Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

While hence they walk, the Pilgrim's bosom wrought

With all the travel of uncertain thought;
His partner's acts without their cause appear,
'Twas there a vice, and scem'd a madness here :
Detesting that, and pitying this he goes,
Loft and confounded with the various shows.

Now night's dim shades again involve the sky;

Again the wand'rers want a place to lie,
Again they search, and find a lodging nigh.
The foil improv'd around, the mansion neat,
And neither poorly low, nor idly great:
It feem'd to speak its master's turn of mind,
Content, and not for praise, but virtue kind.

Hither the walkers turn with weary feet,
Then bless the mansion, and the master greet:
Their greeting fair, bestow'd with modest guise,
The courteous master hears, and thus replies :

Without a vain, without a grudging heart,
To him who gives us all, I yield a part;
From him you come, for him accept it here,
A frank and fober, more than costly cheer.
He spoke, and bid the welcome table spread,
Then talk'd of virtue 'till the time of bed;
When the grave houshold round his hall repair,
Warn'd by a bell, and close the hours with pray'r.

At length the world renew'd by calm repose
Was strong for toil, the dapple morn arose;
Before the Pilgrims part, the younger crept
Near the clos'd cradle where an intant slept,
And writh'd his neck: the landlord's little pride,
O strange return! grew black, and gasp'd, and dy'd.
Horror of horror! what! his only fon!
How look'd our Hermit when the fact was done ?
Not hell, tho' hell's black jaws in sunder part,
And breathe blue fire, could more aflault his heart.

Confus'd, and struck with filence at the deed,
He flies, but trembling fails to fly with speed.
His steps the youth pursues; the country lay
Perplex'd with roads, a fervant show'd the way :
A river cross'd the path; the passage o'er
Was nice to find; the servant trod before;

}

Long arms of oaks an open bridge supply'd,
And deep the waves beneath the bending glide.
The youth, who seem'd to watch a time to fin,
Approach'd the careless guide and thrust him in;
Plunging he falls, and rifing lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and finks among the dead.
Wild, sparkling rage inflames the father's eyes,
He bursts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
Detested wretch! but scarce his speech began,
When the strange partner feem'd no longer man:
His youthful face grew more ferenely sweet;
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon his feet;
Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair;
Celestial odours breathe thro' purpled air;
And wings, whose colours glitter'd on the day,
Wide at his back the gradual plumes display.
The form etherial bursts upon his fight,
And moves in all the majesty of light,
Tho' loud at first the Pilgrim's passion grew,
Sudden he gaz'd, and wift not what to do:
Surprize in secret chains his words suspends,
And in a calm his fettling temper ends.
But filence here the beauteous Angel broke,
(The voice of musick ravished as he spoke.)

Thy pray'r, thy praise, thy life to vice unknown,
In sweet memorial rise before the throne:
These charms, success in our bright region find,
And force an Angel down, to calm thy mind:
For this commission'd, I forsook the sky;
Nay, cease to kneel Thy fellow-fervant I.
Then know the truth of government divine,
And let these fcruples be no longer thine.

The Maker justly claims that world he made,
In this the right of Providence is laid;
Its facred Majesty thro' all depends
On using second means to work his ends :
'Tis thus, withdrawn in state from human eye,
The pow'r exerts his attributes on high,
Your actions uses, nor controuls your will,
And bids the doubting sons of men be still.

What strange events can strike with more furprize Than those which lately struck thy wond'ring eyes ?

Yet taught by these, confess th' Almighty just,
And where you can't unriddle, learn to trust!

The great, vain man, who far'd on costly food,
Whose life was too luxurious to be good;
Who made his iv'ry stands with goblets shine,
And forc'd his guests to morning draughts of wine,
Has, with the Cup, the graceless custom loft,
And still he welcomes, but with less of cost.

The mean, suspicious wretch, whose bolted door Ne'er mov'd in duty to the wand'ring poor; With him I left the cup, to teach his mind That heav'n can bless, if mortals will be kind, Confcious of wanting worth, he views the bowl, And feels compassion touch his fordid soul. Thus artists melt the sullen ore of lead, With heaping coals of fire upon its head; In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow, And loose from dross the filver runs below.

Long had our pious friend in virtue trod,
But now the Child half wean'd his heart from God;
(Child of his age) for him he liv'd in pain,
And measur'd back his steps to earth again :
To what excesses had his dotage run ?
But God, to save the father, took the fon.
To all but thee, in fits he seem'd to go,
And 'twas my ministry to deal the blow.
The poor fond parent, humbled in the dust,
Now owns in tears the punishment was just.

But how had all his fortunes felt a wrack,
Had that false servant sped in safety back,
This night his treasur'd heaps he meant to steal,
And what a fund of charity would fail!

Thus heav'n instructs thy mind: this tryal o'er, Depart in peace, resign, and fin no more.

On founding pinions here the youth withdrew, The sage stood wond'ring as the Seraph flew. Thus look'd. ELISHA, when to mount on high, His master took the chariot of the sky; The fiery pomp ascending left the view, The prophet gaz'd, and wish'd to follow too. 'The bending Hermit here a prayer begun, Lord! as in beav'n, on earth thy will be done.

M

'Then gladly turning, fought his ancient place, And pafs'd a life of piety and peace.

We shall conclude this chapter with Mr. Gay's Tale of the apparition; which, tho' written in the burlesque manner, with such exquifite humour, and just and pleafant raillery, is conformable to the rules here laid down for these compositions.

A true STORY of an APPARITION, by Mr. GAY.,

Scepticks (whose strength of argument makes out
That wisdom's deep inquiries end in doubt)
Hold this affertion pofitive and clear,
That sprites are pure delufions rais'd by fear.
Not that fam'd ghost, which in presaging sound
Call'd Brutus to Philippi's fatal ground;
Nor can Tiberius Gracchus' goary shade
These ever-doubting difputants perfuade.
Strait they with smiles reply; those tales of old
By visionary Priests were made and told :
Oh might fome ghost at dead of night appear,
And make you own conviction by your fear !
I know your sneers my easy faith accuse,
Which with such idle legends scares the muse:
But think not that I tell those vulgar sprites,
Which frighted boys relate on winter nights;
How cleanly milk-maids meet the fairy train,
How headless horses drag the clinking chain,
Night-roaming ghosts, by faucer eye-balls known,
'The common spectres of each country-town.
No, I such fables can like you despise,
And laugh to hear these nurse-invented lies.
Yet has not oft the fraudful guardian's fright
Compell'd him to restore an orphan's right ?
And can we doubt that horrid ghosts afcend,
Which on the confcious murd'rers steps attend ?
Hear then, and let attested truth prevail,
From faithful lips I learnt the dreadful tale.
Where Arden's forest spreads its limits wide,
Whose branching paths the doubtful road divide,

A trav'ler took his solitary way;
When low beneath the hills was sunk the day.
And now the skie, with gath'ring darkness lowr,
The branches rustle with the threaten'd shower;
With fudden blasts the forest murmurs loud,
Indented lightnings cleave the sable cloud,
Thunder on thunder breaks, the tempeft roars,
And heav'n discharges all its watry stores.
The wand'ring trav'ler shelter seeks in vain,
And thrinks and shivers with the beating rain;
On his steed's neck the slacken'd bridle lay,
Who chose with cautious step th' uncertain way;
And now he checks the reign, and halts to hear
If any noise foretold a village near.
At length from far a stream of light he sees
Extend its level ray between the trees;
Thither he speeds, and as he nearer came,
Joyful he knew the lamp's domestic flame
That trembled thro' the window: cross the way
Darts forth the barking cur, and stands at bay.

It was an ancient lonely house, that stood
Upon the borders of the spacious wood;
Here towers and antique battlements arise,
And there in heaps the moulder'd ruin lies;
Some lord this mansion held in days of yore,
To chace the wolf, and pierce the foaming boar :
How chang'd, alas, from what it once had been !
'Tis now degraded to a public inn.

Strait he dismounts, repeats his loud commands; Swift at the gate the ready landlord stands; With frequent cringe he bows, and begs excuse, His house was full, and ev'ry bed in ufe. What not a garret, and no straw to spare? Why then the kitchen-fire and elbow chair Shall serve for once to nod away the night. The kitchen ever is the servant's right, Replies the host; there, all the fire around, The count's tir'd footmen snore upon the ground.

The maid, who listen'd to this whole debate,

With pity learnt the weary stranger's fate.
Be brave, she cries, you still may be our guest,
Our haunted room was ever held the beft;

« FöregåendeFortsätt »