Snatch'd the lean morfel from the ftarving mouth;
Tore from cold wintry limbs the tatter'd weed;
Ev'n robb'd them of the laft of comforts, fleep; 370
The free-born BRITON to the dungeon chain'd,
Or, as the luft of cruelty prevail'd,
At pleasure mark'd him with inglorious ftripes;
And crush'd out lives, by fecret barb'rous ways,
That for their country would have toil'd, or bled. 375
O great design! if executed well,
With patient care, and wifdom-temper'd zeal.
Ye fons of mercy! yet refume the fearch;
Drag forth the legal monsters into light,
Wrench from their hands oppreffion's iron rod, 380
And bid the cruel feel the pains they give.
Much still untouch'd remains; in this rank
Much is the patriot's weeding hand requir'd.
The toils of law, (what dark infidious Men
Have cumbrous added to perplex the truth,.
And lengthen fimple juftice into trade)
How glorious were the day! that saw these broke,
And ev'ry Man within the reach of right.
By wintry famine rous'd, from all the tract
Of horrid mountains which the fhining Alps,.
And wavy Appenine, and Pyrenees,
Branch out ftupendous into distant lands;
Cruel as death, and hungry as the grave!
Burning for blood! bony, and ghaunt, and grim!
Affembling wolves in raging troops defcend;
And, pouring o'er the country, bear along,
Keen as the north-wind fweeps the gloffy fnow.
All is their prize. They faften on the steed,
Prefs him to earth, and pierce his mighty heart.
Nor can the bull his awful front defend,
Or shake the murd'ring favages away.
Rapacious, at the mother's throat they fly,
And tear the screaming infant from her breast.
The godlike face of Man avails him nought.
Ev'n beauty, force divine! at whofe bright glance
The gen'rous lion stands in foften'd gaze,
Here bleeds, a hapless undiftinguish'd prey.
But if, appriz'd of the fevere attack,
The country be fhut up, lur'd by the fcent,
On church yards drear (inhuman to relate!)
The disappointed prowlers fall, and dig
The fhrouded body from the grave; o'er which, Mix'd with foul fhades, and frighted ghofts, they howl.
AMONG thofe hilly regions, where embrac'd
In peaceful vales the happy Grifons dwell;
Oft, rufhing fudden from the loaded cliffs,
Mountains of fnow their gath'ring terrors roll.
From steep to steep, loud-thund'ring down they come,
A wintry wafte in dire commotion all;
And herds, and flocks, and travellers, and fwains, 420
And fometimes whole brigades of marching troops,
Or hamlets fleeping in the dead of night,
Are deep beneath the finoth'ring ruin whelm'd.
Now, all amid the rigours of the year, In the wild depth of Winter, while without
The ceafelefs winds blow ice, be my retreat,
Between the groaning forest and the shore
Beat by the boundless multitude of waves,
A rural, fhelter'd, folitary, scene ;
Where ruddy fire and beaming tapers join,
To cheer the gloom. There ftudious let me fit,
And hold high converse with the MIGHTY DEAD;
Sages of ancient time, as gods rever'd,
As gods beneficent, who bleft mankind
With arts, with arms, and humaniz'd a world.
Rous'd at th' infpiring thought, I throw afide
The long-liv'd volume; and, deep-mufing, hail
The facred fhades, that flowly-rifing pafs
Before my wond'ring eyes. Firft SOCRATES,
Who, firmly good in a corrupted state,
Against the rage of tyrants fingle stood,
Invincible! calm Reafon's holy law,
That Voice of GOD within th' attentive mind,
Obeying, fearlefs, or in life, or death:
Great moral teacher! Wifeft of Mankind!
SOLON the next, who built his common-weal
On equity's wide base; by tender laws
A lively people curbing, yet undamp'd
Preferving still that quick peculiar fire,
Whence in the laurel'd field of finer arts,
And of bold freedom, they unequal'd fhone,
The pride of fimiling GREECE, and human-kind.
LYCURGUS then, who bow'd beneath the fore
Of ftricteft difcipline, feverely wife,
All human passions. Following him, I fee,
As at Thermopyla he glorious fell,
The firm * DEVOTED CHIEF, who prov'd by deeds
The hardest lesson which the other taught.
Then ARISTIDES lifts his honest front ;
Spotless of heart, to whom th' unflatt'ring voice 460 Of freedom gave the noblest name of Juft;
In pure majestic poverty rever'd;
Who, even his glory to his country's weal
Submitting, fwell'd a haughty + Rival's fame.
Rear'd by his care, of fofter ray appears
CIMON fweet-foul'd'; whofe genius, rifing strong,
Shook off the load of young debauch; abroad
The fcourge of Perfian pride, at home the friend
Of ev'ry worth and ev'ry fplendid art;
Modeft, and fimple, in the pomp of wealth.
Then the laft worthies of declining GREECE,
Late call'd to glory, in unequal times,
Penfive, appear. The fair Corinthian boaft,
TIMOLEON, happy temper! mild and firm,
Who wept the Brother while the Tyrant bled.
And, equal to the best, the ‡ THEBAN PAIR,
Whose virtues, in heroic Concord join'd,
Their country rais'd to freedom, empire, fame.
He too, with whom Athenian honour funk,
And left a mafs of fordid lees behind,
PHOCION the Good; in public life fevere,
To virtue ftill inexorably firm;
But when, beneath his low illuftricus roof,
PELOPIDAS and EPAMINONDAS.
Sweet peace and happy wisdom smooth'd his brow,
Not friendship fofter was, nor love more kind.
And he, the laft of old LYCURGUS' fons,
The gen'rous victim to that vain attempt,
To fave a rotten State, Acis, who faw
Even SPARTA's felf, to fervile av'rice funk.
The two Achaian heroes close the train.
ARATUS, who a while relum'd the foul
Of fondly ling'ring liberty in GREECE:
And he her darling as her latest hope,
The gallant PHILOPOEMEN; who to arms
· Turn'd the luxurious pomp he could not cure;
Or, toiling in his farm, a simple swain ;
Or, bold and skilful, thund'ring in the field.
Or rougher front, a mighty people come !
A race of heroes in thofe virtuous times
Which knew no ftain, fave that with partial flame 500
Their dearest country they too fondly lov❜d :
Her better Founder first, the light of ROME,
NUMA, who foften'd her rapacious fons :
SERVIUS the King, who laid the folid bafe
On which o'er earth the vast republic spread.
Then the great confuls venerable rise.
The
PUBLIC FATHER Who the Private quell'd,
As on the dread tribunal sternly fad.
He, whom his thankless country could not lofe,
CAMILLUS, only vengeful to her foes.
FABRICIUS, fcorner of all-conqu❜ring gold;
MARCUS JUNIUS BRUTUS.
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