With th' immortal foul caval,
And, doubtless, with it caternal.
Here then we stop nor further go
In search of what we must not know;
For what th' Almighty wisdom chofe,
Not to our knowledge to disclose,
Prefumption it must be in man,
And impious to dare to fcan.
FOR AN INSCRIPTION ON A STONE, OVER THE
REMAINS OF A FAVORITE DOG:
STRANGER, who e'er thou art, or friend or foe;
Whether with joy familiar, or with woe,
If chance fhall guide thee to this flow'ry mead;
Or choice direct thee, or thy fancy lead,
Where lies entomb'd within this narrow space,
A faithful being of the canine race:
With cautious feet prefs lightly on the ground;
Nor with rude hands disturb the humble mound,
Expressly rais'd at a fond mafter's will,
Secure, to guard his fav'rite's bones from ill.
Yet fpare thy tears, the heaving figh reftrain,
Nor give thy nature one short moment's pain.
Tributes like these to him can ne'er be due;
To kindred beings these alone we owe.
Search but throughout the social ties of life,
Or friend, or father, fifter, child or wife,
Will ever call thy tender forrows forth,
To heal difpair, and footh afflicted worth,
Docile he was, and gentle, kind and true;
What merits greater in thy sphere haft thou?
Unerring instinct thus his nature mov'd;
Made him by man carefs'd, by man belov'd.
Then hence away and let thy actions tend,
Impell'd by reafon, to the felf-fame end,
Onward to truth direct a sted fast eye;
Befriended, then, like him thou'lt live, like him la
mented die.
October 17th, 1785.
YOU fay, Sir, once a wit allow'd
A lady to be like a cloud;
Then take a Simile as foon
Between a Woman and the Moon ;
For let mankind fay what they will,
The fex are heav'nly bodies ftill.
Grant me (to mimic mortal life,)
The Sun and Moon are man and wife,
Whate'er kind Sol affords to lend her,
Madam displays in midnight fplendor;
For while to rest he lays him down,
She's up and star'd at thro' the town;
From him her beauties clofe confining,
And only in his abfence fhining.
Or else she looks like fullen tapers;
Or else is fairly in the vapours;
Or owns at once a wife's ambition,
And fully glares in oppofition.-
Say, is not this a modish pair,
Where each for other feels no care.
Whole days in feparate coaches driving,
Whole nights to keep afunder striving;
Both in the dumps in gloomy weather,
And lying once a month together;
In one fole point unlike the case is,
On her own head the horns fhe places.
O! Thou whofe fweetly pleafing fway,
Our willing hearts with joy obey,
O! Hope my pray'r attend:
The pray'r of one whofe tortur'd heart,
Pierc'd by Affliction's sharpest dart,
Finds thee its only friend.
'Midst all the pangs which rend my breast,
And long have robb'd my foul of rest,
On thee I will rely;
For Heav'n in mercy fent thee here,
And bade thee wipe the bitter tear
That streams from Sorrow's eye.
O'er all mankind thy care extends;
Thy balm the guilty wretch defends
From maduefs and defpair;
To ftop ftern Juftice in his course,
Thou teacheft him the wond'rous force
Of penitence and prayer.
Virtue, by tyrant Pow'r opprefs'd,
Friendship, afflicted and distress'd,
By thee is taught to rife;
And confcious of her Heav'nly birth,
To fcorn the narrow bounds of earth,
And claim her kindred skies.
'Tis thine to pierce the dismal gloom,
Where Sorrow weeps o'er Friendship's tomb,
And show that happy fhore,
Where pleasure shall for ever reign,
Where virtuous love unites again,
And friends shall part no more.
'Midft tort'ring rack, and feorching fire, -
The Hero, whom thy voice infpire
In confcious virtue braye:
Triumphantly refigns his breath,
And plucks the sting from vanquish'd death,
The vict❜ry from the grave.
O! may thy kind, thy gentle powr
Sustain me in that dread hour
When Nature shrinks aghaft;
When Death's cold hands thefe eyes fhall clofe,
And my long pilgrimage of was,
Shall have an end at last.
When the pale lamp of life expires,
When reafon calm, and fancy's fires-
Have left my panting breast,
Oh! ftill my lovely Cherub ftay,
And bear my parting foul away
To realms of endless reft.
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