TRUTH.
SAY! will no white-rob’d son of light,

Swift-darting from his heav'nly height,
Here deign to take bis hallow'd stand;
Here wave his amber locks; unfold
His pinions cloth'd with downy gold;

Here, smiling, stretch his tutelary wand?

And you, ye host of faints, for ye have known Each dreary path in life's perplexing maze,

Tho' now ye circle yon eternal throne With harpings high of inexpreflive praise,

Will not your train descend in radiant state, To break with mercy's beam this gath’ring cloud

of fate? 'Tis filence all: No son of light Darts swiftly from his height :

No train of radiant faints descend. “ Mortals, in vain ye hope to find, “ If guilt, if fraud has stain’d your mind,

". Or faint to hear, or angel to defend.” SO TRUTH proclaims. I hear the sacred sound Burst from the center of her burning throne: Where aye she fits with star-wreath'd lustre

crown’d, A bright sun clasps her adamantine zone. SO TRUTH proclaims: her awful voice I hear: With many a solemn pause it slowly meets my ear: “ Attend, ye fons of men ; attend, and say, ** Does not enough of my refulgent ray

“ Break thro' the veil of your mortality?

“ Say! does not reason in this form descry “ Unnumber'd, nameless glories, that surpass “ The angel's floating pomp, the seraph's glowing

grace ? “ Shall then your earth-born daughters vie “ With me? Shall the, whose brightest eye

66 worm,

« But emulates the di’mond's blaze, “ Whose cheeks but mock the peach's bloom, “ Whofe breath the hyacinth's perfume, “ Whose melting voice the warbling wood

“ lark's lays; “ Shall she be deem'd my rival? Shall a form • Of elemental dross, of mould’ring clay,

“ Vie with these charms empyreal ?" the poor “ Shall

prove her contest vain. Life's little day “ Shall pass, and she is gone: while I appear ~ Fluth'd with the bloom of youth, through heav'n's

66 eternal year. “ Know, mortals, know, ere first ye sprung, “ Ere first these orbs in ether hung,

" I shone amid the heav'nly throng; “ These

eyes,

beheld creation's day, “ This voice, began the choral lay, “ And taught archangels, their triumphant song.

“ Pleas'. I survey'd bright nature’s gradual birth, “ Saw infant light with kindling lutire spread,

“ Soft vernal fragrance clothe the flow'ring earth, “ And ocean heave on its extended bed ;

“ Saw the tall pine aspiring pierce the sky, “ The tawny lion ftalk, the rapid eagle fly. “ Last, man arose, erect in youthful grace, “ Heav’n’s hallow'd image Itamp'd upon his face,

“ And, as he rose, the high behest was giv'n,” • That I alone, of all the host of heav'n, • Should reign protectress of the godlike youth: “ Thus the Almighty spake: he fpake, and call’d

me TRUTH.

THE MAIDEN'S PETITION. Too plain, dear youth, these tell-tale eyes,

My heart your own declare; But for heav'n's fake let it suffice You reign triumphant there.

your utmost

power to try,

Forbear

Nor further urge your fway;
Press not for what I must deny,

For fear I should obey.
Could all your arts successful prove,

Would you a maid undo,
Whofe greatest failing is her love,

And that her love for you?
Say, would you ufe that very pow'r

You from her fondness claim,
To ruin in one fatal hour

A life of spotless fame ? Resolve not then to do an ill,

Because perhaps you may;
But rather use your utmost ikin

To save me, than betray.
Be you yourself my virtue's guard:

Defend, and not pursue,
Since 'tis a task for me too hard,

To ftrive with love and you.

UNFADING BEAUTY. HE that loves a rofy cheek,

Or coral lip admires,
Or from fiar-like eyes doth seek

Fuel to maintain his fires;
As old time makes these decay,
So his flames must wafte away.
But a smooth and stedfast inind,

Gentle thoughts and calm defires,
Hearts with equal love combin'd,

Kindle never-dying fires : Where these are not, I despise Lovely cheeks, or lips, or eyes.

WINTER. 'TIS done! dread winter spreads his latest

glooms, And reigns tremendous o'er the conquer'd year. How dead the vegetable kingdom lies ! How dumb the tuneful! Horror wide extends His defolate domain. Behold, fond man! See here thy pictur'd life; pass fome few years, Thy flow'ring SPRING, thy SUMMER'S ardent

strength, Thy fober AUTUMN fading into age, And pale concluding WINTER comes at laft, And shuts the scene. Ah! whither now are fled Those dreams of GREATNESS ? those unfolid hopes Of HAPPINESS ? those longings after Fame? Those restless cares? those busy bustling days? Those gay-fpent, festive nights ? those veering

thoughts, Loft between good and ill, that shar'd thy life? All now are vanish'd! VIRTUE sole survives, Immortal never-failing friend of man, His guide to HAPPINESS on high. And fee! 'Tis come, the glorious morn! the second birth Of heav'n and earth! awak’ning nature hears The new-creating word, and starts to life, In ev'ry heighten’d form, from pain and death For ever free. The great eternal scheme, Involving all, and in a perfeet WHOLE Uniting, as the prospect wider spreads, To realon's eye refin'd clears up apace. Ye vainly wise ! ye blind presumptuous! now, Confounded in the dust, adore that pow'r, And wisdom, oft arraign'd: see now the cause, Why unassuming worth in fecret liv’d, And dy'd, neglected : why the good man's share In life was gall and bitterness of soul : Why the lone widow and her orphans pin'd In starving folitude; while Luxury,

In palaces, lay ftraining her low thought,
To form unreal wants: why heav'n-born TRUTH,
And MODERATION fair, wore the red marks
Of SUPERSTITION's scourge : why licens’d PAIN,
That cruel spoiler, that embofom'd foe,
Imbitter'd all our bliss. Ye good distrest!
Ye noble few! who here unbending stand
Beneath life's preffure, yet bear up awhile,
And what your bounded view, which only saw
A little part, deem'd evil, is no more :
The storms of wint’ry time will quickly pass,
And one unbounded SPRING encircle all.

HEALTH AND FREEDOM.

A FRAGMENT.

FAIR morn ascends : soft zephyr's wing

O’er hill and vale renews the spring :
Where, fown profufely, herb and How'r,
Of balmy smell, of healing pow'r,
Their souls in fragrant dews exhale,
And breathe fresh life in ev'ry gale.
Here, fpreads a green expanse of plains, .
Where, sweetly pensive, silence reigns ;
And then, at utmost stretch of eye,
A mountain fades into the sky:
While winding round, diffus'd and deep,
A river rolls with founding sweep.
Of human art no traces near,
I feem alone with nature here!

Here are thy walks, O sacred HEALTH!
The monarch's bliss, the beggar's wealth,
The seasoning of all good below!
The sov’reign friend in joy or woe!
O thou, molt courted, molt despis'd,
And but in absence duly priz'd:
Pow'r of the foft and rosy face !
The vivid pulfe, the vermil grace,