But, faireft of the blooming throng,
When Health majestic mov'd along,
Delighted to furvey below
The joys which from her prefence flow,
While earth enliven'd hears her voice,
And fwains, and flocks, and fields rejoice;
Then mighty love her charms confefs'd,
And foon his vows inclin'd her breaft,
And, known from that aufpicious morn,
The pleasing Cheerfulnefs was born.
Thou, Cheerfulnefs, by heaven defign'd
To fway the movements of the mind,
Whatever fretful paffion fprings,
Whatever wayward fortune brings
To difarrange the power within,
And ftrain the mufical machine;
Thou, Goddefs, thy attempering hand
Doth each difcordant ftring command,
Refines the foft, and fwells the strong;
And, joining nature's general fong,
Through many a varying tone unfolds
The harmony of human fouls.
Fair guardian of domestic life,
Kind banisher of homebred ftrife,
Nor fullen lip, nor taunting eye,
Deforms the fcene where thou art by:
No fickening hufband damns the hour
Which bound his joys to female power;
No pining-mother weeps the cares
Which parents waste on thankless heirs :
The officious daughters pleas'd attend;
The brother adds the name of friend:
By thee with flowers their board is crown'd,
With fongs from thee their walks refound;
And morn with welcome luftre fhines,
And evening unperceiv'd declines.
Is there a youth, whofe anxious heart
Labors with love's unpitied fmart?
Though now he ftray by rills and bowers,
And weeping wafte the lonely hours,
Or if the nymph her audience deign,
Debafe the ftory of his pain
With flavish looks, difcolor'd eyes,
And accents faltering into fighs;
Yet thou, aufpicious power, with ease
Can't yield him happier arts to please,
Inform his mien with manlier charms,
Inftruct his tongue with nobler arms,
With more coinmanding paffion move,
And teach the dignity of love.
Friend to the Mufe and all her train,
For thee I court the Mufe again:
The Mufe for thee may well exert
Her pomp, her charms, her fondeft art,
Who owes to thee that pleafing fway
Which earth and peopled heaven obey.
Let Melancholy's plaintive tongue
Repeat what later bards have fung;
But thine was Homer's ancient might,
And thine victorious Pindar's flight:
Thy hand each Lesbian wreathe attir'd:
Thy lip Sicilian reeds infpir'd:
Thy fpirit lent the glad perfume.
Whence yet the flowers of Teos bloom;
Whence yet from Tibur's Sabine vale
Delicious blows the inlivening gale,
While Horace calls thy fportive choir,
Heroes and nymphs, around his lyre.
But fee where yonder penfive fage
(A prey perhaps to fortune's rage,
Perhaps by tender griefs opprefs'd,
Or blooms congenial to his breaft)
Retires in defart fcenes to dwell,
And bids the joylefs world farewel.
Alone he treads the autumnal fhade,
Alone beneath the mountain laid
He fees the nightly damps afcend,
And gathering ftorms aloft impend;
He hears the neighbouring furges roll,
And raging thunders shake the pole :
Then, ftruck by every object round,
And stunn'd by every horrid found,
He afks a clue for Nature's ways;
But evil haunts him through the maze:
He fees ten thousand demons rife
To wield the empire of the skies,
And chance and fate affume the rod,
And malice blot the throne of God.
-O thou, whofe pleasing power I fing,
Thy lenient influence hither bring 3
Compofe the ftorm, difpell the gloom,
Till Nature wear her wonted bloom,
Till fields and fhades their fweets exhale,
And mufic fwell each opening gale:
Then o'er his breast thy softness pour,
And let him learn the timely hour
To trace the world's benignant laws,
And judge of that prefiding caufe,
Who founds on discord beauty's reign,
Converts to pleasure every pain,
Subdues each hoftile form to reft,
And bids the univerfe be blefs'd.
O thou, whofe pleafing power I fing,
If right I touch the votive string,
If equal praife I yield thy name,
Still govern thou thy poet's flame;
Still with the Muse my bosom share,
And foothe to peace intruding care.
But most exert thy pleasing power
On friendship's confecrated hour;
And while my Sophron points the road
To godlike wifdom's calm abode,
Or warm in freedom's ancient caufe
Traceth the fource of Albion's laws,
Add thou o'er all the generous toil
The light of thy unclouded smile.
But, if by fortune's stubborn sway,
From him and Friendship torn away,
I court the Mufe's healing spell
For griefs that still with abfence dwell,
Do thou conduct my fancy's dreams
To fuch indulgent placid themes,
As just the struggling breast may
And just suspend the starting tear,
Yet leave that facred fenfe of woe
Which none but friends and lovers know.
OT for themfelves did human kind
Contrive the parts by heaven affign'd
On life's wide scene to play :
Not Scipio's force, nor Cæfar's skill
Can conquer glory's arduous hill,
If fortune close the way.
Yet ftill the felf-depending foul,
Though laft and least in fortune's roll,
His proper fphere commands;
And knows what nature's feal bestow'd,
And fees, before the throne of God,
The rank in which he ftands.
Who train'd by laws the future age,
Who rescued nations from the rage
Of partial, factious power,
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