Nor stopp'd, till in the sacred page he saw And taught the British muse a heav'nly phrase. Prompt, yet profound; though varied, constant still, On virtue's side his labor and his skill. Could change the lofty for more soothing strains, Invig'rate trees and shrubs, meads, herbs, and flow'rs, ON OBTAINING A PORTRAIT OF JOHN BUNYAN. FAITHFUL resemblance of that man of God, Who saw in dreams, what course the pilgrim trod, Who could so well his various toils recount, From his own birthplace to the heav'nly mount. Before my eyes, within these walls reside, And while I gaze, or memʼry shall abide, I'll think of him, who, by the holy word, Was led from devious paths to seek the Lord. Who, like th' apostles, call'd from mean employ, Near to the Lamb, before the throne divine, *Cowper. The following are his beautiful lines on the Pilgrim, in his Tyrocinium. O thou, whom, borne on fancy's eager wing, I name thee not, let so despis'd a name That mingles all my brown with sober gray, Revere the man, whose PILGRIM marks the road, And guides the PROGRESS of the soul to God. While those, who bend beneath the weight of age, Lord, what am I, that thou should'st bid me lead, ON A HALF LENGTH PORTRAIT OF COWPER. THE hand that half of Cowper drew, Most prudent may we call; The artist, when he painted, knew FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES. ABUH HANIFAH, a most celebrated doctor among the orthodox mussulmen, having causelessly received a malicious and violent blow on the face,spoke thus to him who struck him; "I could return you injury for the injury you have done me; but I will not. I could also inform against you to the Khaliff; but I will not be an informer. I could in my prayers and addresses to God, represent the outrage done me; but I will forbear that. In fine, I could,at the day of judgment, desire God to revenge it; but far be it from me; nay, should that terrible day arrive at this very moment, and could my intercession then prevail, I would not desire to enter paradise without you!" How noble an instance of a calm, serene, and forgiving mind! How hap. py would it be for all Christians, and how honorable to the name of Jesus, were there more frequent exercises of this grace of forgiveness, like this wise and virtuous Mahometan; and more especially like Him, who, upon the cross, prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" A FICTITIOUS DREAM ABOUT FACTS; OR, OCCURRENCES OF EVERY DAY. A SCENE which I beheld in my sleep, some time ago, has Occupied my waking thoughts ever since. As the cir. cumstances which then seemed to happen, certainly take place every day, the recital may both please and edify, and stamp a solemnity upon time, which was not observed before. The remembrance of it has both moderated my joy and regulated my sorrow, upon various occasions. In my sleep, I supposed myself seated in a balloon,and carried up an immense height into the air, when all at once it became stationary. An angel then presented me with a telescope and an ear trumpet. "With the one," said he, "you will be able to see every thing that happens today in one half of the world; the other will convey the words spoken by the persons you see.” When I put my eye to the telescope, the scene which was presented was grand beyond conception; and the glass had this peculiar property, that it disclosed the transac tions which passed within the houses, as well as without them. The variety which I beheld in the various countries of the world, the numberless cities, towns, villages, palaces, &c. filled my mind with such confusion, that I could not for some time fix my attention upon any par ticular spot, so as to observe what was going forward. The first object to which I particularly directed my attention was, a prince sitting in his bed-chamber, who, for the first time, had felt the symptoms of a mortal disease. "There! There!" said he, "is a summons to leave all my pleasures, my riches, my honors! How quickly have my days passed away! Life appears only like a dream!" He sends for his physician, who feels his pulse. At first his countenance indicated alarm. The prince, perceiving this, hastily asked his opinion. This he declined, but advised him to retire to bed; there I saw him laid, and there I left him, to turn my glass towards some other object. In an adjoining house I perceived a large company assembled, to congratulate the family in consequence of a large fortune, which had been left them by an uncle, who had died a few days before. Their mirth was excessive. Wines and all the delicacies of the season were presented; when they drank to the memory of the deceased, without regretting his removal. None remarked the transitory nature of temporal things, nor warned the family not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who is the only permanent possession. A ship at sea, in a furious storm, nest attracted my attention; it was full of passengers. These were in the utmost perturbation, every moment expecting a watery grave! I beheld a husband clasping his beloved wife in his arms, VOL. I. 24 |