft! When Spring, with dewy fingers cold, Returns to deck their hallow'd mould, She there fhall dress a sweeter fod, Than Fancy's feet have ever trod. By Fairy hands their knell is rung, By forms unfeen their dirge is fung There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey, To dwell a weeping hermit there. IF ODE, TO EVENING. aught of oaten ftop, or paftoral song, May hope, chafte Eve, to foothe thy modeft ear, Like thy own folemn springs, Thy fprings, and dying gales; O nymph referv'd, while now the bright-hair'd fun O'erhang his wavy bed: Now air is hush'd, fave where the weak-eyed bat, With fhort fhrill fhriek flits by on leathern wing, Or where the beetle winds His fmall but fullen horn, As oft he rifes 'midft the twilight path, To breathe fome foften'd ftrain, Whofe numbers ftealing thro' thy darkening vale, May not unfeemly with its ftillness fuit, As, mufing flow, I hail Thy genial lov'd return! For when thy folding-ftar arifing shows The fragrant hours, and elves Who flept in buds the day, And many a nymph who wreathes her brows with fedge, And sheds the freshening dew; and, lovlier ftill, The penfive pleasures sweet Prepare thy fhadowy car. Then let me rove fome wild and heathy scene, Whose walls more awful nod By thy religious gleams. Or if chill bluftering winds, or driving rain, Views wilds and swelling floods, And hamlets brown, and dim-discover'd fpires, The gradual dusky veil. While Spring fhall pour his show'rs, as oft he wont, While fallow Autumn fills thy lap with leaves, And rudely rends thy robes; So long, regardful of thy quiet rule, Shall Fancy, Friendship, Science, fmiling Peace, Thy gentleft influence own, And love thy favourite name! SELIM; Or, The Shepherd's Moral. AN ORIENTAL ECLOGUE. Scene, a Valley near Bagdat.----Time, the Morning. "YE Persian maids, attend your poet's lays, Or taught the fwains that surest blifs to find, "Ye Perfian dames," he faid, "to you belong "( (Well may they please) the morals of my fong: "No fairer maids, I truft, than you are found, "Grac'd with foft arts, the peopled world around! "The morn that lights you, to your loves fupplies "Each gentler ray, delicious to your eyes; "For you thofe ow'rs her fragrant hands bestow, “And yours the love that kings delight to know. M "Yet think not these, all-beauteous as they are, "The best kind bleffings Heaven can grant the fair: "Who truft alone in beauty's feeble ray, "Boaft but the worth Ballora's* pearls difplay! "Drawn from the deep, we own the furface bright; "But, dark within, they drink no luftrous light. "Such are the maids, and fuch the charms they boast, "By fenfe unaided, or to virtue loft. "Self-flatt'ring fex! your hearts believe in vain "That Love fhall blind, when once he fires the fwain ; "Or hope a lover by your faults to win, "As fpots on ermine beautify the skin : "Who feeks fecure to rule, be firft her care "Each fofter virtue that adorns the fair; "Each tender paffion man delights to find, "The lov'd perfection of a female mind! "Bleft were the days when Wisdom held her reign, "And fhepherds fought her on the filent plain; "With Truth fhe wedded in the fecret grove, "Immortal Truth! and daughters bless'd their love. "O hafte, fair maids! ye virtues, come away! "Sweet Peace and Plenty lead you on your way! "The balmy fhrub for you shall love our shore, "By Ind excell'd, or Araby, no more. "Loft to our fields, for fo the fates ordain, "The dear deferters fhall return again. "Come thou whofe thoughts as limpid fprings are clear, "To lead the train, fweet Modefty! appear: "Here make thy court amdst our rural scene, "And shepherd girls fhall own thee for their queen: *The Gulf of that name, famous for the pearl-fishery. |