• Who, doom'd thro' death's dread ministers to go,
Dares to chastise the infults of a foe;
• Let him, his country's glory and her stay,
• With reverence hear her, and with pride obey.
A form divine, in heavenly fplendor bright,
• Whofe look threw radiance round the pall of night,
With calm feverity approach'd and faid,
"Wake thy dull ear, and lift thy languid head. "What! fhall a Roman fink in soft repose,
"And tamely fee the Britons aid his foes "See them fecure the rebel Gaul supply;
"Spurn his vain eagles, and his power defy? "Go! burst their barriers, obftinately brave; "Scale the wild rock, and beat the maddening wave." Here paus'd the chief, but waited no reply, The voice affenting spoke from every eye; Nor, as the kindnefs that reproach'd with fear, Were dangers dreadful, or were toils severe.
HE prince of all the feather’d kind,
That with spread wings outflies the wind,
And tow’rs far out of human fight
To view the thining orb of light:
This Royal Bird, tho’ brave and great,
And armed strong for ftern debate,
No tyrant is, but condescends
Oft-times to treat inferior friends.
One day at his command did flock
To his high palace on a rock,
The courtiers of ilk various fize
That swiftly swim in chrystal skies ;
Thither the valiant tarfels doup,
And here rapacious corbies croup,
* Written before the year 1600.
With greedy gleads, and fly gormahs,
And dimson pyes, and chattering dawes;
Proud peacocks, and a hundred mae,
Brush'd up their pens that folemn day,
Bow'd firft fubmiffive to my lord,
Then took their places at his board.
Mean time while feafting on a fawn,
And drinking blood from lamies drawn,
A tuneful robin trig and young,
Hard-by upon a burr-tree fung.
He fang the eagle's royal line,
His piercing eye, and right divine
To fway out-owre the feather'd thrang,
Who dread his martial bill and fang:
His flight fublime, and eil renew'd,
His mind with clemency endu'd;
In fofter notes he fang his love,
More high, his bearing bolts for Jove.
The monarch bird with blithness heard
The chanting little filvan bard,
Call'd up a buzzard, who was then
His favourite and chamberlain.
Swith to my treasury, quoth he,
And to yon canty Robin gie
As muckle of our current gear
As may maintain him thro' the year;
We can well spar't, and it's his due:
He bade, and forth the Judas flew,
Strait to the branch where Robin fung,
And with a wicked lying tongue,
Said, ah! ye fing fo dull and rough,
Ye've deaf'd our lugs more than enough,
His Majesty has a nice ear,
And no more of your ftuff can bear;
Poke up your pipes, be no more seen
At court, I warn you as a frien.
He fpake, while Robin's fwelling breaft
And drooping wings his grief exprest;
The tears ran hopping down his cheek,
Great grew his heart, he could not speak;
No for the tinfel of reward,
But that his notes met no regard:
Strait to the fhaw he spread his wing,
Refolv'd again no more to fing,
Where princely bounty is fuppreft
By fuch with whom They are oppreft;
Who cannot bear (because they want it)
That ought should be to merit granted.
ITH each perfection dawning on her mind,
All beauty's treasure opening on her cheek,
Each flatt'ring hope fubdu'd, each with refign'd,
Does gay Ophelia this lone manfion seek.
Say, gentle maid, what prompts thee to forfake
The paths thy birth and fortune ftrew with flow'rs ?
Through nature's kind endearing ties to break,
And wafte in cloyfter'd walls thy penfive hours?
Let fober thought reftrain thine erring zeal,
That guides thy footsteps to the veftal gate,
Left thy foft heart (this friendship bids reveal)
Like mine unbleft fhou'd mourn like mine too late.
Does fome angelic lonely-whisp'ring voice,
Some facred impulfe, or fome dream divine,
Approve the dictates of thy early choice ?——————
Approach with confidence the awful shrine.
There kneeling at yon altar's marble base
(While ftreams of rapture from thine eye-lid steal, And smiling heav'n illumes thy foul with grace) Pronounce the vow, thou never can't repeal.
Yet if misled by false-entitled friends,
Who say "That peace with all her comely train, "From ftarry regions to this clime defcends, "Smooths ev'ry frown, and foftens ev'ry pain:
"That veftals tread contentment's flow'ry lawn,
"Approv'd of innocence, by health careft:
"That rob'd in colours bright, by fancy drawn,
"Celestial hope fits fmiling at their breast;"
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