That lay from everlasting in the store
Of his divine conceptions. Nor content
By one exertion of creating pow'r
His goodness to reveal; thro' every age,
Thro' every moment up the tract of time,
His parent hand with ever new increase
Of happiness and virtue has adorn'd
The vast harmonious frame: his parent hand
From the mute shell-fish gasping on the shore,
To men, to angels, to celestial minds,
Forever leads the generations on
To higher scenes of being
From day to day by his enliving breath,
Inferior orders in succession rise
To fill the void below. As flame ascends
As bodies to their proper centre move,
As the poiz'd ocean to the attracting moon
Obedient swells, and every headlong stream
Devolves its winding waters to the main;
So all things, which have life aspire to God
The sun of being, boundless, unimpair'd,
Centre of souls! Nor does the faithful voice
Of nature cease to prompt their eager steps
Aright; nor is the care of heaven withheld
From granting to the task proportion'd aid;
That in their stations all may persevere
To climb the ascent of being, and approach
Forever nearer to the life divine.
He sent whom most he lov'd, the sovereign fair,
The effluence of his glory, whom he plac'd
Before his eyes for ever to behold;
The goddess from whose inspiration flows
The toil of patriots, the delight of friends;
Without whose work divine, in heaven or earth,
Nought lovely, nought propitious comes to pass,
Nor hope, nor praise, nor honour. Her the sire
Gave it in charge to rear the blooming mind,
The folded powers to open, to direct
The growth luxuriant of his young desires,
And from the laws of this majestic world
To teach him what was good. As thus the nymph
Her daily care attended, by her side
With constant steps her gay companion stay'd,
The fair Euphrosyne, the gentle queen
Of smiles, and graceful gladness, and delights
That cheer alike the hearts of mortal men
And powers immortal. See the shining pair!
Behold, where from his dwelling now disclos'd,
They quit their youthful charge and seek the skies.
I look'd, and on the flow'ry turf there stood,
Between two radiant forms, a smiling youth
Whose tender cheeks display'd the vernal flower
Of beauty; sweetest innocence illum'd
His bashful eyes, and on his polished brow
Sat young simplicity. With fond regard
He view'd the associates, as their steps they mov'd;
The younger chief his ardent eyes detain'd,
With mild regret invoking her return.
Bright as the star of evening she appear'd
Amid the dusky scene. Eternal youth
O'er all her form its glowing honors breath'd
And smiles eternal, from her candid eyes,
Flow'd like the dewy lustre of the morn
Effusive trembling on the placid waves.
The spring of heaven had shed its blushing spoils
To bind her sable tresses; full diffus'd
Her yellow mantle floated on the breeze;
And in her hand she wav'd a living branch
Rich with immortal fruits, of power to calm
The wrathful heart, and from the bright'ning eyes
To chase the cloud of sadness. More sublime
The heav'nly partner mov'd. The prime of age
Compos'd her steps. The presence of a god,
High on the circle of her brow inthron'd,
From each majestic motion darted awe,
Devoted awe! till cherished by her looks
Benevolent and meek, confiding love
To filial rapture softened all the soul.
Free in her graceful hand she poiz'd the sword
Of chaste dominion. An heroic crown
Display'd the old simplicity of pomp
Around her honor'd head. A matron's robe,
White as the sunshine streams thro' vernal clouds,
Her stately form invested. Hand in hand
The immortal pair forsook the enamell'd green,
Ascending slowly. Rays of limpid light
Gleam'd round their path; celestial rounds were heard
And thro' the fragrant air ætherial dews
Distill'd around them; till at once the clouds
Disparting wide in midway sky, withdrew
Their airy veil, and left a bright expanse
Of empyrean flame where spent and drown'd,
Afflicted vision plung'd in vain to scan
What object it involv'd. My feeble eyes
Indured not. Bending down to earth I stood,
With dumb attention. Soon a female voice,
As wat'ry murmurs sweet, or warbling shades
With sacred invocation thus began.
Father of gods and mortals! whose right arm
With reins eternal guides the moving heavens,
Bend thy propitious ear. Behold well pleas'd
I seek to finish thy divine decree.
With frequent steps I visit yonder seat
Of man, thy offspring; from tender seeds
Of justice and of wisdom, to involve
The latent honors of his generous frame;
Till thy conducting hand shall raise his lot
From earth's dim scene to these ætherial walks
The temple of thy glory. But not me,
Not my directing voice he oft requires,
Or hears delighted; this inchanting maid,
The associate thou hast given me, her alone
He loves, O father! absent, her he craves;
And but for her glad presence ever join'd,
Rejoices not in mine; that all my hopes
This thy benignant purpose to fulfil,
I deem uncertain; and my daily cares
Unfruitful all in vain, unless by thee
Still farther aided in the work divine.
She ceas'd; a voice more awful thus reply'd,
O thou! in whom forever I delight,
Fairer than all the inhabitants of heaven,
Best image of thy author! far from thee
Be disappointment, or distaste, or blame;
Who soon or late shall every work fulfill,
And no resistance find. If man refuse
To hearken to thy dictates; or allur'd
By meaner joys, to any other pow'r
Transfer the honors due to thee alone;
That joy which he pursues he ne'er shall taste,
That power in whom delighteth ne'er behold.
Go then once more, and happy be thy toil;
Go then but let not this thy smiling friend
Partake thy footsteps. In her stead, behold!
With thee the sons of Nemesis I send ;
The fiend abhorr'd! whose vengeance takes account
Of sacred order's violated laws.
See where he calls thee, burning to begone,
Fierce to exhaust the tempest of his wrath
On yon devoted head. But thou, my child,
Controul his cruel frenzy, and protect
Thy tender charge. That when despair shall grasp
His agonizing bosom, he may learn,
That he may learn to love the gracious hand
Here ceas'd that awful voice, and soon I felt
The cloudy curtain of refreshing eve
Was clos'd once more, from that immortal fire
Shelt'ring my eye-lids Looking up, I view'd
A vast gigantic spectre striding on
Thro' murm'ring thunders and a waste of clouds,
With dreadful action, Black as night his brow
Relentless frowns invok'd. His savage limbs
With sharp impatience violent he writh'd
As thro' convulsive anguish; and his hand
Arm'd with a scorpion lash, full oft he rais'd
In madness to his bosom; while his eyes
Rain'd bitter tears, and bellowing loud he shook
The virgin came. No discomposure stirr'd
Her features. From the glooms which hung around,
No stain of darkness mingled with the beam
Of her divine effulgence. Now they stoop
Upon the river bank; and now to hail
His wonted guests with eager steps advanc'd
The unsuspecting inmate of the shade.
As when a famish'd wolf that all night long
Had rang'd the Alpine snows, by chance at morn
Sees from a cliff incumbent o'er the smoke
Of some lone village, a neglected kid
That strays along the wild for herb or spring;
Down from the winding ridge he sweeps amain,
And thinks he tears him; so with tenfold rage,
The monster sprung remorseless on his prey.
Amaz'd the stripling stood! with panting breast
Feebly he pour'd the lamentable wail
Of helpless consternation, struck at once,
And rooted to the ground. The queen beheld
His terror; and with looks of tend'rest care
Advanc'd to save him. Soon the tyrant felt
Her awful power. His keen tempestuous arm
Hung nerveless, nor descended where his rage
Had aim'd the deadly blow; then dumb retir'd
With sullen rancóur. Lo! the sovereign maid
Folds, with a mother's arms, the fainting boy,
Till life rekindles in his rosy cheek;
Then grasps his hand, and cheers him with her tongue.
O wake thee, rouze thy spirit! Shall the spite
Of yon tormentor thus appall thy heart,
While I, thy friend and guardian am at hand
To rescue and to heal? O let thy soul
Remember, what the will of heav'n ordains
Is ever good for all; and if for all,
Then good for thee. Nor only by the warmth
And soothing sunshine of delightful things,
Do minds grow up and flourish. Oft misled
By that bland light, the young unpractis'd views
Of reason wander through a fatal road,
Far from their native aim; as if, to lie
Inglorious in the fragrant shade, and wait
The soft access of ever circling joys,
Were all the end of being.
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