High fences, proud to charm the gazing eye, Where many a nestling first essays to fly ; Where blows the woodbine, faintly streak'd with red,
And refts on every bough its tender head ; Round the young afh its twining branches meet,
Or crown the hawthorn with its odours fweet. Say, ye that know, ye who have felt and feen, Spring's morning fmiles, and foul-enlivening
Say, did you give the thrilling transport way! Did your eye brighten, when young lambs at play
Leap'd o'er your path with animated pride,
Or gaz'd in merry clufters by your fide?
Ye who can fmile, to wifdom no difgrace,
At the arch meaning of a kitten's face;
If fpotlefs innocence, and infant mirth,
Excites to praife, or gives reflection birth ;
In fhades like these pursue your fav'rite joy,
Midft Nature's revels, fports that never cloy.
A few begin a fhort but vigorous race,
And indolence abafh'd foon flies the place;
Thus challeng'd forth, fee thither one by one,
From every fide affembling playmates run;
A thoufand wily anticks mark their stay,
A ftarting crowd impatient of delay.
Like the fond dove from fearful prifon freed,
Each feems to fay, "Come, let us try our
Speed:"
Away they fcour, impetuous, ardent ftrong,
The green turf trembling as they bound along;
Adown the flope; then up the hillock climb,
Where every molehill is a bed of thyme;
There panting ftop; yet scarcely can refrain ;
A bird, a leaf, will fet them off again :
Or, if a gale with ftrength unufual blow,
Scatt'ring the wild-briar roses into fnow,
Their little limbs increafing efforts try,
Like the torn flower the fair affemblage fly.
Ah, fallen rofe! fad emblem of their doom;
Frail as thyfelf, they perifh while they bloom!
Though unoffending innocence may plead,
Though frantic ewes may mourn the favage
deed,
Their fhepherd comes a meffenger of blood, And drives them bleating from their sports and food.
Care loads his brow, and pity wrings his heart,
For lo, the murd'ring butcher with his cart
Demands the firftlings of his flock to die,
And makes a sport of life and liberty!
His gay companions Giles beholds no more;
Clos'd are their eyes, their fleeces drench'd in
Nor can compaffion with her fofteft notes, Withhold the knife that plunges through their throats:
Down, indignation! hence, ideas foul!
Away the fhocking image from my foul!
Let kindlier vifitants attend my way,
Beneath approaching Summer's fervid ray ;
Nor thanklefs glooms obtrude, nor cares an-
Whilft the fweet theme is universal joy.
SHOULD e'er kind Providence vouchfafe
to give
Me free permiffion as I'd chufe to live,
I'd firft felect fome rural, fnug retreat,
With a fmall cottage, elegantly neat,
Encircling ivy fhould its walls entwine,
The fragrant rofe, and lovely jeffamine,
To grace my humble dwelling, fhould com-
Six fertile acres of the richeft ground,
My little manfion fhould inclofe around;
Whilft the foft murmurs of fome purling rill,
The ravish'd ear with pleafing founds fhould
fill.
A pleasant garden too I'd have, well ftor'd
With choiceft fruits, to decorate my board;
And when the mind, from gleafing study free,
Should feem difpos'd to fociability,
I'd chufe fome friend, who innocently gay,
Should with me pafs a chearful hour away;
A friend, of manners gentle, and reßn'd,
The pride, and ornament of the human kind!
Thus blefs'd (together with an income clear,
Of just one hundred fterling pounds a year),
Secure from want, life's fleeting hours I'd
In ferving God, my neighbour, and myfriend : Nor envy thofe, to whom indulgent heav'n, Has greater wealth, and better fortune giv'n.
FOUR hours have fled fince like a fiery orb In fplendour lurid fank the lamp of day, And eve breaks off abruptly into night; Horror-clad fhe comes, fpreading wild terror O'er this nether world-Till now, ne'er heard I Such warring elemental ftrife-Methinks That lightning clad hell's genius rides the Wild-wing of the form The earth's convuls'd, and
Ocean farges mingle with the clouds
Hear'd you that found! twas the fignal fad of
Wave-worn mariners, whose bark, impell'd
On with furious hafte, against their efforts
Fiies, to where the furge in dreadful thunders
Break upon the founding fhore--
But dimly
Seen, behold yon female form, around whofe
Head the vivid lightnings play, the while her
Locks loofe flowing lafh her beauteous face:
'Tis Eleanor, fhe the blue-eye'd maid whom Edward lov'd.
Three annual funs have roll'd,
Since, for to reinstate th' injur'd fortune
Of a much'd-lov'd parent, he to eastern
Realms did fail—What bodings fatal rush'd on
Eleanor's mind! what fecret terrors
Then ufurp'd her foul, with what eloquence
(Love-taught) in tears against it did she plead,
Herfelf, her fortune, all offering, him
To detain-He of noble foul, refus'd
In his own woes the fair-one to involve;
Her forrowing he left--
But the tidings
Of a grief-worn father waning to the
Tomb, now afk his quick return.
From morning's Dawn till night with murky veil enwraps the Ocean wide, does Eleanor watch
Each coming fail, and in expectance fighs.
Laft eve retiring, fcarce on the pillow
Had fhe thrown her, when, fcar'd by the fleet
Vifion of the night fhe 'woke, and o'er her
Hear'd the ftormy wild uproar-
Up fhe fprang and foon to yon rock, which
O'er the troublous deep impends, fhe flies, and
Thro' the mifts of moody night, affifted
By the lightnings glare, behold yon shatter'd Veffel driven by the furious ftorm,
To fure deftruction on yon pointed Crags-Hark! that fhriek diftrefs'd! fhe ftrikes! fhe fplits!
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