Long Arms of Oak an open Bridge fupply'd,
And deep the Waves beneath the Bending glide.
The Youth, who feem'd to watch a Time to fin,
Approach'd the careless Guide, and thrüft him in;
Plunging he falls, and rifing, lifts his Head,
Then flashing turns, and finks among the Dead.

Wild fparkling Rage inflames the Father's Eyes, He burfts the Bands of Fear, and madly cries, Detested Wretch but fcarce 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, whofe Colours glitter'd on the Day, Wide at his Back their gradual Plumes difplay; The Form ætherial bursts upon his Sight, And moves in all the Majesty of Light.

Tho' loud at firft the Pilgrim's Paffion grew,
Sudden he gaz'd, and wist not what to do ;
Surprize in fecret Chains his Word suspends,-
And in a Calm his fettling Temper ends.
Bat Silence here the beauteous Angel broke,
(The Voice of Music ravish'd as he spoke.)

Thy Pray'r, thy Praife, thy Life to Vice unknown,
In sweet Memorial rife before the Throne ;
These Charms, Succefs in our bright Region find,
And force an Angel down, to calm thy Mind;
For this commiffion'd I forfook the sky:
Nay, ceafe to kneel-thy Fellow-fervant I.

D

'Then

Then know the Truth of Government divine, And let thefe Scruples be no longer thine.

The Maker juftly claims the World he made, In this the Right of Providence is laid; Its facred Majefty thro' all depends

On ufing fecond 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'Tis thus, withdrawn in State from human Eye, The Pow'r exerts his Attributes on high, Your Actions uses, nor controuls your Will, And bids the doubting Sons of Men be still.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 ftrange Events can ftrike with more Surprize Than those which lately ftruck thy wond'ring Eyes? Yet taught by thefe, confefs th' Almighty juft, And where you can't unriddle, learn to trust.

The Great, vain Man, who far'd on coftly 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 lost, And still he welcomes, but with less of Cost.

The mean, fufpicious 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 blefs, if Mortals will be kind. Conscious of wanting Worth, he views the Bowl, And feels Compaffion touch his grateful Soul. Thus Artifts melt the fullen Ore of Lead, With heaping Coals of Fire upon its Head;

In

In the kind Warmth the Metal learns to glow,
And loose from Drofs, 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 meafur'd back his Steps to Earth again. To what Exceffes had his Dotage run? But God, to fave the Father, took the Son. To all but thee, in Fits he feem'd to go,

(And 'twas my Ministry to deal the Blow.) The poor fond Parent, humbled in the Duft, Now owns in Tears the Punishment was juft.

But how had all his Fortune felt a Wreck, Had that falfe Servant sped in safety back? This Night his treafur'd Heaps he meant to steal, And what a Fund of Charity would fail!

Thus Heav'n instructs thy Mind: This Trial o'er, Depart in Peace, refign, and fin no more.

On founding Pinions here the Youth withdrew, The Sage ftood wond'ring as the Seraph flew. Thus look'd Elisha, when to mount on high His Mafter took the Chariot of the Sky; The fiery Pomp afcending left the View? The Prophet gaz'd, and wifh'd to follow too.

The bending Hermit here a Pray'r begun, "Lord! as in Heav'n, on Earth thy will be done," Then gladly turning, fought his ancient Place, And pafs'd a Life of Piety and Peace.

D 2

MIL

MILTON'S INVOCATION.

F Man's first Difobedience, and the Fruit

OF

Of that forbidden Tree, whofe mortal Tafte Brought Death into the World, and all our Woe, With Lofs of Eden, 'till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, Sing heav'nly Muse, that on the secret Top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft infpire

That Shepherd, who first taught the chofen Seed,
In the Beginning, how the Heav'ns and Earth
Rofe out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill

Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd
Faft by the Oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy Aid to my adven'trous Song,
That with no middle Flight intends to foar
Above Th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in Profe or Rhime.
And chiefly Thou, O Spirit, that doft prefer
Before all Temples, th' upright Heart and pure,
Inftruct me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first
Waft prefent, and with mighty Wings outspread,
Dove-like fat'ft brooding on the vaft Abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant: What in me is dark
Illumine, what is low raife and fupport;
That to the Height of this great Argument

I

may affert eternal Providence,

And juftify the Ways of God to Men.

HYMN to LIGHT.

H

MILTON.

AIL holy Light, Offspring of Heav'n first-born,
Or of th' Eternal coeternal Beam,

May

May I express thee unblam'd? fince GoD is Light,
And never but in unapproached Light
Dwelt from Eternity, dwelt then in thee,
Bright Efluence of bright Effence increate
Or hear'st thou rather pure æthereal Stream
Whose Fountain who fhall tell? before the Sun,
Before the Heav'ns Thou wert, and at the Voice
Of God, as with a Mantle didst invest
The rifing World of Waters dark and deep,
Won from the void and formless Infinite.
Thee I revifit now with bolder Wing,
Efcap'd the Stygian Pool, tho' long detain’d
In that obfcure Sojourn, while in my Flight
Through utter and through middle Darkness borne
With other Notes than to th' Orphean Lyre
I fung of Chaos and eternal Night;
Taught by the heav'nly Mufe to venture down
The dark Defcent, and up to re-afcend,
Though hard and rare; thee I revisit safe,
And feel thy fov'reign vital lamp; but thou
Revifit'ft not thefe Eyes, that roll in vain
To find thy piercing Ray, and find no Dawn;
So thick a Drop ferene hath quench'd their Orbs,
Or dim Suffufion veil'd. Yet not the more
Ceafe I to wander, where the Muses haunt
Clear Spring, or fhady Grove, or funny Hill,
Smit with the Love of facred Song, but chief
Thee, Sion, and the flow'ry Brooks beneath
That wash thy hallow'd Feet, and warbling flow,
Nightly I vifit: Nor fometimes forget
Thofe other two equal'd with me in Fate,
So were I equal'd with them in Renown.
Blind Thamyris and blind Mæonides,

D 3

And