In Shadows veil'd, foft-fliding from her Sphere, Her Shepherd chear'd; of her enamour'd lefs, Than I of Thee.-And art Thou ftill unfung, Beneath whofe Brow, and by whofe Aid, I sing? Immortal Silence! Where fhall I begin? Where end? Or how steal Mufic from the Spheres, To footh their Goddefs?
Nature's great Anceftor! Day's Elder-born!
And fated to furvive the tranfient Sun!
By Mortals, and Immortals, feen with Awe!
A ftarry Crown thy Raven Brow adorns,
An azure Zone, thy Waift; Clouds, in Heav'n's Loom Wrought thro' Varieties of Shape and Shade,
In ample Folds of Drapery divine,
Thy flowing Mantle forın, and, Heav'n throughout,
Voluminously pour thy pompous Train.
Thy gloomy Grandeurs (Nature's most august,
Infpiring Afpect!) claim a grateful Verse;
And, like a fable Curtain starr'd with Gold,
Drawn o'er my Labours past, shall close the Scene.
And what, O Man! fo worthy to be sung? What more prepares us for the Songs of Heaven? Creation of Archangels is the Theme!
What, to be fung, fo needful? What fo well
Celestial Joys prepares us to fuftain?
The Soul of Man, HIS Face defign'd to fee,
Who gave thefe Wonders to be seen by Man,
Has here a previous Scene of Objects great,
On which to dwell; to stretch to that Expanfe
Of Thought, to rife to that exalted Height
Of Admiration, to contract that Awe,
And give her whole Capacities that Strength,
Which best may qualify for final Joy.
The more our Spirits are inlarg'd on Earth,
The deeper Draught fhall they receive of Heaven.
Heav'n's KING! whofe Face unveil'd confummates Blifs;
Redundant Blifs! which fills that mighty Void,
The whole Creation leaves in human Hearts!
THOU, who didft touch the Lip of JESSE'S Son,
Wrapt in fweet Contemplation of thefe Fires,
And fet his Harp in Concert with the Spheres!
While of Thy Works Material the Supreme
I dare attempt, affift my daring Song.
Loofe me from Earth's Inclofure, from the Sun's
Contracted Circle fet my Heart at large;
Eliminate my Spirit, give it Range
Through Provinces of Thought yet unexplor❜d;
Teach me, by this ftupendous Scaffolding,
Creation's golden Steps, to climb to THEE.
Teach me with Art great Nature to controul,
And spread a Luftre o'er the Shades of Night.
Feel I Thy kind Affent? And fhall the Sun
Be feen at Midnight, rifing in my Song.
LORENZO! Come, and warm thee: Thou, whofe Heart,
Whofe little Heart, is moor'd within a Nook
Of this obfcure Terreftrial, Anchor weigh.
Another Ocean calls, a nobler Port;
I am thy Pilot, I thy profp'rous Gale.
Gainful thy Voyage through yon azure Main;
Main, without Tempest, Pirate, Rock, or Shore;
And whence thou may'ft import eternal Wealth;
And leave to beggar'd Minds the Pearl and Gold.
Thy Travels doft thou boaft o'er foreign Realms?
Thou Stranger to the World! thy Tour begin ;
Thy Tour through Nature's univerfal Orb.
Nature delineates her whole Chart at large,
On foaring Souls, that fail among the Spheres ;
And Man how purblind, if unknown the Whole!
Who circles fpacious Earth, Then travels bere,
Shall own, He never was from Home before!
Come, my + PROMETHEUS, from thy pointed Rock
Of falfe Ambition if unchain'd, we'll mount;
We'll, innocently, fteal celeftial Fire,
And kindle our Devotion at the Stars;
A Theft, that fhall not chain, but fet thee free.
Above our Atmosphere's inteftine Wars, Rain's Fountain-Head, the Magazine of Hail, Above the Northern Nefts of feather'd Snows,
The Brew of Thunders, and the flaming Forge
That forms the crooked Lightning; 'bove the Caves
Where infant Tempests wait their growing Wings,
And tune their tender Voices to That Roar,
Which, foon perhaps, fhall fhake a Guilty World;
Above mifconftru'd Omens of the Sky,
Far-travell'd Comets calculated Blaze,
Elance thy Thought, and think of more than Man.
Thy Soul, till now, contracted, wither'd, fhrunk,
Blighted by Blafts of Earth's unwholfome Air,
Will bloffom here; fpread all her Faculties
To these bright Ardors; ev'ry Pow'r unfold,
And rife into Sublimities of Thought;
Stars teach, as well as fhine. At Nature's Birth,
Thus, their Commiffion ran-" Be kind to Man."
Where art thou, poor benighted Traveller!
The Stars will light thee; tho' the Moon fhould fail.
Where art Thou, more benighted! more aftray!
In Ways immoral? The Stars call thee back;
And, if obey'd their Counsel, fet thee right.
This Prospect vaft, what is it ?--Weigh'd aright, 'Tis Nature's System of Divinity,
And ev'ry Student of the Night infpires.
'Tis elder Scripture, writ by GOD's own Hand;
Scripture authentic! uncorrupt by Man..
LORENZO! with my Radius (the rich Gift
Of Thought nocturnal!) I'll point out to thee
Its various Leffons; fome that may furprise-
An Un-adept in Myfteries of NIGHT;
Little, perhaps, expected in ber School,
Nor thought to grow on Planet, or on Star.
Bulls, Lions, Scorpions, Monfters here we feign;
Ourselves more monftrous, not to fee what here
Exifts indeed;-a Lecture to Mankind.
What read we here?-Th' Exiftence of a GOD?Yes; and of other Beings, Man above;
Natives of Ether! Sons of higher Climes!
And, what may move LORENZo's Wonder more,
ETERNITY is written in the Skies.
And whofe Eternity ?-LORENZO! Thine;
Mankind's Eternity. Nor FAITH alone,
VIRTUE grows here; here fprings the fov'reign Cure
Of almost ev'ry Vice; but chiefly Thine;
Wrath, Pride, Ambition, and impure Defire.
LORENZO! Thou canft wake at Midnight too,
Tho' not on Morals bent: Ambition, Pleafure!
Thofe Tyrants I for Thee fo + lately fought,
Afford their harass'd Slaves but flender Rest.
Thou, to whom Midnight is immoral Noon,
And the Sun's noon-tide Blaze, prime Dawn of Day;
Not by thy Climate, but capricious Crime,
Commencing one of our Antipodes!
In thy nocturnal Rove, one Moment halt,
'Twixt Stage and Stage, of Riot, and Cabal;
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