From envy, hurry, noife, and strife, Pursue thee to thy peaceful groves, He bid Ilyffus' tuneful stream Of perfect, fair, and good: Reclaim'd her wild licentious youth Confeft the potent voice of truth, And felt it's just controul: The paffions ceas'd their loud alarms, And Virtues's foft perfuafive charms O'er all their fenfes ftole. Thy breath infpires the poets fong, No more to fabled names confin'd My thoughts direct their flight: Wifdom's thy gift, and all her force, From thee deriv'd unchanging fource Of intellectual light! O fend her fure, her steady ray Beneath her clear difcerning eye The vifionary shadows fly, Of Folly's painted show; She fees through ev'ry fair disguise, THE ENQUIRY. AFTER HAPPINESS. BY THE SAME. HE midnight moon ferenely fmiles No low'ring cloud obfcures the sky, Now ev'ry paffion finks to rest, In filence hufh'd to Reason's voice Come, dear Emilia, and enjoy Come; while the peaceful fcene invites, Does it amidst the frolic mirth Of gay affemblies dwell; Or hide beneath the falemn gloom That fhades the hermit's cell? How oft the laughing brow of joy A fick'ning heart conceals! And through the cloifter's deep recefs Invading forrow steals. In vain through beauty, fortune, wit, It dwells not in the faithlefs fmile Perhaps the joy to these deny'd, Howe'er our varying notions rove, To place its being in fome state O blind to each indulgent aim Vain is alike the joy we feek, Unless harmonious Reafon tunes The paffions into peace. To temper'd wishes, juft defires, And deaf to Folly's call, attends THE H EVENING WALK. BY THE SAME. OW sweet the calm of this fequefter'd shore And folitude and filent eve restore The philofophic temper of the foul! The fighing gale whose murmurs lull to reft Farewell the objects of diurnal care, Your task be ended with the fetting fun: Let all be undisturb'd vacation here, While o'er yon wave afcends the peaceful moon. What beauteous vifions o'er the foften'd heart In this still moment all their charm diffuse, Serener joys, and brighter hopes impart, And cheer the foul with more than mortal views. |