The Poetical Works of Beattie, Blair, and Falconer - novelonlinefull.com
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Far from thy haunt be Envy's baneful sway, And Hate, that works the hara.s.s'd soul to storm; But woo Content to breathe her soothing lay, And charm from Fancy's view each angry form.
123
No savage joy the harmonious hours profane!
Whom Love refines, can barbarous tumults please?
Shall rage of blood pollute the sylvan reign?
Shall Leisure wanton in the spoils of Peace?
124
Free let the feathery race indulge the song, Inhale the liberal beam, and melt in love: Free let the fleet hind bound her hills along, And in pure streams the watery nations rove.
125
To joy in Nature's universal smile Well suits, O man, thy pleasurable sphere; But why should Virtue doom thy years to toil?
Ah! why should Virtue's laws be deem'd severe?
126
What meed, Beneficence, thy care repays?
What, Sympathy, thy still returning pang?
And why his generous arm should Justice raise, To dare the vengeance of a tyrant's fang?
127
From thankless spite no bounty can secure; Or froward wish of discontent fulfil, That knows not to regret thy bounded power, But blames with keen reproach thy partial will.
128
To check the impetuous all-involving tide Of human woes, how impotent thy strife!
High o'er thy mounds devouring surges ride, Nor reck thy baffled toils, or lavish'd life.
129
The bower of bliss, the smile of love be thine, Unlabour'd ease, and leisure's careless dream.
Such be their joys who bend at Venus' shrine, And own her charms beyond compare supreme."
130
Warm'd as she spoke, all panting with delight, Her kindling beauties breathed triumphant bloom; And Cupids flutter'd round in circlets bright, And Flora pour'd from all her stores perfume.
131
"Thine be the prize," exclaim'd the enraptured youth, "Queen of unrivall'd charms, and matchless joy."-- O blind to fate, felicity, and truth!
But such are they whom Pleasure's snares decoy.
132
The Sun was sunk; the vision was no more; Night downward rush'd tempestuous, at the frown Of Jove's awaken'd wrath: deep thunders roar, And forests howl afar, and mountains groan,
133
And sanguine meteors glare athwart the plain; With horror's scream the Ilian towers resound, Raves the hoa.r.s.e storm along the bellowing main, And the strong earthquake rends the shuddering ground.
[Footnote 1: This is agreeable to the theology of Homer,--who often represents Pallas as the executioner of divine vengeance.]
THE TRIUMPH OF MELANCHOLY.
1
Memory, be still! why throng upon the thought These scenes deep-stain'd with Sorrow's sable dye?
Hast thou in store no joy-illumined draught, To cheer bewilder'd Fancy's tearful eye?
2
Yes--from afar a landscape seems to rise, Deck'd gorgeous by the lavish hand of Spring: Thin gilded clouds float light along the skies, And laughing Loves disport on fluttering wing.
3
How blest the youth in yonder valley laid!
Soft smiles in every conscious feature play, While to the gale low murmuring through the glade, He tempers sweet his sprightly-warbling lay.
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