To many a fanciful spring sung. To the cheerful he ushered his smiles; Tho' titles and wealth were his due ; What the goddess would never regard. Avails aught the generous heart, Her kindly relief to the mind? 'Twas but faint the relief to dismay, Let the favoured of Fortune attend But they to Compassion are dumb; Till Misfortune has marked them her own. Now the shades of the evening depend; Where reposes the Shepherd's cold clay. Adieu, then, the songs of the swain: Let Peace still attend on his shade And his pipe, that is dumb to his strain, In the grave be with Corydon laid. THE DELIGHTS OF VIRTUE. RETURNING morn, in orient blush arrayed, With gentle radiance hailed the sky serene; No rustling breezes waved the verdant shade; No swelling surge disturbed the azure main. These moments, MEDITATION! Sure are thine; These are the halcyon joys you wish to find, When Nature's peaceful elements combine The Muse, exalted by thy sacred power, That ushered beaming Fancy to her view. Fresh from old Neptune's fluid mansion sprung So shines fair Virtue, shedding light divine On those who wish to profit by her ways; Who ne'er at parting with their vice repine, To taste the comforts of her blissful rays. She, with fresh hopes each sorrow can beguile, And the sad wretch forget his hapless doom. Sweeter than shady groves in Summer's pride, S 1 Her paths and alleys are for ever green :There Innocence, in snowy robes arrayed, With smiles of pure content, is hailed the queen And happy mistress of the sacred shade. O let no transient gleam of earthly joy Soon will the winged moments speed away, wear: Grandeur must shudder at the sad decay, And Pride look humble when he ponders there. Deprived of Virtue, where is Beauty's power? Her dimpled smiles, her roses, charm no more. So much can guilt the loveliest form deflower:We loathe that beauty which we loved before. How fair are Virtue's buds, where'er they blow, DIRGE. THE waving yew or cypress wreath Since Strephon's virtue's sunk to rest, The just, the good, more honours share A sad-eyed mourner at his tomb, |