I SI S.

An E LE GY.

BY THE SAME, 1748.

AR from her hallow'd grot, where mildly bright,
The pointed chrystals fhot their trembling light,
From dripping mofs where sparkling dew-drops fell,
Where coral glow'd, where twin'd the wreathed fhell,
Pale ISIS lay; a willow's lowly fhade

Spread its thin foliage o'er the fleeping maid;
Clos'd was her eye, and from her heaving breaft
In careless folds loofe flow'd her zoneless veft;
While down her neck her vagrant treffes flow,
In all the awful negligence of woe;

Her urn fuftain'd her arm, that sculptur'd vase
Where Vulcan's art had lavish'd all its grace;
Here, full with life, was heav'n-taught Science feen,
Known by the laurel wreath, and mufing mein :

There cloud-crown'd Fame, here Peace fedate and bland,
Swell'd the loud trump, and wav'd the olive wand;
While folemn domes, arch'd fhades, and vistas green,
At well mark'd distance close the facred scene.
On this the goddefs caft an anxious look,
Then dropt a tender tear, and thus fhe spoke ;

Yes,

,

Yes, I could once with pleas'd attention trace
The mimic charms of this prophetic vase;
Then lift my head, and with enraptur'd eyes
View on yon plain the real glories rise.
Yes, ISIS! oft haft thou rejoic'd to lead
Thy liquid treasures o'er yon fav'rite mead;
Oft haft thou stopt thy pearly car to gaze,
While ev ry Science nurs'd its growing bays;
While ev'ry Youth with fame's strong impulse fir’d,
Prest to the goal, and at the goal, untir'd,
Snatch'd each celestial wreath, to bind his brow,
The Muses, Graces, Virtues could bestow.

E'en now fond Fancy leads th' ideal train,
And ranks her troops on mem'ry's ample plain ;
See! the firm leaders of my patriot line,
See ! Sidney, Raleigh, Hamden, Somers shine.
See Hough, fuperior to a tyrant's doom,
Smile at the menace of the slave of Rome :
Each foul whom truth could fire, or virtue move,
Each breaft, firing panting with its country's love,
All that to Albion gave the heart or head,
That wisely counfel'd, or that bravely bled,
All, all appear; on me they grateful smile;
The well-earn'd prize of every virtuous toil
To me with filial reverence they bring,
And hang fresh trophies o'er my honour'd spring.
Ah! I remember well yon beachen spray,
There Addison first tun'd his polith'd lay ;
'Twas there great Cato’s form first met his eye,
In all the pomp of free-born majesty ;

A 4.

“My

"My son, he cry'd, observe this mien with awe,
** In folemn lines the strong resemblance draw;
“ The piercing notes shall strike each British ear;
" Each British eye shall drop the patriot tear!
“ And, rous’d to glory by the nervous strain,
" Each youth shall spurn at slav'ry's abject reign,
“ Shall guard with Cato's zeal Britannia's laws,
“ And speak, and act, and bleed, in freedom's cause."

The hero fpoke; the bard affenting bow'd,
The lay to liberty and Cato flow'd ;
While Echo, as the rov'd the vale along,
Join'd the strong cadence of his Roman fong.

But ah! how stillness slept upon the ground,
How mute attention check'd each rifing found ;
Scarce stole a breeze to wave the leafy spray,
Scarce trill'd sweet Philomel her softest lay,
When Locke walk'd mufing forth ; ev’n now I view
Majestic wisdom thron’d upon his brow,
View Candor smile upon his modest cheek,
And from his eye all judgment's radiance break;
'Twas here the fage his manly zeal exprest,
Here stript vain falfhood of her gaudy veft;
Here truth's collected beams first fill'd his mind,
Ere long to burst in blessings on mankind;
Ere long to thew to reason's purged eye,
That “ Nature's first beft gift was Liberty."

Proud of this wond'rous fon, sublime I food,
(While louder surgęs swellid my rapid food)
Then vain as Niobe, exulting cry'd,
Iliffus ! roll thy fam'd Athenian tide ;

Tho'

a

coast;

Tho' Plato's steps oft mark'd thy neighb'ring glade,
Tho' fair Lycæum lent its awful shade,
Tho' ev'ry academic green impreft
Its image full on thy reflecting breaft,
Yet my pure stream shall boast as proud a name,
And Britain's Ifis flow with Attic fame.

Alas ! how chang'd! where now that Attic boast ?
See! Gothic licence

rage
o'er all

my
See! Hydra faction spread its impious reign,
Poison each breast, and madden ev'ry brain:
Hence frontless crowds, that not content to fright
The blushing Cynthia from her throne of night,
Blast the fair face of day; and madly bold,
To freedom's foes infernal orgies hold;
To freedom's foes, ah! see the goblet crown'd,
Hear plaufive shouts to freedom's foes resound;
The horrid notes my refluent water's daunt,

The echoes groan, the Dryads quit their haunt;
Learning, that once to all diffus’d her beam,
Now fheds, by stealth, a partial private gleam,
In some lone cloister's melancholy fhade,
Where a firm few support her fickly head,
Despis'd, insulted by the barb'rous train,
Who scour like Thracia's moon-struck rout the plain,
Sworn foes like them to all the Muse approves,
All Phæbus favours, or Minerva loves.
Are these the fons my foft'ring breast must rear,

, Grac'd with my name, and nurtur'd by my care? Muft these

go forth from my maternal hand To deal their insults thro’ a peaceful land;

And

And boaft, while Freedom bleeds, and Virtue groans,
That Ifis taught rebellion to her fons ?"
Forbid it, heaven! and let my rifing waves
Indignant fwell, and whelm the recreant flaves;
In England's caufe their patriot floods employ,
As Xanthus delug'd in the caufe of Troy.

Is this deny'd then point fome secret way
Where far, far hence these guiltlefs ftreams may ftray;
Some unknown channel lend, where nature spreads
Inglorious vales, and unfrequented meads,

There, where a hind fcarce tunes his ruftic ftrain,
Where fcarce a pilgrim treads the pathless plain,
Content I' flow; forget that e'er my tide
Saw yon majestic ftructures crown its fide ;
Forget, that e'er my rapt attention hung,
Or on the fage's or the poet's tongue;

Calm and refign'd my humbler lot embrace,
And pleas'd, prefer oblivion to difgrace.

礼

ORIENTAL