Then, led to rest, the day's long toil they drown,
Deep funk in fleep, and filk, and heaps of down.

At length 'tis morn; and, at the dawn of day,
Along the wide canals the zephyrs play:
Fresh o'er the gay parterres the breezes creep,
And shake the neighbouring wood to banish sleep.
Up rife the guests, obedient to the call;

An early banquet deck'd the fplendid hall;
Rich luscious wine a golden goblet grac'd,

Which the kind mafter forc'd the guests to tafte.

Then, pleas'd and thankful, from the porch they go;
And, but the landlord, none had caufe of woe:

His cup was vanish'd; for, in fecret guife,
The younger gueft purloin'd the glitt'ring prize.
As one who fpies a ferpent in his way,

Glistening and basking in the fummer ray,
Disorder'd stops to fhun the danger near,

Then walks with faintness on, and looks with fear;
So feem'd the fire, when far upon the road,
The fhining spoil his wiley partner show'd.

He stopp'd with filence, walk'd with trembling heart,
And much he wish'd, but durft not ask to part:
Murmuring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it hard,
That generous actions meet a base reward.

While thus they pafs, the fun his glory shrouds,
The changing skies hang out their fable clouds ;
A found in air prefag'd approaching rain,
And beasts to covert fcud across the plain..
Warn'd by the figns, the wandering pair retreat,
To feek for fhelter at a neighb'ring feat.
'Twas built with turrets, on a rifing ground,
And strong, and large, and unimprov'd around;
It's owner's temper, tim'rous and fevere,
Unkind and griping, caus'd a defart there.
As near the mifer's heavy doors they drew,

Fierce rifing gufts with fudden fury blew;

The nimble lightning mix'd with fhowers began,
And o'er their heads loud rolling thunders ran.
Here long they knock, but knock or call in vain,
Driven by the wind, and batter'd by the rain.
At length fome pity warm'd the mafter's breaft,
('Twas then his threshold firft receiv'd a gueft;)
Slow creeking turns the door with jealous care,
And half he welcomes in the thiv'ring pair;
One frugal faggot lights the naked walls,
And nature's fervour through their limbs recals
Bread of the coarfeft fort, with eager wine,
(Each hardly granted) ferv'd them both to dine;
And when the tempeft first appear'd to cease,
A ready warning bid them part in peace,

With ftill remark the pondering Hermit view'd,
In one fo rich, a life fo poor and rude;

And why fhould fuch,' within himself he cry'd,
Lock the loft wealth a thousand want befide?
But what new marks of wonder foon took place,
In every fettling feature of his face;

When from his veft the young companion bore
That cup the generous landlord own'd before,
And paid profufely with the precious bowl
The ftinted kindness of this churlish foul.

But now the clouds in airy tumult fly;
The fun emerging opes an azure sky;
A fresher green the fmelling leaves difplay,
And glittering as they tremble, chear the day:
The weather courts them from the poor retreat,

And the glad mafter bolts the wary gate.

While hence they walk, the pilgrim's bofom wrought
With all the travail of uncertain thought;

His partner's acts without their caufe appear,
Twas there a vice, and feem'd a madnefs here:
Detefting that, and pitying this, he goes,

Loft and confounded with the various fhows,

Now

Now night's dim fhades again involve the ky,
Again the wanderers want a place to lie,
Again they fearch, and find a lodging nigh.
The foil improv'd around, the manfion neat,
And neither poorly low, nor idly great:
It feem'd to speak it's mafter's turn of mind,
Content, and not to praife, but virtue kind.

Hither the walkers turn with weary feet,
Then bless the manfion, and the master greet:
Their greeting fair, beftow'd with modeft guife,
The courteous master hears; and thus replies.

Without a vain, without a grudging heart,
*To Him who gives us all, I yield a part;
From Him you come, for Him accept it here,
A frank and fober, more than costly cheer.”
He spoke, and bid the welcome table spread,
Then talk'd of virtue till the time of bed;
When the grave houshold round his hall repair,
Warn'd by a bell, and close the hours with prayer.
At length the world, renew'd by calm repofe,
Was ftrong for toil, the dappled morn arofe;
Before the Pilgrims part, the younger crept,

Near the clos'd cradle where an infant slept,
And writh'd his neck: the landlord's little pride,
O ftrange return! grew black, and gasp'd, and dy'd.
Horror of horrors! what! his only fon!

How look'd our Hermit when the fact was done?
Not hell, though hell's black jaws in funder part,
And breathe blue fire, could more affault his heart.
Confus'd, and ftruck with filence at the deed,
He flies, but trembling, fails to fly with speed.
His steps the Youth purfues; the country lay
Perplex'd with roads, a fervant shew'd the way:
A river cross'd the path; the paffage o'er
Was nice to find; the fervant trod before;
2 E 2

Long

Long arms of oaks an open bridge fupply'd,
And deep the waves beneath the bending glide.
The youth, who feem'd to watch a time to fin,
Approach'd the careless guide, and thrust him in;
Plunging he falls, and rifing lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and finks among the dead.
Wild, sparkling rage, inflames the father's eyes;
He burfts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
• Detefted wretch!'-But fearce his speech began,
When the strange partner feem'd no longer man;
His youthful face grew more ferenely fweet;
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon his feet;
Fair rounds of radiant points inveft his hair;
Celestial odqurs breathe through purpled air;
And wings, whofe colours glitter'd on the day,
Wide at his back their gradual plumes difplay.
The form etherial burft upon his fight,
And moves in all the majefty of light.

Though loud at firft the pilgrim's paffion grew,
Sudden he gaz'd, and wift not what to do ;
Surprize in fecret chains his words suspends,
And in a calm his fettling temper ends.
But filence here the beauteous Angel broke,
(The voice of mufick ravifh'd as he spoke.)

Thy prayer, thy praife, thy life to vice unknown,

In fweet memorial rife before the throne:

Thefe charms, fuccefs in our bright region find,
And force an Angel down to calm thy mind;
For this, commiffion'd, I forfook the sky-
Nay, cease to kneel-thy fellow-fervant I.

Then know the truth of government Divine,
And let thefe fcruples be no longer thine.

The Maker juftly claims that world he made,
In this the right of Providence is laid;
It's facred majefty through all depends
On ufing second means to work his ends;

• "Tis

Stothard del.

Heath foulp.

Plate 1X.

Bublifh'd as the Act directs, by Harrison & Co Aug, 1,1781.

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