Still we tread the fame coarfe way,

Dyer.

The prefent's ftill a cloudy day.

O may I with myself agree,

And never covet what I fee:
Content me with an humble fhade,
My paffions tam'd, my wifhes laid;
For while our wifhes wildly roll,
We banish quiet from the foul:
'Tis thus the bufy beat the air;
And mifers gather wealth and care.

Now, ev'n now, my joy runs high,

As on the mountain-turf I lie;
While the wanton Zephyr fings,
And in the vale perfumes his wings;
While the waters murmur deep;
While the shepherd charms his sheep;
While the birds unbounded fly,
And with mufick fill the fky,'
Now, ev'n now, my joy runs high.

Be full, ye courts, be great who will;
Search for Peace with all your fkill:
Open wide the lofty door,

Seek her on the marble floor,

In vain you fearch, fhe is not there;
In vain ye fearch the domes of care!
Grafs and flowers Quiet treads;
On the meads, and mountain-heads,
Along with Pleafüre, close ally'd,
Ever by each other's fide:

And often, by the murm'ring rill,
Hears the thrufh, while all is ftill,
Within the groves of Grongar-Hill,

Dyer.

THE RUINS OF ROME.

How doth it pleafe and fill the memory

With deeds of brave renown, while on each hand
Historic urns and breathing ftatues rife,
And speaking bufts! Sweet Scipio, Marius ftern,
Pompey fuperb, the fpirit ftirring form
Of Caefar, raptur'd with the charm of rule
And boundless fame; impatient for exploits,
His eager eyes upcaft, he foars in thought
Above all height: and his own Brutus fee,
Defponding Brutus, dubious of the right,
In evil days, of faith, of publick weal,
Solicitous and fad. Thy next regard
Be Tully's graceful attitude; uprais'd,
His out-ftretch'd arm he waves, in act to speak
Before the filent mafters of the world,
And eloquence arrays him. There behold
Prepar'd for combat in the front of war
The pious brothers; jealous Alba ftands

In fearful expectation of the ftrife,

And youthful Rome intent: the kindred foes
Fall on each other's neck in filent tears;

In forrowful benevolence embrace

Howe'er they foon unfheath'd the flashing fword,
Their country calls to arms; now all in vain
The mother clafps the knee, and ev'n the fair
Now weeps in vain; their country calls to arms.
Such virtue Clelia, Cocles, Manlius, rous'd;
Such were the Fabii, Decii, fo inspir'd

The Scipio's battled, and the Gracchi spoke:
So rofe the Roman ftate. Me now, of these
Deep mufing, high ambitious thoughts inflame
Greatly to ferve my country, diftant land,

And build me virtuous fame; nor fhall the dust
Of thefe fall'n piles with fhew of fad decay
Avert the good refolve, mean argument,

Now the brow

The fate alone of matter.
We gain enraptur'd; beauteously distinct *)
The num'rous porticos and domes upfwell,
With obelifes and columns interpos'd,

Dyer.

And pine, and fir, and oak: so fair a fcene
Sees not the Dervile from the fpiral tomb.
Of ancient Chammos, while his eye beholds
Proud Memphis 'reliques o'er th' Aegyptian plain:
Nor hoary hermit from Hymettus brow,
Though graceful Athens, in the vale beneath,
Along the windings of the Mufe's stream,
Lucid Iliffus, weeps her filent fchools,
And groves, unvifited by bard or fage.
Amid the tow'ry ruins, huge, fupreme,
Th' enormous amphitheatre behold,
Mountainous pile! o'er whole capacious womb
Pours the broad firmament its varied light;
While from the central floor the feats afcend
Round above round, flow-wid'ning to the verge,
A circuit vaft and high; nor lefs had held
Imperial Rome, and her attendant realms,

When drunk with rule fhe will'd the fierce delight
And op'd the gloomy caverns, whence out-rufh'd
Before th' innumerable fhouting croud

The fiery, madded, tyrants of the wilds,
Lions and tigers, wolves and elephants,
And defp'rate men, more fell. Abhorr'd intent!
By frequent converfe with familiar death,
To kindle brutal daring apt for war;

To lock the breaft, and steel th' obdurate heart =Amid the piercing cries of fore distress

Impenetrable. - But away thine eye;
Behold yon fteepy cliff; the modern pile
Perchance may now delight, while that, rever'd **)
In ancient days, the page alone declares,

*) From the Palatine hill one fees moft of the remarkable

antiquities,

**The Capitol.

Or narrow coin through dim caerulean ruft.
The fane was Jove's, its fpacious golden roof,
O'er thick furrounding temples beaming wide,
Appear'd, as when above the morning hills
Half the round fun afcends; and tow r'd aloft,
Suftain'd by columns huge, innumerous
As cedars proud on Canaan's verdant heights
Dark'ning their idols, when Aftarte lur'd
Too profprous Ifrael from his living strength.

And next regard yon venerable dome,
Which virtuous Latium, with erroneous aim,
Rais'd to her various deities, and nam'd
Pantheon; plain and round, of this our world
Majestick emblem; with peculiar grace,
Before its ample orb, projected stands
The many pillar'd portal; nobleft work
Of human fkill: here, curious architect,
If thou aflay'ft, ambitious, to furpafs
Palladius, Angelus, or British Jones;
On thefe fair walls extend the certain fcale,
And turn th' inftructive compafs: careful mark
How far in hidden art, the noble plain

Extends, and where the lovely forms commence
Of flowing sculpture; nor neglect to note
How range the taper columns, and what weight
Their leafy brows fuftain: fair Corinth first
Boafted their order which Callimachus
(Reclining ftudious on Aiopus' banks
Beneath an urn of fome lamented nymph)
Haply compos'd; the urn with foliage curl'd
Thinly conceal'd, the chapiter inform'd.

See the tall obelifes from Memphis old,
One stone enormous each, or Thebes convey'd;
Like Albion's fpires they rufh into the fkies.
And there the temple, where the fummon'd ftate*)

*) The Temple of Concord, where the fenate met on Ca tiline's conspiracy.

In deep of night conven'd: ev'n yet methinks
The veh❜ment orator in rent attire

Perfuafion pours, ambition finks her creft;
And lo the villain, like a troubled fea,
That toffes up her mire! Ever disguis'd,

Dyer.

Shall treafon walk? fhall proud oppreffion yoke
The neck of virtue? Lo the wretch, abafh'd,
Self-betray'd Catiline! O Liberty!

Parent of happiness, celeftial born;

When the first man became a living foul,
His facred genius thou; be Britain's care;
With her fecure, prolong thy lov'd retreat;
Thence blefs mankind; while yet among her fons,
Ev'n yet there are, to fhield thine equal laws,
Whofe bofoms kindle at the facred names
Of Cecil, Raleigh, Walfingham and Drake.
May others more delight in tuneful airs;
In masque and dance excel; to sculptur'd ftone
Give with fuperior fkill the living look;
More pompous piles erect, or pencil foft
With warmer touch the vifionary board:
But thou, thy nobler Britons teach to rule;
To check the ravage of tyrannick sway;
To quell the proud; to spread the joys of peace
And various bleffings of ingenious trade;
Be these our arts; and ever may we guard,
Ever defend thee with undaunted heart,
Ineftimable good! who giv'ft us Truth,
Array'd in ev'ry charm: whofe hand benign
Teaches unwearied toil to cloath the fields,
And on his various fruits inscribes the name
Of Property! O nobly hail'd of old,

By thy majestick daughters, Judah fair,
And Tyrus and Sidonia, lovely nymphs,
And Libya bright, and all enchanting Greece,
Whofe num'rous towns and isles and peopled feas,
Rejoic'd around her lyre; th' heroic note
(Smit with fublime delight) Aufonia caught,
And plan'd imperial Rome. Thy hand benign
Rear'd up her tow'ry battlements in strength;