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And to the rising god's maturing ray,
Spreads the large sample of her freshen'd stores;
The fragrant scents of many an opening bud,
And many a full-blown blossom, sav'd by thee
From with'ring death, attest thy genial sway:
The shooting stem, the wide expanding leaf,
And swelling fullness of the bearded corn,
Confess thy influence, grateful and benign-
MAN is alone, the busy ingrate, MAN,
For whose vast views the longest day's too short,
The only being who counteracts thy reign,
And from thy visits rises unrefresh'd.-
He, he alone retires not, when thy lamp
Hung in the highest Heaven, serenely sheds
Its silvery soft light o'er unmeasur'd space,
And bids the shepherd house his scatter'd flock;
The ruddy milkmaid lift her loaded pail,
And the laborious hind to quit the glebe
Perhaps in this fantastic idle age
The only true observers of thy will ;-
Ah! happy wer't, if no unlicens'd thought
Inflam'd the mind of uncomplying man,
In moments but for contemplation form'd,
At most, for screened intercourse of sou!,
For curtain'd love, and friendship's bright fireside;
And urg'd him on thro' errors thick'ning maze,
To ruin's brink, -that fearful brink, that bends
Its tottering head o'er desperation's sea!
Whence few indeed have seen their fate so sure,

To start with horror from the rising surge, And slowly measure back the path perplex'd.So all-composing, NIGHT! thy influence bland, That e'en the savage tenants of the cave, Wou'd, shelter'd by thy covering, soundly sleep, Nor stir the rustling leaves of their thick wood, In gloomy prowl, or fright with hideous yell, Or sieze their victim with exulting roar; Did not insatiate hunger's lawless call, By day, subservient to the monster man, (Of other monsters the commanding Lord) And fearful of his ire, at length break forth, Preying where'er licentious impulse leads.For this superior terror and controul, Thanks to the form erect, the active mind, And limbs thereto obedient-firm; Ready to hurl the pond'rous rock; or shoot With certain aim the winged shaft of fateImage of him who animated all! And surely thence his undisputed sway; For ah! his perfect nature how unlike! (So may our conscious frailties well presume,) Tho' to the eye of brute, of power to tame Their savage wills, and make them keep their caves. But monsters deadlier-far more to be fear'd, Than fiercest tenants of the craggy wilds, Usurp thy silence and befriending shade -Dæmons of Hell! (if such a place there be, And with such spectres stor'd,-or rather man's

Ideal Bridewell for unpunish'd guilt;
His conscience Satan, and his sins the fiends,
Terrific host!) soon as the setting sun,

Withdraws his beams-those strong restraining bars
That held their engines long-once slipt-let loose
Their wheeling mischiefs thro' the thickening air;
Whose intersecting motions weave and form
For human frailty an ingenious net;
In which full oft th' unwary fool is caught.-
Folly and Vice throw wide their temple gates,
With specious fronts, high varnish'd to the view.
Unthinking man must needs their realms explore,
And there thy mild injunctions much abuse-
Assail with many a shout thy drowsy ear,
With many a deed disturb thy hush'd repose-
Yet thine the moments set apart for rest,
And some the call obey, tho' many break;
Some, who to vicious customs scorn to yield,
Observe the seasons with becoming grace,
And pay due homage to the passing time.-
Oh! far from me be that illiberal thought-
Which wraps in undistinguish'd censure, all
Who keep unclos'd the eye-or restless grope
Their doubtful dark way thro' thy shifting shades-
I blame not those who at their several posts
Perforce must many a watchful task perform;
Pity and praise for them make many a claim-
And sure 'twere hard not to allow them all !
Such is the mariner in slippery shrouds,
Setting his sails to catch the bellying breeze;

The station'd guard on the exposed strand,
The city watchman in his scanty box,

With every one who hourly comes and goes,

Thro' strait Necessity's unsocial door.

The general good must sacrifice the few:-
Some individual incense must be pour'd,

To keep the universal flame alive ;

And watch must some, if that the rest wou'd snore.

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No! those alone my censure shall pursue
Who wantonly abuse thy destin'd end,
Invert thy order, purpose, and intent,
Descend to claim alliance with the brute,
And in some sensual moments lower fall-
Forego-to keep their vicious orgies up,
Fair reputation-independence-health-
The meed of praise and lasting peace of mind ;-
Forego such treasures to receive in turn,
Compunction-beggary-disgrace-disease.-

Then say my Muse, for thou hast well observ'd, And trac'd each scene with clear impartial eye; Liberal and general as thy ample veil, That wraps in one wide shade the one half world, At one still moment gliding slow o'er all; Where stalks black vice, where couchesconscious worth, Where horrors startle, pleasures soothe, and where Slides the soft step and sounds sweet music's tongue, Yet not alarms, or pains thy tender ear, Thrice welcome gracious goddess-soft-ey'd NIGHT.

From lengthen'd toil the lab'ring HIND implores Thy kind return to close the tedious day, And give his falt'ring limbs a short repose; And ne'er thy starry robe or blanket dark, Hung o'er his head, but that his rest was sound; Oh happy state! when no foul fiend breaks in, To jog the mind or body's gentle sleepHe on a winter night, when all is dark And dreary round, retires within his cot,And when he shuts his wicket, shuts out care. There on a bench, a settle, or a stool, Much more for use, than ornament design'd; Substantial proofs of his ingenious hand, He sits him down-and howsoe'er fatigu'd, Thinks his seat soft, nor feels the idle want Of sattin covering, and elastic spring; But us'd to hardy rest, as healthy toil, In social converse takes a little hour, And eats the frugal meal. His wife, meanwhile, Surveys her manly mate with inward pride, As to his arms he strains the homely boy, Healthy and strong-pledge of their mutual loves; In nature's full untainted tide begot, In hard'ning penury born and coarsely bredOffspring of parents, whose entwining arms, Ne'er knew the nauseate of a foul embrace; Into whose veins disease ne'er found its way, Nor on whose well-strung, nervous, sinewy frames,Debility, lame child of sleepy slath,

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