No cheerful murmurs fluctuate in the The ruin'd spendthrift, now no longer gale, proud, No busy steps the grass-grown foot-way Claim'd kindred there, and had his tread, claims allow'd; But all the blooming flush of life is fled. The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay, All but yon widow'd, solitary thing, Sat by his fire, and talk'd the night away; That feebly bends beside the plashy Wept o'er his wounds, or, tales of sorspring; row done, She, wretched matron, forced in age, Shoulder'd his crutch, and show'd how for bread, fields were won. To strip the brook with mantling cresses Pleased with his guests, the good man spread, learn'd to glow, Tc pick her wint’ry faggot from the And quite forgot their vices in their woe; thorn, Careless their merits or their faults to To seek her nightly shed, and weep till scan, morn; His pity gave ere charity began. She only left of all the harmless train, The sad historian of the pensive plain. Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride, And even his failings lean'd to virtue's side; THE VILLAGE PASTOR. But in his duty prompt at every call, NEAR yonder copse, where once the He watch'd and wept, he pray'd and felt garden smiled for all; And still where many a garden flower And, as a bird each fond endearment tries, grows wild; To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the There, where a few torn shrubs the skies; place disclose, He tried each art, reproved each dull The village preacher's modest mansion delay, Allured to brighter worlds, and led the A man he was to all the country dear, way. And passing rich with forty pounds a year; Beside the bed where parting life was Remote from towns he ran his godly laid, race, And sorrow, guilt, and pain, by turns Nor e'er had chang'd, nor wish'd to dismay'd, change his place; The rev'rend champion stood. At his Unskilful he to fawn, or seek for power, control, By doctrines fashion'd to the varying | Despair and anguish fled the struggling hour; soul; Far other aims his heart had learn'd to Comfort came down the trembling wretch prize, to raise, More bent to raise the wretched than to And his last falt'ring accents whisper'd rise. praise. His house was known to all the vagrant train, At church, with meek and unaffected He chid their wand'rings, but relieved grace, their pain; His looks adorn'd the venerable place; The long remember'd beggar was his Truth from his lips prevail'd with double guest, sway, Whose beard descending swept his aged And fools, who came to scoff, remained breast; rose. to pray, der grew, The service past, around the pious man, Lands he could measure, terms and tides gauge : And pluck'd his gown, to share the good In arguing, too, the parson own'd his man's smile. skill, His ready smile a parent's warmth ex- For even though vanquish'd, he could prest, argue still; Their welfare pleased him, and their While words of learned length, and cares distrest; thund'ring sound, To them his heart, his love, his griefs Amazed the gazing rustics ranged were given, around, But all his serious thoughts had rest in And still they gazed, and still the won heaven. As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form, That one small head could carry all he Swells from the vale, and midway leaves knew. the storm, Though round its breast the rolling But past is all his fame. The very clouds are spread, spot Eternal sunshine settles on its head. Where many a time he triumph'd, is forgot. Near yonder thorn, that lifts its head on high, Where once the sign-post caught the THE VILLAGE SCHOOLMASTER passing eye, AND THE VILLAGE INN. Low lies that house where nut-brown BESIDE yon straggling fence that skirts draughts inspired, Where gray-beard mirth and smiling With blossom'd furze unprofitably gay, toil retired, There, in his noisy mansion, skill’d to Where village statesmen talk'd with rule, looks profound, The village master taught his little And news much older than their ale school; went round. A man severe he was, and stern to view, Imagination fondly stoops to trace I knew him well, and every truant knew; The parlor splendors of that festive Well had the boding tremblers learn'd place; to trace The white-wash'd wall, the nicely sanded The day's disasters in his morning face; floor, Full well they laugh'd with counter- The varnish'd clock that click'd behind feited glee the door; At all his jokes, for many a joke had he; The chest contrived a double debt to Full well the busy whisper circling pay, round, A bed by night, a chest of drawers by Convey'd the dismal tidings when he day; frown'd; The pictures placed for ornament and Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught, use, The love he bore to learning was in The twelve good rules, the royal game fault; The village all declared how much he The hearth, except when winter chill'd knew; the day, 'Twas certain he could write, and cypher With aspen boughs and flowers and fen. the way, of goose; too; nel gay, row. thine eyes While broken tea-cups, wisely kept for The rattling chariots clash, the torches show, glare. Ranged o'er the chimney, glisten'd in a Sure scenes like these no troubles e'er annoy! Sure these denote one universal joy! Vain transitory splendor! could not Are these thy serious thoughts? ah, turn all Reprieve the tott'ring mansion from its Where the poor houseless shivering fall? female lies. Obscure it sinks, nor shall it more im She once, perhaps, in village plenty part bless'd, An hour's importance to the poor man's Has wept at tales of innocence distress'd; heart. Her modest looks the cottage might adorn, Sweet as the primrose peeps beneath THE EXILES. the thorn. WHERE, then, ah! where shall poverty Now lost to all, her friends, her virtue reside, fled, To 'scape the pressure of contiguous Near her betrayer's door she lays her head, pride? If to some common's fenceless limits And, pinch'd with cold, and shrinking from the shower stray'd, He drives his flock to pick the scanty With heavy heart deplores that luckless blade, hour, Those fenceless fields the sons of wealth When, idly first, ambitious of the town, She left her wheel, and robes of country divide, brown. And even the bare-worn common is denied. Do thine, sweet Auburn, thine, the If to the city sped, what waits him loveliest train, there? Do thy fair tribes participate her pain? To see profusion that he must not share; Even now, perhaps, by cold and hunger To see ten thousand baneful arts com- led, bined At proud men's doors they ask a little To pamper luxury, and thin mankind; bread! To see each joy the sons of pleasure know, Ah, no. To distant climes, a dreary Extorted from his fellow-creatures' woe. scene, Here, while the courtier glitters in bro- Where half the convex world intrudes cade, between, There the pale artist plies the sickly | Through torrid tracts with fainting steps trade; they go, Here while the proud their long-drawn Whe.e wild Altama murmurs to their pomps display, There the black gibbet glooms beside Far different there from all that charm'd before, The dome where pleasure holds her mid- The various terrors of that horrid shore; night reign, Those blazing suns that dart a downHere, richly deck'd, admits the gorgeous train; And fiercely shed intolerable day; Tumultuous grandeur crowds the blazing Those matted woods where birds forget square, to sing, woe. the way; ward ray, less prey, But silent bats in drowsy clusters cling; And left a lover's for a father's arms. Those poisonous fields with rank luxu- With louder plaints the mother spoke riance crown'd, her woes, Where the dark scorpion gathers death And bless'd the cot where every pleasure around; rose; Where at each step the stranger fears And kiss'd her thoughtless babes with • to wake many a tear, The rattling terrors of the vengeful And clasp'd them close, in sorrow doubly snake; dear; Where crouching tigers wait their hap- Whilst her fond husband strove to lend relief And savage men more murderous still In all the silent manliness of grief. than they; O luxury; thou cursed by Heaven's While oft in whirls the mad tornado flies, decree, Ming’ling the ravaged landscape with the How ill exchanged are things like these skies. for thee! Far different these from every former How do thy potions, with insidious joy, scene, Diffuse their pleasures only to destroy ! The cooling brook, the grassy-vested Kingdoms by thee, to sickly greatness green; grown, The breezy covert of the warbling grove, Boast of a florid vigor not their own; That only shelter'd thefts of harmless At every draught more large and large love. they grow, A bloated mass of rank unwieldy woe; Good Heaven! what sorrows gloom'd | Till sapp'd their strength, and every part that parting day, unsound, That call'd them from their native walks Down, down they sink, and spread a away; ruin round. When the poor exiles, every pleasure past, Even now the devastation is begun, Hung round the bowers, and fondly And half the business of destruction look'd their last, done; And took a long farewell, and wish'd in Even now, methinks, as pondering here vain I stand, For seats like these beyond the western I see the rural Virtues leave the land. main; Down where yon anchoring vessel And shuddering still to face the distant spreads the sail, deep, That idly waiting flaps with every gale, Return’d and wept, and still return'd to Downward they move, a melancholy weep! band, The good old sire, the first, prepared to Pass from the shore, and darken all the go strand. To new-found worlds, and wept for Contented Toil, and hospitable Care, others' woe: And kind connubial Tenderness, are But for himself, in conscious virtue brave, there : He only wish'd for worlds beyond the And Piety with wishes placed above, grave. And steady Loyalty and faithful Love. His lovely daughter, lovelier in her tears, And thou, sweet Poetry, thou loveliest The fond companion of his helpless maid, years, Still first to fly where sensual joys Silent went next, neglectful of her invade; charms, Unfit in these degenerate times of shame, But me, To catch the heart, or strike for honest not destined such delights to fame; share, Dear charming nymph, neglected and My prime of life in wandering spent and decried, care; My shame in crowds, my solitary pride; Impelld with steps unceasing is pursue Thou source of all my bliss, and all my Some fleeting good, that mocks me with the view : Thou found'st me poor at first, and That, like the circle bounding earth and keep'st me so: skies, Thou guide by which the nobler arts Allures from far, yet, as I follow, flies; excel, My fortune leads to traverse realms Thou nurse of every virtue, fare thee well. alone, And find no spot of all the world my woe, own. THE TRAVELLER. boor door; thee: pain, And drags at each remove a lengthen ing chain. Even now, where Alpine solitudes ascend, I sit me down a pensive hour to spend : And, placed on high, above the storm's career, Look downward where an hundred realms appear; Lakes, forests, cities, plains extending wide, The pomp of kings, the shepherd's humbler pride. Eternal blessings crown my earliest friend, And round his dwelling guardian saints attend; Bless'd be that spot, where cheerful guests retire To pause from toil, and trim their eve ning fire: Bless'd that abode, where want and pain repair, And every stranger finds a ready chair; Bless'd be those feasts with simple plenty crown'd, fail, When thus creation's charms around combine, Amidst the store, should thankless pride repine? Say, should the philosophic mind dis dain That good which makes each humbler bosom vain? Let school-taught pride dissemble all it can, man; splendor crown'd; fusion round; Ye lakes, whose vessels catch the busy gale; Ye bending swains, that dress the flowery vale; For me your tributary stores combine; Creation's heir, the world, the world is mine! |