Superior duty, thus the fage addrefs'd: • Fountain of light! from whom yon orient fun • First drew his splendour! Source of life and love! • Whose smile now wakes o'er earth's rekindling face • The boundless blufh of fpring; O Firft and Best ! Thy effence tho' from human fight and search, • Tho' from the climb of all created thought Ineffably remov'd, yet man himself, Thy loweft child of Reason, man may read • Unbounded pow'r, intelligence fupreme, The Maker's hand, on all his works imprefs'd In characters coëval with the fun, And with the fun to laft; from world to world, For ever flowing from beneath the throne Thro' earth, air, fea, to all things that have life; • Be duly heard, among thy works not least, To know thee, and adore; with free-will crown'd, • Where Virtue leads, to follow and be blefs'd. i O, whether by thy prime decree ordain'd 125 • To days of future life; or whether now- • Parent and friend, to guide me blameless on Thy truth to light me, and thy peace to chear: 130 • Withold or grant, and let that will be done.? This from the foul in filence breath'd fincere, The hill's steep fide with firm elastick step He He lightly fcal'd; fuch health the frugal board, 135 The morn's fresh breath that exercise respires In mountain walks, and confcience free from blame, 140 145 O fight, that from the eye of Wealth or Pride, - E'en in their hour of vaineft thought, might draw A feeling tear! whom yesterday beheld < By love and fortune crown'd, of all poffefs'd That fancy, tranc'd in faireft vifion, dreams; • Now loft to all, each hope that softens life, 150 • Each bliss that chears; there on the damp earth spread, • Beneath a heav'n unknown, behold him now! And let the gay, the fortunate, the great, The proud, be taught what now the wretched feel, 155 The happy have to fear. O man forlorn! Too plain I read thy heart, by fondnefs drawn To this fad scene, to fights that but inflame It's tender anguish!' Hear me, Heav'n'! exclaim'd 160 The frantick mourner. . Could that anguish rise ‹ To madnefs and to mortal agony, < I yet would bless my fate; by one kind pang, • From what I feel, the keener pangs of thought • For ever freed. To me the fun is loft; 165 To me the future flight of days and years • If names on earth most facred once and dear, To light me where, in cave or creek, are thrown Thy lifelefs limbs, that I-O grief fupreme! O fate remorfelefs! was thy lover fav'd For fuch a tafk!-that I thofe dear remains, . With maiden rites adorn'd, at last may lodge 175 Beneath the hallow'd vault, and weeping there 180 • Thefe eyes in peace, and mix this duft with thine!' Were late my thoughts: whate'er the human heart • Can most afflict, grief, agony, despair, 185 Have all been mine, and with alternate war This bofom ravag'd. Hearken then, good youth! My story mark; and, from another's fate, Pre-eminently wretched, learn thy own, In me, a man behold whofe morn ferene, Whose noon of better life, with honour spent, 190 • Drew fair diftin&tion on my publick name From those among mankind, the nobler few, 195 Whose praise is fame; but there, in that true fource In home-found peace and love, fupremely blefs'd! • Union of hearts, confent of wedded wills, Our hopes and fears, our earth and heav'n, the fame! At last, Amyntor, in my failing age Fall'n from fuch height, and with the felon herd, • Robbers and outlaws, number'd-thought that still 6 Stings deep the heart, and cloathes the cheek with shame! 205 Then doom'd to feel what guilt alone fhould fear, • The • The hand of publick vengeance; arm'd by rage, To rob, not guard; to ruin, not defend; • From pow'r that claims thy warrant to do wrong! Each law, each rule, that, by himself observ'd, • As Heav'n has thine, to pity their distress! 210 215 220 Yet from the plain good meaning of my heart • That impious hid behind the patriot's name Masques hate and malice to the legal throne, 225 In justice founded, circumfcrib'd by laws, The prince to guard--but guard the people too ; Soul of all worth, and fum of human blifs, 230 Fair Freedom! birthright of all thinking kinds; • Reason's Great Charter, from no king deriv'd, By none to be reclaim'd, man's right divine; But if, disclaiming this his heav'n-own'd right, • Wide-wasting where he reigns-to such a prince And loyalty revolt from virtue's law: 235 240 • For For fay, Amyntor! does juft Heaven enjoin That we should homage hell? or bend the knee To earthquake or volcano, when they rage, 245 • Rend earth's firm frame, and in one boundless grave Ingulph their thoufands? Yet, O grief to tell! • Yet fuch, of late, o'er this devoted land • Was publick rule. Our fervile ftripes and chains, 250 • Proclaim'd it loud to Heav'n: the arm of pow'r Extended fatal but to cruff the head 255 • It ought to fcreen, or with a parent's love • Reclaim from error; not with deadly hate, • The tyrant's law, exterminate who err. ་ • In this wide ruin were my fortunes funk; ◄ Myfelf, as one contagious to his kind, ⚫ Whom Nature, whom the focial life, renounc'd, • Unfummon'd, unimpleaded, was to death, To shameful death! adjudg'd; against my head The price of blood proclaim'd, and at my heels • Let loose the murd'rous cry of human hounds: And this blind fury of commission'd rage, • Of party vengeance, to a fatal foe, Known and abhorr'd for deeds of direft name, 260 265 Was giv'n' in charge; a foe whom blood-ftain'd zeal For what-O hear it not, all-righteous Heav'n! Left thy rous'd thunder burft-for what was deem'd 270 More deadly fell than hunger ever ftung To prowl in wood or wild. His band he arm'd, • Sons of perdition! mifcreants with all guiltFamiliar, and in each dire art of death 275 • Train'd ruthless up as tigers on their prey On my defenceless lands thofe fiercer beafts Devouring fell; nor that sequester'd shade, · That |