Murm'ring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it hard
That generous actions meet a base reward.

While thus they pass, the fun his glory shrouds,
The changing skies hang out their fable clouds;
A found in air prefag'd approaching rain,
And beasts to covert fcud a-cross the plain.
Warn'd by the figns, the wand'ring pair retreat,
To feek for fhelter at a neighb'ring feat.
'Twas built with turrets, on a rifing ground,
And strong, and large, and unimprov'd around;
Its owner's temper tim'rous and severe,
Unkind and gripping, caus'd a desart there.

As near the miser's heavy doors they drew, Fierce rifing gufts with fudden fury blew ; The nimble light'ning mix'd with fhow'rs began, And o'er their heads loud rolling thunder ran. Here long they knock, but knock or call in vain, Driven by the wind, and batter'd by the rain. At length fome pity warm'd the master's breast, ('Twas then his threshold first receiv'd a guest) Slow creaking turns the door with jealous care, And half he welcomes in the shivering pair; One frugal faggot lights the naked walls, And nature's fervor thro' their limbs recals: Bread of the coarsest fort, with eagre wine, (Each hardly granted) ferv'd them both to dine; And when the tempest first appear'd to cease, A ready warning bid them part in peace.

With ftill remark the pond'ring hermit view'd, In one fo rich, a life fo poor and rude; And why should such, within himself he cry'd, Lock the loft wealth a thousand want befide? But what new marks of wonder foon took place In ev'ry fettling feature of his face, When from his veft the young companion bore That cup, the gen❜rous landlord own'd before, And paid profufely with the precious bowl The ftinted kindnefs of this churlish foul. But now the clouds in airy tumult fly, The fun emerging opes an azure sky ; A fresher green the fmelling leaves difplay, And glitt'ring as they tremble, chear the day:

The weather courts them from the poor retreat,
And the glad mafter bolts the wary gate.

While hence they walk, the pilgrim's bofom wrought
With all the travel of uncertain thought;
His partner's acts without their cause appear,
'Twas there a vice, and feem'd a madness here:
Detefting that, and pitying this he goes,
Loft and confounded with the various fhows.
Now night's dim fhades again involve the sky,
Again the wand'rers want a place to lye,
Again they fearch, and find a lodging nigh.
The foil improv'd around, the manfion neat,
And neither poorly low, nor idly great :-
It seem'd to feak its mafter's turn of mind,
Content, and not for praise, but virtue kind.

Hither the walkers turn with weary feet,
Then blifs the mansion, and the master greet:
Their greeting fair, beftow'd with modeft guife,
The courteous mafter hears, and thus replies:

Without a vain, without a grudging heart,
'To him who gives us all, I yield a part;
From him you come, for him accept it here,
A frank and fober, more than coftly chear.
He fpoke, and bid the welcome table spread,
Then talk'd of virtue till the time of bed,
When the grave houfhold round his hall repair,
Warn'd by a bell, and close the hours with pray'r.
At length the world renew'd by calm repose
Was frong for toil, the dappl'd morn arofe;
Before the pilgrim's part, the younger crept,
Near the clos'd craddle where an infant flept.
And writh'd his neck: the landlord's little pride,
O ftrange return! grew black, and gasp'd, and dy’d.
Horror of horrors! what! his only fon!
How look'd our hermit when the fact was done?
Not hell, tho' hell's black jaws in funder part,

And breathe blue fire, could more affault his heart.
Confus'd, and ftruck with filence at the deed,

He flies, but trembling fails to fly with speed:

His fteps the youth purfues; the country lay

Perplex'd with roads; a fervant fhew'd the way:

A river cross'd the path; the paffage o'er-
Was nice to find; the fervant trod before;
Long arms of oaks an open bridge fupply'd,
And deep the waves beneath the bending glide.
The youth who seem'd to watch a time to fin,
Approach'd the careless guide, and thrust him in ;
Plunging he falls, and rifing lifts his head,
Then flashing turns, and sinks among the dead.
Wild fparkling rage inflames the father's eyes,
He bursts the bands of fear, and madly cries,
Detelted wretch:- -but fcarce his fpeech began,
When the strange partner feem'd no longer man:
His youthful face grew more ferenely fweet;
His robe turn'd white, and flow'd upon his feet;
Fair rounds of radiant points invest his hair ;
Celestial odours breathe thro' purpl❜d air;
And wings, whofe colours glitter'd on the day,
Wide at his back their gradual plumes difplay..
The form etherial burft upon his fight,
And moves in all the majesty of light..

Tho' loud at firft the pilgrim's paffion grew,.
Sudden he gaz'd, and wift not what to do;
Surprize in fecret chains his words fufpends,
And in a calm his fettling temper ends.
But filence here the beauteous angel broke,
(The voice of mufic ravifh'd as he spoke.)

Thy prayer, thy praife, thy life to vice unknown,.
In fweet memorial rife before the throne:

These charms, fuccefs in our bright region find,
And force an angel down to calm thy mind;
For this commiffion'd, I forfook the sky,

Nay, cease to kneel;

thy fellow-fervant I.

Then know the truth of government divine,
And let thefe fcruples be no longer thine.

The maker justly claims that world he made,
In this the right of providence is laid;
Its facred majefty thro' all depends
On ufing second means to work his ends :
'Tis thus, withdrawn in state from human eye,
The pow'r exerts his attributes on high;
Your actions uses, nor controuls your will,
And bids the doubting fons of men be still.

What

What strange events can strike with more furprise,
Than those which lately ftruck thy wond'ring eyes?
Yet taught by thefe, confefs th' Almighty juft,
And where you can't unriddle, learn to trust!
The great vain man, who far'd on coftly food,
Whofe life was too luxurious to be good;
Who made his iv'ry stands with goblets shine,
And forc'd his guelts to morning draughts of wine,
Has, with the cup, the graceless custom loft.
And still he welcomes, but with lefs of cost.
The mean, fufpicious wretch, whofe bolted door,
Ne'er mov'd in duty to the wand'ring poor;
With him I left the cup, to teach his mind
That heav'n can bless, if mortals will be kind.
Conscious of wanting worth, he views the bowl,
And feels compaffion touch his grateful foul.
Thus artifts melt the fullen ore of lead,
With heaping coals of fire upon its head;
In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,
And loose from drofs, the filver runs below.

Long had our pious friend in virtue trod,
But now the child half-wean'd his heart from God;
(Child of his age) for him he liv'd in pain,
And meafur'd back his fteps to earth again.
To what exceffes had his dotage run?
But God, to fave the father, took the fon.
To all but thee, in fits he feem'd to go,
(And 'twas my ministry to deal the blow.)
The poor fond parent, humbled in the duft,
Now owns in tears the punishment was juft.

But how had all his fortune felt a wrack,
Had that false servant sped in safety back ?
This night his treafur'd heaps he meant to steal,
And what a fund of charity would fail !
Thus heav'n inftructs thy mind; this trial o'er,
Depart in peace, refign, and fin no more.
On founding pinions here the youth withdrew,
The fage flood wond'ring as the feraph flew.
Thus look'd Elisha, when to mount on high,
His mafter took the chariot of the sky;
The fiery pomp afcending left the view;
The prophet gaz'd, and wish'd to follow too.

The

The bending hermit here a pray'r begun, Lord! as in heav'n, on earth thy will be done. Then gladly turning, fought his ancient place, And pafs'd a life of piety and peace.

POPE'S UNIVERSAL PRAYER..

FA

ATHER of all! in ev'ry age;
In ev'ry clime ador'd,

By faint, by favage, and by fage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!

Thou great firft caufe, least understood,
Who all my fense confin'd
To know but this, that thou art good,
And I myself am blind;
Yet gave me, in this dark estate,
To fee the good from ill;
And binding nature fast in fate,
Left free the human will.

What confcience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,

This teach me more than hell to shun,
That, more than heav'n pursue.
What bleffings thy free bounty gives,
Let me not cast away;

For God is paid when man receives :
T enjoy is to obey.

Yet not to earth's contracted fpan
Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round :.
Let not this weak unknowing hand.
Prefume thy bolts to throw,
And deal damnation round the land,
On each I judge thy foe.
If I am right, oh! teach my heart
Still in the right to stay;

If I am wrong, thy grace impart
To find that better way.

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