To dire difeafe and death your darling should be Tears, from (weet Virtue's fource,benevolent to all. left. Now what avails it, that in early bloom, Are all her fex's joys, With you the fearch'd the wit of Greece And all that in her latter days, Bright fparkling could infpire, By all the Graces temper'd and refin'd; Moft favour'd with your fmile, Of all those treasures that enrich'd her mind, To black Oblivion's gloom for ever now con fign'd! At least, ye Nine, her spotlefs name 'Tis yours from death to fave, And ftrew with choicest flow'rs her hallow'd But foremost thou, in sable vestment clad, Tell how her manners, by the world refin'd, How, in the thoughtless days of wealth and joy, Not only good and kind, But ftrong and elevated was her mind: On Fortune's imile or frown; All pleafing thone; nor ever pafs'd Deathcame remorfelefs on,andfunk her to the tomb. So, where the filent ftreams of Liris glide, But, in the midft of all its blooming pride, Cold with perpetual fnows; [and dies. To the foft notes of elegant defire, Was fpread the fame of thy difaftrous love; The Clitumnus is a river of Umbria, the residence of Propertius. + The Anio runs through Tibur or Tivoli, where Horace had a villa. The Meles is a river of Ionia, from whence Homer, fuppofed to be born on its banks, is called Mellifigenes. The Iliffus is a river at Athens. And And teach my forrows to relate The joys of wedded love were never thine. She never bere a fhare, Of every fecret grief that fefter'd there: Of fickness watch thee, and thy languid head Than when thy virgin charms How can my foul endure the lofs of thee? Without my sweet companion can I live ? The dear reward of ev'ry virtuous toil, What pleafures now can pall'd Ambition give? E'en the delightful fenfe of well-earn'd praife, Unfhar'd by thee, no more my lifeless thoughts could raife. For my distracted mind On whom for confolation fhall I call? My dear departed love, so much was thine, My books, the best relief Are now with your idea fadden'd all : dead. Yet, O my foul! thy rifing inurmurs stay; That all thy full-blown joys at once should fade, Was his molt righteous will-and be that will obey 'd. Would thy fond love his grace to her controul; Unjustly, for thy partial good, detain? That heavenly radiance of eternal light, Is every mortal blifs; Even Love itself, if rifing by degrees Rife then, my foul, with hope elate, Cold, cold, my dearest jewel! thy little life is gone: Oh let my tears revive thee, fo warm that trickle down: [they fail : My tears that gufh fo warm, oh they freeze before Ah wretched, wretched mother! thou 'rt now bereft of all." Then down fhe funk despairing upon the drifted fnow; [her woe: And, wrung with killing anguifh, lamented loud She kifs'd her baby's pale lips, and laid it by her fide; Then caft her eyes to heaven, then bow'd her head, and died. $97. The School Miftrefs. In Imitation of Spenfer. SHENSTONE. Audi ae voces, vagitus et ingens, Infantumque animae fentes in limine primo. VIRG. AH me! full forely is my heart forlorn, To think how modeft worth neglected lies, While partial Fame doth with her blafts adorn Such deeds alone as pride and pomp difguife; Deeds of ill fort, and mifchievous emprize: Lend me thy clarion, Goddefs! let me try To found the praife of merit ere it dies; Such as I oft have chanced to efpy, Loft in the dreary shades of dull obscurity. In ev'ry village, mark'd with little fpire, [fame, Embower'd in trees, and hardly known to There dwells, in lowly fhade and mean attire, A matron old, whom we School-mistress name; Who boafts unruly brats with birch to tame: They, grieven fore, in piteous durance pent, Aw'd by the pow'r of this relenticfs dame, And oft-times, on vagaries idly bent, For unkempt hair,or task unconn'd, are forelyfhent. And all in fight doth rife a birchen tree, Which Learning near her little dome did stow, Whilome a twig of finall regard to fee, Tho' now fo wide its waving branches flow, And work the fimple vaffals mickle woe; For not a wind might curl the leaves that blew, flow; But their limbs fhudder'd, and their pulfe beat And, as they look'd, they found their horror grew, And fhap'd it into rods, and tingled at the view. Of fport, of fong, of pleasure, of repaft: They start, they ftare, they wheel, they look aghaft; Sad fervitude! Such comfortless annoy May no bold Briton's riper age e'er taste ! Ne fuperftition clog his dance of joy, Ne vifion empty, vain, his native blifs deftroy! Near to this dome is found a patch fo green, On which the tribe their gan bols do display; And at the door impris'ning board is feen, Left weakly wights of smaller fize should stray, Eager, perdie, to balk in funny day! The noifes intermix'd,which thence refound, Do Learning's little tenement betray; Where fits the dame, difguis'd in look profound, [around. And eyes her Fairy throng, and turns her wheel Her cap, far whiter than the driven fnow, Emblem right meet of decency does yield; Her apron dyed in grain, as blue, I trowe, As is the hare-bell that adorns the field: And in her hand, for fceptre, fhe does wield Tway birchen fprays, with anxious fear entwin'd, With dark diftruft, and fad repentance fill'd, And ftedfaft hate, and fharp affliction join'd, And fury uncontroul'd, and chaftifement unkind. Few but have kenn'd, in femblance meet pourtray'd, The childish faces of old ol's train, The cot no more, I ween, were deem'd the cell Where comely peace of mind and decent order dwell. A ruffet ftole was o'er her fhoulders thrown; 'Twas her own country bred the flock fo fair; 'Twas her own labour did the fleece prepare; And, footh to fay, her pupils, rang'd around, Thro' pious awe did term it pafling rare; For they in gaping wonderment abound, And think, to doubt, the been the greateft wight on ground. Albeit, ne flutt'ry did corrupt her truth; Ne pompous title did debauch her ear; Goody, good-woman, goilip, n'aunt, forfooth, Or dame, the fole additions fhe did hear; Yet thefe fhe challeng'd, thefe fhe held right dear: Ne would cfteem him act as mought behove, The plodding pattern of the bufy dame, Into her school, begirt with chickens, came; And if negle&t had lavifh'd on the ground Fragment of bread, fhe would collect the fame; For well he knew, and quaintly could ex pound, What fin it were to wafte the fmalleft crumb fhe found. Herbs too fhe knew, and well of each could fpeak, That in her garden fipp'd the filv'ry dew, Where no vain flow'r difclos'd a gaudy freak, Put herbs for ufe and phyfic not a few, Of grey renown, within thefe borders grew; The tufted bafil, pun-provoking thyme, Fresh baum, and marygold of cheerful hue, The lowly gill, that never dares to climb, And more I fain would fing, difdaining here to rhyme. Yet euphrafy may not be left unfung, That gives dim eyes to wander leagues around; And pungent radith, biting infant's tongue; And plantain ribb'd, that heals the reaper's wound; The fouth-weft wind, fouth, &c. And And marj'ram fweet, in thepherd's pofie found; And lavender, whofe foikes of azure bloom Shall be, crewhile, in arid bundles bound, To lurk amidst the labours of her loom, And crown her kerchiefs clean with mickle rare perfume. And here trim rofemarine, that whilom crown'd The daintiest garden of the proudest peer, Ere, driven from its envied fite, it found A facred thelter for its branches here, Where edg'd with gold its glitt'ring fkirts ap pear. O waffel days! O cuftoms meet and well! Ere this was banish'd from its lofty sphere; Simplicity then fought this humble cell, Nor ever would fhe more with thane and lordling dwell. Here oft the dame, on Sabbath's decent eve, Hymned fuch pfalms as Sternhold forth did mete. If winter 'twere, fhe to her hearth did cleave: But in her garden found a fummer feat: Sweet melody! to hear her then repeat How Ifrael's fons, beneath a foreign king, While taunting foe-men did a fong entreat, All for the nonce untuning every ftring, Uphung their useless lyres-small heart had they to fing. For fhe was juft, and friend to virtuous lore, And pafs'd much time in truly virtuous deed; And in thofe elfins' ears would oft deplore The times when Truth by Popifh rage did bleed, And tortious death was true Devotion's meed; And fimple Faith in iron chains did mourn. That nould on wooden image place her creed; And lawny faints in fmould'ring flames did [return. Ah! dearest Lord! forefend thilk days fhould e'er In elbow-chair, like that of Scottish stem, burn: By the fharp tooth of cank'ring Eld defac'd, In which, when he receives his diadem, Our fov'reign prince and liefeft liege is plac'd. The matron fate: and fome with rank the grac'd, The fource of children's and of courtier's pride! Redrefs'd affronts (for vile affronts there pafs'd), And warn'd them not the fretful to deride. But love each other dear, whatever them betide. Right well the knew each temper to defery, To thwart the proud,and the fubmifs to raife; Some with vile copper prize exalt on high, And fome entice with pittance fmall of praife: And other fome with baleful fprig the 'frays: E'en abfent, fhe the reins of pow'r doth hold, While with quaint arts the giddy crowd she fways; Lo! now with state the utters the command! The work fo gay that on their back is seen St. George's high achievements does declare, On which thilk wight that has vgazing been, Kens the forth-coming rod; unpleating fight, I ween! Ah! luckless he, and born beneath the beam And down they drop; appears his dainty skin, Nor gentle pardon could this dame deny (If gentle pardon could with dames agree) To her fad grief that fwells in either eye, And wrings her fo, that all for pity the could die. No longer can the now her fhrieks commandi And hardly the forbears, thro' awful fear, Torufhen forth, and, with prefumptuous hand, To ftay harsh juftice in its mid career. On thee the calls, on thee, her parent dear! (Ah! too remote to ward the shameful blow!) She fees no kind domeftic vifage near, And foon a flood of tears begins to flow, And gives a loose at last to unavailing woc. But, ah! what pen his piteous plight may trace! Or what device his loud laments explain ? The form uncouth of his difguifed face? The pallid hue that dyes his looks amain? The plenteous fhow'r that does his cheek diftain! When he in abject wife implores the dame, Ne hopeth aught of fweet reprieve to gain; Or when from high the levels well her aim, And, thro' the thatch, his cries each falling stroke proclaim. The other tribe, aghast, with fore difmay Attend,and conn their tasks with mickle care; By turns, aftonied, ev'ry twig furvey, And from their fellow's hateful wounds beware, Knowing I wift, how each the fame may share; Till fear has taught them a performance meet, And to the well-known cheft the dame repair, Whence oft with fugar'd cates the doth 'em See, to their feats they hye with merry glce, Convulfions intermitting! does declare His grievous wrong, his dance's unjust beheft, And fcorns her offer'd love, and fhuns to be carefs'd. His face befprent with liquid crystal fhines; His blooming face, that feems a purple flow'r,. All, all but fhe, the author of his shame, Yet hence the youth, and hence the flow'r If fo I deem aright, transcending worth and fame. Behind fome door in melancholy thought, Mindlefs of food, he, dreary caitiff! pines; Ne for his fellows joyaunce careth ought, But to the wind all merriment refigns, And deems it fhame if he to peace inclines; And many a fullen look afkaunce is fent, Which for his dame's annoyance he defigns; And still the more to pleasure him the 's bent, The more doth he, perverfe, her 'haviour paft refent. Ah me! how much I fear left pride it be! But if that pride it be which thus inspires, And many a poet quit th'Aönian field: But now Dan Phoebus gains the middle sky, And now the grally cirque han cover'd o'er For well may Freedom, erft fo dearly won, Appear to British elf more gladfome than the fun. Enjoy, poor imps! enjoy your fportive trade, And chafe gay flies, and cull the fairest flow'rs; For when my bones in grafs-green fods are laid; For never may ye tafte more careless hours In knightly caftles, or in ladies' bow'rs. O vain, to feck delight in earthly things! But most in courts, where proud Ambition tow'rs; Deluded wight! who weens fair peace can fpring Beneath the pompous dome of kefar or of king. See in each fprite fome various bent appear! In Thefe rudely carol moft incondite lay; Thofe faunt' ring on the green, with jocund leer, Salute the ftranger patling on his way: Some builden fragile tenements of clay; Some to the ftanding lake their courfes bend, With pebbles fmooth, at duck and drake to play; Thilk to the huxter's fav'ry cottage tend, paftry kings and queens th'alloted mite to spend. Here, as cach feafon yields a different store, Each feafon's ftores in order ranged been; Apples with cabbage-net y-cover'd o'er, Galling full fore th'unmonied wight, are feen; And goofeb'rie, clad in liv'ry red or : green And here of lovely dye thie Cath'rine pear; Fine pear! as lovely for thy juice I ween; O may no wight e'er pennylefs come there, Left, finit with ardent love, he pine with hopeless care! |