ODE TO PITY. O THOU, the friend of man affign'd, With balmy hands his wounds to bind, And charm his frantic woe: When first Distress with dagger keen, Broke forth to wafte his deftin'd fcene-His wild unfated foe! By Pella's Bard, a magic name, By all the griefs his thought could frame, Receive my humble rite: Long, Pity, let the nations view Thy fky-worn robes of tendereft blue, But wherefore need I wander wide To old Iliffus' diftant fide, Deferted stream, and mute? Wild Arun too has heard thy ftrains, There first the wren thy myrtles fhed, On gentleft Otway's infant head, To him thy cell was shown; 1 And while he fung the female heart, With Youth's foft notes, unfpoil'd by Art, Come, Pity, come, by fancy's aid, Thy temple's pride defign; Its fouthern fite, its truth complete There Picture's toil fhall well relate, The bufkin'd mute fhall near her ftand, There let me oft, retir'd by day, Allow'd with thee to dwell:' There waste the mournful lamp of night, Till, virgin, thou again delight To hear a Britifh fhell! COLLINS. Ye fates, no longer let me pine, Permit me, by your grace divine, That if by chance the gentle maid I may, upon ber bofom laid, CUNNINGHAM. ON A SHADOW. AN ODE. HOW are deluded human kind By empty shows betray'd? In all their hopes and schemes they find The profpects of a truncheon caft A foldier on the wars; Difmifs'd with shatter'd limbs at last, The fond philofopher for gain. But tho' they toil with endless pain, They never find their own. By the fame rock the chemifts drown," But melt their ready fpirit down, What is the mad projector's care? At court, the poor dependants fail, How to philofophers will found There's not a fubftance to be found, "But every where a shade." THE ROSE-BUD. TO A LADY. QUEEN of fragrance, lovely Rofe, Queen of fragrance, lovely Rofe ! Thou, beauteous flower, a welcome guest, Shalt flourish on the fair one's breast, Shalt grace her hand, or deck her hair, And hafte thy beauties to disclose, Queen of fragrance, lovely Rofe! |