Which wand'ring from the Eyes, by Ways unknown,
O'er the foft Bowels and warm Heart is thrown,
And, mingling in the Womb, the fair Idea's fown;
By which kind Nature models her Defign;
With forming Hand fhe works each beauteous Line,
And all delightfom Things in the Compofure join.
But if th' Idola from foul Figures rife,
Their Roughness fhock the Soul, and wound the Eyes,
And, as with Spears which grow from bladed Corn,
Invade the Mind, and make the Senfes mourn;
Whence ftrange Diflike furprizes every Heart,
And fills with Horror the recoiling Part;
Which, thus contracted, does the ill-form'd Image
(throw
Into the Womb, and there th'unpleafing Figure sow.
By which Direction Nature shapes her Aim,
Distorts the Limbs, or does the Piece defame
With Features most deform'd, the weeping Mother's
And, as we often by Experience find,
In a vile Body's lodg'd as vile a Mind.
The World, which by the Looks does Actions fcan,
Will in the Child condemn the future Man. Rowe'sCall.
When Atoms in th'unmeafur'd Space did rove,
And in the Dark for doubtful Vict❜ry ftrove,
Did intervening Chance the Feuds compofe,
Establish Friendship, and disarm the Foes?
Did this the ancient darkfom Horrors chace,
Distinction give, and fpread cœleftial Grace
O'er the black Districts of the empty Space?
Could Atoms, which with undirected Flight
Roam'd thro' the Void, and rang'd the Realms of Night,
Of Reafon deftitute, without Intent,
Depriv'd cf Choice, and mindlefs of th' Event,
In Order march, and to their Posts advance,
Led by no Guide, but undefigning Chance?
That did th' entangled Particles divide,
And fort the various Seeds of Things ally'd?
To make primæval Elements felect
All the fit Atoms, and th’unfit reje&t ?
Diftinguish Hot from Cold, and Moist from Dry,
Range fome to form the Earth, and fome the Sky?
[Black, Creat
The Atomift may groundless Schemes perfue
T'explain the old World, or create a new;
Well-pleas'd, he may indulge his wand'ring Thoughts,
And endless Voids conceive, and flying Motes;
But let thefe roul along in boundlefs Space,
Then meet, and form an indigefted Mafs.
If Motion thus with thoughtless Chance combine,
And huddled Bodies clofe without Defign,
A rude and fhapelefs Chaos will arise;
No fmiling Meads below; above, no vaulted Skies :
Till fome blefs'd Pow'r at length reduce the whole,
Divide the Parts, and give an active Soul.
Ah! might Reflection to the Mind disclofe
What different Particles this All compofe!
Might we but trace the Springs as yet unfeen,
And fecret Movements of the vaft Machine
The feveral Figures and the Motions know,
To which the Species their Diftinction owe!
The various Forms adorn the beauteous Frame;
Matter (unlike it felf) is all the fame.
From the fame blended Elements proceed
The fcented Flower, and peftilential Weed :
They form the yielding Grafs, and flinty Stone,
And waving Crops, by fporting Zephyrs blown.
Hence in cool Shades the humble Myrtle grows,
And high the Oak extends his leavy Boughs.
The living World has the fame common Birth;
Here flower Infects cling to Parent Earth;
Now bleating Flocks we hear, and lowing Herds,
And the more grateful Harmony of Birds;
While fportive Fish thro' wat❜ry Mazes roam,
And with a filent Joy poffefs their native Home.
Drew Audience and Attention still as Night;
Or Summer Noon-tide Air.
And greedy Avarice by him did ride,
Upon a Camel loaden all with Gold;
Twa Iron Coffers hung on either Side,
With precious Metall, full as they might hold,
And in his Lap an Heap of Coin he told;
For of his wicked Pelf his God he made,
And unto Hell himself for Money fold:
Accurfed Ufury was all his Trade,
And Right and Wronge ylike in equall Ballance waide.
At laft, he came into a gloomie Glade,
Cover'd with Boughs and Shrubs from Heaven's Light,
Whereas he fitting found, in fecret Shade,
An uncouth, falvage, and uncivill Wight,
Of griefly Hew, and foule ill-favour'd Sight;
His Face with Smoake was tann'd, and Eyes were
blear'd; His Head and Beard with Soot were ill bedight;
His coale-black Hands did feem to have been fear'd In Smithe's Fire-fpetting Forge, and Nailes like Clawes
His Iron Coat, all over-grown with Ruft,
Was underneath enveloped with Gold,
Whofe gliftring Glofs, darkned with filthy Dust,
Well it appeared to have been of Old
A Work of rich Entaile, and curious Mould,
Woven with Anticks, and wild Imagery;
And in his Lap a Mafs of Coine he told,
And turned up-fide down, to feed his Eye,
And coveteous Defire, with his huge Treafury.
And round about him lay, on every Side,
Great Heaps of Gold, that never could be spent ;
Of which, fome were or'e not purifide
Of Mulciber's devouring Element;
Some others were new driven, and distent
Into great Ingots, and to Wedges fquare; Some in round Plates withouten Monument;
But most were stampt, and in their Metall bare The antick Shapes of Kings and Cefars strange and rare. [Spenser.
How ill-advifing Thirst of Gold fupplies
The Want of Paffion, and perverts our Eyes,
Which, to a Face fuperior and divine,
Prefers the Monarch's Image on the Coin!
How, fashionably vain, large Portions prove
Rebellious Subjects to commanding Love!
For if the Chefts of a rich Father hold
The facred Load of Writings, or of Gold;
If he can jointure a confenting Mate,
With the gay Ruin of a vaft Eftate;
Blind with the fhining Hopes, each Nymph will run,'
With profer'd Beauty to the charming Son,
While the fond Parents with her wealthily undone. [Rowe's Callipedia.
Deep was the Cave, and downward as it went
From the wide Mouth, a Rocky rough Descent.
And here th' Accefs, a gloomy Grove defends;
And there th' unnavigable Lake extends,
O'er whofe unhappy Waters, void of Light,
No Bird prefumes to fteer his a ry Flight.
Such deadly Stenches from the Deptharife,
And fteaming Sulphur that infects the Skies.
From hence the Grecian Bards their Legends make,
And give the Name Avernuts to the Lake.
C 4
So when Aurora firft unveils her Eyes,
A purple Dawn invefts the blushing Skies;
But foon bright Phabus gains th' Horizon's Height,
And gilds the Hemifphere with fpreading Light.
By thy Command does fair Aurora rise,
And gild with purple Beams the blushing Skies :
The warbling Lark falutes her chearful Ray,
And welcomes, with his Song, the rifing Day:
The rifing Day ambrofial Dew diftils;
Th'ambrofial Dew with balmy Odours fills
The Flow'rs; the Flow'rs rejoyce, and Nature fmiles.
So when Aurora, in the rofy Eaft,
Lifts her fair Head, with radiant Honours dreft,
O'er Nature's Face a various Smile fhe fpreads,
And paints a new the Fields and flow'ry Meads;
Ten thousand colour'd Dyes her Beams unfold;
The limpid Stream in filver Waves is roll'd,
And all the Green-Wood Shade is burnish'd o'er
with Gold.
Rowe's Call.
Next Autumn, when the Sun's withdrawing Ray The Night enlarges, and contracts the Day, To crown his Labour, to the Farmer yields The yellow Treasure of his fruitful Fields; Ripens the Harvest for the crooked Steel, (While bending Stalks the rural Weapon feel :) The fragrant Fruit for the nice Palate fits, And to the Prefs the swelling Grape fubmits. When dubious Months uncertain Weather bring : When Fountains open; when impetuous Rain Swells hafty Brooks, and pours upon the Plain : When Earth with Slime and Mud is cover'd o'er, And hollow Places fpew their watʼry Store, Dryd.Virg.
Thus like a Sailor, by the Tempeft hurl'd Afhore, the Babe is fhipwrack'd on the World:
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