The worm, aware of his intent,
Harangued him thus, right eloquent;
"Did you admire my lamp," quoth he,
"As much as I your minstrelfy,
You would abhor to do me wrong,
As much as I to fpoil your fong:
For twas the felf-fame Power divine
Taught you to fing, and me to fhine;
That you with mufic, I with light,
Might beautify and cheer the night."
The fongiter heard his fhort oration,
And, warbling out his approbation,
Releaf'd him, as y story tells,
And found a fupper fomewhere else.
Hence, jarring fetaries may learn
Their real int'reft to difcern,

That brother fhould not war with brother,
And worry and devour each other:
But fing and fhine by fweet confent,
Till life's poor tranfient night is spent ;
Refpecting, in each other's cafe,
The gifts of nature and of grace.

Thofe Chriftians beft deterve the name,
Who ftudioufly make peace their aim;
Peace, both the duty and the prize
Of him that creeps, and him that flies.

SECTION III.

The Trials of Virtue.

PLAC'D on the verge of youth, my mind
Life's op'ning fcene furvey'd :

I view'd its ills of various kind,

Afflicted and afraid.

But chief my fear the dangers mov'd,
That virtue's path enclose:

My heart the wife purfuit approv'd;
But O, what toils oppofe !

For fee, ah fee! while yet her ways
With doubtful step I tread,
A hoftile world its terrors raife,
Its fnares delufive fpread.

O how fhall I with heart prepar'd,
Thofe terrors learn to meet?

COWPER

How, from the thousand fnares to guard: My unexperienc'd feet?

As thus I mus'd, oppreffive fleep

Soft o'er my temples drew Oblivion's veil-The wat'ry deep,

An object ftrange and new,

Before me rofe: on the wide shore
Obfervant as 1 ftood,

The gathering ftorms around me roar,
And heave the boiling flood.

Near and more near the billows rife ;
Ev'n now my steps they lave;
And death to my affrighted eyess
Approach'd in every wave.
What hope, or whither to retreat !
Each nerve at once unftrung;
Chill fear had fetter'd fat my feet
And chain'd my fpeechless tongue.
I felt my heart within me die ;
When fudden to mine ear
A voice defcending from on high,
Reprov'd my erring fear.

"What tho' the fwelling furge thou fee Impatient to devour ; .

Reft, mortal, reft on God's decree,
And thankful own his pow'r."

Know, when he bade the deep appear,
"Thus far, th' Almighty faid,
"Thus far, no farther, rage; and here
"Let thy proud waves be stay'd.”
I heard; and lo! at once controll'd,.
The waves in wild retreat

Back on themfelves reluctant roll'd,
And murm'ring left my feet.
Deeps to affembling deeps in vain

Once more the fignal gave:
The fhores the rufhing weight fuftain,
And check th' ufurping wave...
Convinc'd, in Nature's volume wife

The imag'd truth I read ;
And fudden from my waking eyes
Th' inftructive vifion fled.

MERRICK

Then why thus heavy, O my foul!
Say why, diftruftful ftill,

Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll
O'er fcenes of future ill?

Let faith fupprefs each rifing fear,
Each anxious doubt exclude;
Thy Maker's will has plac'd thee here,
Á Maker wife and good!

He to thy ev'ry trial knows
Its just restraint to give ;
Attentive to behold thy woes,
And faithful to relieve.

Then why thus heavy, O my foul?
Say why, diftrustful Atill,

Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll
O'er fcenes of future ill?

Tho' griefs unnumber'd throng thee round,
Still in thy God confide,

Whole finger marks the feas their bound,
And curbs the headlong tide.

SECTION IV.

The Youth and the Philofopher.

A GRECIAN youth of talents rare,
Whom Plato's philofophic care
Had form'd for virtue's nobler view,
By precept and example too,

Would often boast his matchless skill,
To curb the steed, and guide the wheel;
And as he pafs'd the gazing throng,
With graceful ease, and fmack'd the thong,
The idiot wonder they express'd

Was praife and transport to his breast.

At length, quite vain, he needs would fhow His mafter what his art could do ;

And bade his flaves the chariot lead

To Academus' facred fhade.

The trembling grove confefs'd its fright,
The wood-nymphs ftarted at the fight;
The mufes dropt the learned lyre,
And to their inmost shades retire.
Howe'er the youth, with forward air,
Bows to the fage, and mounts the car.

The lafh refounds, the courfers spring,
The chariot marks the rolling ring;
And gath'ring crowds with eager eyes,
And shouts, pursue him as he flies.

Triumphant to the goal return'd,
With nobler thirst his bofom burn'd;
And now along th' indented plain
The felf-fame track he marks again.
Purfues with care the nice defign,
Nor ever deviates from the line.
Amazement, feiz'd the circling crowd;
The youth with emulation glow'd; ·
Ev'n bearded fages hail'd the boy;
And all but Plato gaz'd with joy.
For he, deep judging fage, beheld
With pain the triumphs of the field:
And when the charioteer drew nigh,
And flush'd with hope, had caught his eye,
"Alas! unhappy youth," he cry'd,
"Expect no praife from me," (and figh'd,)
"With indignation I survey

Such skill and judgment thrown away.
The time profufely fquander'd there,
On vulgar arts beneath thy care,
If well employ'd, at less expense,
Had taught thee honour, virtue, sense;
And rais'd thee from a coachman's fate
To govern men, and guide the state.”

SECTION V.

WHITEHEAD..

Difcourfe between Adam and Eve, retiring to reft.
Now came ftill ev'ning on, and twilight gray
Had in her fober liv'ry all things clad.
Silence accompanied; for beat and bird,
They to their graffy couch, these to their nefts
Were flunk; all but the wakeful nightingale.
She all night long her am'rous defcant fung:
Silence was pleas'd. Now glow'd the firmament
With living fapphires: Hefperus, that led
The ftarry holt, rode brightest, till the moon,
Rifing in clouded majefty, at length,
Apparent queen unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantie threw

When Adam thus to Eve: "Fair confort, th' hour
Of night, and all things now retir'd to reft,
Mind us of like repofe; fince God hath fet
Labour and reft, as day and night, to men
Succeffive and the timely dew of fleep,
Now falling with foft flumb'rous weight, inclines.
Our eyelids. Other creatures all day long
Rove idle, unemploy'd, and lefs need reft:
Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity,
And the regard of Heaven on all his ways:
While other animals unactive range,

And of their doings God takes no account.
To-morrow, ere fresh morning ftreak the east
With first approach of light, we must be rifen,
And at our pleafant labour; to reform.
You flow'ry arbour, yonder alleys green,
Oug walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
That mock our fcant manuring, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth.
Thofe bloffoms alfo, and thofe dropping gums,
That lie beftrown, unfightly and unfmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease.
Meanwhile, as nature wills, night bids us reft."
To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty adorn'd;
"My author and difpofer, what thou bidst
Unargu'd I obey; fo God ordains.
With thee converfing I forget all time;
All feafons and their change, all please alike.
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the fun
When firft on this delightful land he spreads
His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit and flow'r,
Glift'ring with dew; fragrant the fertile earth
After foft showers; and fweet the coming on
Of grateful evening mild; then filent night,
With this her folemn bird, and this fair moon,
And these the gems of heav'n, her starry train :
But neither breath of morn, when the afcends
With charm of earliest birds; nor rifing fun
On this delightful land; nor herbs, fruit, flower,
Glift'ring with dew; nor fragrance after fhowers;
Nor grateful evening mild; nor filent night
With this her folemn bird; nor walk by moon,