dreams.

There all the millions of his saints

Shall in one song unite;
And each the bliss of all shall share

With infinite delight.

PAB

P. DODDRIDGE.

People'. 11!

sphere,

A CONTEMPLATION ON NIGHT.
WHETHER amid the gloom of night I stray,
Or my glad eyes enjoy revolving day,
Still Nature's various face informs my sense,
Of an all-wise, all-powerful, Providence.

When the gay sun first breaks the shades of night'
And strikes the distant eastern bills with light,
Colour returns, the plains their liv'ry wear,
And a bright verdure clothes the smilling year ;
The blooming flow'rs with opening beauties glow,
And grazing flocks their milky fieeces show,
The barren cliffs with chalky fronts arise,
And a pure azure arches o'er the skies.
But, when the gloomy reign of night returns,
Stript of her fading pride all nature mourns :
The trees no more their wonted verdure boast,
But weep in dewy tears their beauty lost ;
No distant landscapes draw our curious eyes,
Wrapt in night's robe the whole creation lies.
Yet still e’en now while darkness clothes the land,
We view the traces of th' Almighty hand;
Millions of stars in heav'n's wide vault appear,
And with new glories hang the boundless sphere :
The silver Moon her western couch forsakes,
And o'er the skies her nightly circle makes ;
Her solid globe beats back the sunny rays,
And to the world her borrow'd light repays.

Whether those stars that twinkling lustre seri:
Are suns, and rolling worlds those suns attend,

arts,

jix

hall them

Isaiah,

Man may conjecture, and new schemes declare,
Yet all his systems but conjectures are :
But this we know, that heav'n's eternal King,
Who bade this universe from nothing spring,
Can at his Word bid pum'rous worlds appear,
And rising worlds th' all-powerful Word shall hear.

When to the western main the sun descends,
To other lands a rising day he lends;
The spreading dawn another shepherd spies,
The wakeful flocks from their warm folds ise;
Refresh'd the peasant seeks his early toil,
And bids the plough correct his fallow soil.
While we in sleep's embraces waste the night,
The climes oppos'd enjoy meridian light;
And when those lands the busy sun forsakes,
With us again the rosy morning wakes;
In lazy sleep the night rolls swift away,
And neither clime laments his absent ray.

When the pure soul is from the body flown,
No more shall night's alternate reign be knowo:
The sun no more shall rolling light bestow,
But from th' Almighty streams of glory flow.
Oh, may some nobler thought my soul employ
Than empty, transient, sublunary, joy!
The stars shall drop, the sun shall lose his flame,
But thou, O God, for ever shine the same.

GAY

THE FUNERAL,

An Eclogue. Stranger. Whom are they ushering from the world, a map bij

with all This pageantry and long parade of death ?

THE SACRED LYRE

Townsman. A long parade, indeed, sir, and yet

here You see but half; round yonder bend it reaches A furlong farther, carriage behind carriage.

$. 'Tis but a mournful sight, and yet the pomp

T. Yonder School-boy
Who plays the truant, says the proclamation

Man may conjecture, and new scheme des
Yet all his systems but conjectures are :
But this we know, that hear'n's eternal Lix
Who bade this universe from nothing sprint,
Can at his Word bid nam'rous worlds appe
And rising worlds th' all-powerful Words Tempts me to stand a gazer.

When to the western main the sun deseos
To other lands a rising day he lends;
The spreading dawn another shepherd spic Of peace was nothing to the show, and even
The wakeful flocks from their warm fold B The chairing of the members at election
Refresh'd the peasant seeks his early toil

,
While we in sleep's embraces waste the nick Than all this mourning. There, sir, you behold
And bids the plough correct his fallos sol
The climes oppos'd enjoy meridian light; i One of the red gown'd worthies of the city,

Would not have been a finer sight than this;
Only that red and green are prettier colours

And when those lands the busy sun forsalas
With us again the rosy morning wakes;
In lazy sleep the night rolls swift away,
And neither clime laments his absent rap,

When the pure soul is from the body for:
No more shall night's alternate reiga ke kant
The sun no more shall rolling light bestor,
But from th’ Almighty streams of glory den,
Oh, may some nobler thought my soul empleo
Than empty, transient, sublunary, joy!
The stars shall drop, the sun shall lose his fas:
But thou, O God, for ever shine the same.

The envy and the boast of our exchange,
Aye, what was worth last week, a good half million.
Screw'd down in yonder hearse.

S. Then he was born
Under a lucky planet, who to-day
Puts mourning on for his inheritance.

T. When first I heard his death, that very wish
Leapt to my lips; but now the closing scene
Of the Comedy bath waken’d wiser thoughts:
And I bless God, that when I go to the grave,
There will not be the weight of wealth like his
To sink me down.

$. The camel and the needle, Is that then your mind?

T. Even so. The text
Is gospel wisdom. I would ride the camel,-
Yea, leap him Aying through the needle's eye,
As easily as such a pamper'd soul
Could pass the narrow gate.

THE FUNERAL,

An Eclogue.
Stranger, Whom are they ushering from the meaning

with all
This pageantry and long parade of death?

Da

S. Your pardon, sir ;
But sure this lack of Christian charity
Looks not like Christian truth.

T. Your pardon too, sir,
Il, with this text before me, I should feel
In the preaching mood ! But for these barren figlio

trees,
With all their flourish and their leafiness,
We have been told their destiny and use,
When the axe is laid unto the root, and they
Cumber the earth no longer.

S. Was his wealth
Stord fraudfully, the spoil of orphans wrong'd,
And widows who had none to plead their right?

T. All honest, open, honourable, gains ; Fair legal interests, bonds and mortgages, Ships to the East and West.

S. Why judge you then So hardly of the dead ?

T. For what he left Undone ;--for sins, not one of which is mention

de In the Ten Commandments. He, I warrant him, Believ'd no other Gods than those of the Creed : Bow'd to no idols,--but his money-bags : Swore no false oaths,except at a custom-house : Kept the Sabbath idle: built a monument To honour bis dead father; did no murder : Was too old-fashion'd for adultery ; Never picked pockets : never bore false witness : And never, with that all-commanding wealth, Coveted his neighbour's house, nor ox, nor ass. S. You knew him, then, it seems ?

T. As all men know The virtues of your hundred-thousanders ;

pra

But sure this lack of Christian charity
Looks not like Christiap truth.

T. Your pardan
II, with this text before me, I should te

S. Your pardel, They never hide their lights beneath a bushel.

S. Nay, nay, uncharitable sir! for often
Doth bounty like a streamlet flow unseen,
Freshening and giving life along its course.

T. We track the streamlet by the brighter green
In the preaching mood! But for these kr And livelier growth it gives :--but, as for this

This was a pool that stagnated and stunk,
With all their flourish and their leaften The rains of heaven engender'd nothing in it

But slime and foul corruption.

s. Yet even these Are reservoirs, whence public charity

trees,

We have been told their destiny and es,
When the axe is laid unto the root, wad the
Cumber the earth no longer.

& Was his was still keeps her channels full.

T. Now, sir, you touch

And widoirs who had none to plead thai Upon the point. This man of half a million

Stor'à fraudfully, the spoil of orphans um

Had all these public virtues which you praise :-
But the poor man rung never at his door;
And the old beggar at the public gate,
Who, all the summer long, stands, bat in hand,
He knew how vain it was to lift an eye
To that bard face. Yet he was always found
Among your ten and twenty pound subscribers,
Your benefactors in the news-papers.
His alms were money put to interest
In the other world, -donations to keep open
A running charity-account with heaven :-
Retaining fees against the last așsizes,
When, for the trusted talents, strict account
Shall be required from all and the old Arch-Lawyer
Plead his own cause as plaintiff.

S. I must needs
Believe you, sir :- these are your witnesses,
These mourners here, who from their carriages
Gape at the gaping crowd. A good March wind
Were to be pray'd for now, to lend their eyes
Some decent rheum. The very hireling mute

T. All honest, open, honourable, gaiss
Fair legal interests, bonds and mortgages
Ships to the East and West.

S. Why judge you to
So hardly of the dead?

7. For what he left
Undone ;--for sins, not one of which is near
In the Ten Commandments. He, / wartet!
Believ'd no other Gods than those of the cream
Bow'd to no idols --but his money-bags
Swore no false oaths, except at a custom-hd
Kept the Sabbath idle: built a monument
To honour his dead fatber; did no murder
Was too old-fashion'd for adultery;
Never picked pockets : never bore false writes
And never, with that all-commanding meals
Coreted his neighbour's house, nor os, der ist
S. You knew him, then, it seems?

7. As all men knør
The yirtues of your hundred-thonsanders;