Too great for earth, he wish'd to claim The honours of a heav'nly name; And fervile Flatt'ry bow'd the knee But foon, by thee compell'd, the youth So few the hours, alas! that fate * Alexander, when faluted a god by his parafites, confeffed himself mortal, mentioning feveral things which convinced him of his mor◄ tality, particularly fleep, which he faid was the image of death. Vide Plutarch in Alexand. Of timid man the gentle friend, Thou bid'ft us by degrees prepare A more lafting fleep to bear, And now anticipate our end. When monarch Reafon, lull'd to reft, Lets fall the fceptre of the breast; At thy command, unbounded queen, Fancy ufurps her mimic reign. She ridicules in wanton play The arduous trifles of the day, Laughs at vain man's delusive schemes, And points him to his waking dreams. Let man inftruction's voice obey, And well improve his fleeting day, Then fleep, and wake to immortality. SPRING. Or brood o'er Scythia's icy-fetter'd wave : For, Winter, thee of yore [fcene, Night, haggard beldame, to the Northwind bore, To rule his bleak domain, When youthful Jove began his iron reign. But come, thou nymph of dewy eye, Which foftly beams with vivid joy, Whose locks in primrose wreaths are twin'd, Or loosely woo the western wind; Thou, who doft tread the spangled mead, Come, Come, and thy landscapes all disclose, While yet the morn but faintly glows, Their nightly orgies there they keep, And through the day in flow'rets fleep. In duteous hum their requiem fing, Bearing the yellow spoil away. From ev'ry grove and ev'ry tree Burft the wild notes of harmony. Thy prefence, genial nymph, infpires The mufic of the woodland choirs. In Fancy's architecture skill'd, The little warblers featly build In many a fhade the moffy nest, Oh! may no truant-lad espy, And feize the prey with cruel joy. But fearless of his thievish aims, Her neft of clay the swallow frames, She fondly feeds her twitt'ring young. With golden harvests clothe the plain. Lo! |