.

Akenside.

Where wisdom talk'd with her Athenian fons
Could my ambitious hands intwine a wreath
Of PLATO'S olive with the Mantuan bay.
Then fhould my pow'rful voice at once difpel
Thefe monkish horrors: then in light divine
Disclose the Elyfian profpect, where the steps
Of those whom nature charms, thro' blooming walks,
Thro' fragrant mountains and poetic streams
Amid the train of fages, heroes, bards,
Led by their winged genius and the choir
Of laurell'd fcience and harmonious art,
Proceed exulting to th' eternal fhrine,

Where truth inthron'd with her celeftial twins
The undivided part'ners of her fway
With good and beauty reigns. O let not us,
Lull'd by luxurious pleafure's languid strain
Or crouching to the frowns of bigot rage,
O let not us a moment paufe to join
The god-like band! And if the gracious pow'r
That firft awaken'd my untutor'd fong,

Will to my invocation breathe anew

The tuneful spirit then thro' all our paths,
Ne'er fhall the found of this devoted lyre
Be wanting; whether on the rofy mead

When fummer fmiles, to warn the melting heart
Of luxury's allurement; whether firm
Against the torrent and the ftubborn hill
Το urge bold virtue's unremitted nerve
And wake the ftrong divinity of foul.

That conquers change and fate: or whether ftruck
For founds of triumph, to proclaim her toils
Upon the lofty fummit, round her brow
To twine the wreathe of incorruptive praise.
To trace her hallow'd light thro' future worlds
And bless heaven's image in the heart of man.

1

Ogilvie.

O g il vi è.

(Diefer, vermuthlich noch lebende Dichter, ist Verfaffer eines allegorischen Gedichts über die Vorfehung in drei Bûs chern, welches 1763. in 4. zuerst herauskám. Es herrscht darin noch mehr Ueppigkeit von Bildern, Gleichnissen und mahlerischen Scenen, als in dem eben angeführten Gedichte von Akenside, welches diese auch in aller Absicht nachsteht. Dię Genien der Phantasie und der Betrachtung sind die vornehms ften Personen dieser Allegorie, und wechseln faft mit beståns digen Unterredungen, Im ersten Buche sucht der Dichter die Providenz wegen Zulassung der natürlichen Nebel des Les bens zu retten; im zweiten werden die Vorzüge der chriftlis chen Religion ins Licht gesezt; und im dritten wird die Fürs fehung in Ansehung der mannichfachen menschlichen Schicks fale gerechtfertigt. Vergl. Dusch's Briefe, Th. II. n. Ų. Br. VIII---X, wo jedoch diesem Gedichte, wie es scheint, ein allzu freigebiges Lob ertheilt wird. Eine der beften Stellen ist folgende Beschreibung der arkadischen Unschuldswelt, die ihr Glück durch die Einflüsse der Versuchung verlor. Der Ges nius der Phantasie schafft diese Scene auf das Gebeiß des Genius der Betrachtung.)

PROVIDENCE,

(B. II.)

Th' attending Power

Struck with her magic rod the fwelling lawn,
And work'd a new Creation. The low plain
Stretch'd to a field immenfe, where sportive walk'd
The fair-rob'd Summer. O'er her glowing form
Harmonious, flow'd the flower-embroider'd veft,
Girt with a mantling zone; her lucid eye
Beam'd fweetly-radiant; and her cheek outvied
The cherry's deepening bloom. Soft on her lips
Sat all the laughing Loves; and in her hair,
Spread o'er the throbbing bofom, half-disclos'd,

And

And fwelling to the breeze, the Graces play'd Luxuriant. Round the bleating flocks were rang'd,

A harmless train, that crop'd the flowery turf,
Or quaff'd the filver rill. In frolic fport
All-light they wanton'd; for no mound restrain'd
Their aery paftime; and the favage tribe

Sought not their peaceful cot. — A diftant lake, *)
That fwell'd its blue wave from the thymy hills,
Gleam'd thro' the loofened grove. As yet the

birds **)

Whofe wings expanded veil'd the noon-day fun,
Stain'd not its tide. Not far the fimple hut,
Sweet haunt of Innocence and Peace! o'erlaid
With flender ofiers, and the flexile fhrub,
Checquer'd the rural landfkip. O'er the field-
Rov'd the young fhepherds, fmiling in the prime.
Of life, and near were feen the spotless Fair
Crown'd with the herbage of the broider'd mead,
That fhower'd its fpoils around them. Beauty
beam'd

In every look, and on each cheek, the bloom
Of rofy youth, delightful as it glow'd,
With foft inchantment ftole th' enraptur'd eye.

Rapt in sweet transport as I mark'd the fcene,
All balmy-breathing: Hail, ye happy feats
(I thus exclaim'd,) ye happy tribes, that tafte
The cup of Pleafure, by the baleful feeds.
Of Care untainted! May no Syren charm
Your step from Nature's open court, to ftray
Amid' the wilds of Paffion! may you walk,

*) The lake Stymphalis in Arcadia, where this fcene is fuppofed to lye.

**) The Stymphalian birds, who haunted this lake, and infested the country, are well known; as it was one of the labours of Hercules, thoroughly to fubdue them.

Ogilvie., Thus bleft, thus harmless, till superior Powers,
Once more defcending to th' abodes of man,
Mark a new Eden, and tranfported join
To mortal ftrains the high feraphic lay!

Thus from the feeling heart, with joy infpir'd,
The stream of rapture flow'd. The power of

thought

Smil'd with confenting mien. Bleft is the man,
Who hears the voice of Nature; who retir'd
From bustling life, can feed the gladdening beam,
The hopes that breathes of Paradife. Thy deeds,
Sweet Peace, are mufic to th' exulting mind:
Thy prayer, like incenfe wafted on the gale
Of Morning, spreads ambrofia, as the cloud
Of spicy fweet perfumes the whispering breeze
That fcents Arabia's wild. Yon rural train,
In careless indolence reclin'd; the field,

Gay with the hues of Summer; the loofe herds.
That roam the pasture, and diffus'd o'er all,
The fmile of Innocence, the guileless blush
Of fimple Nature; let thefe fcenes recall
The prime of days, when in its vernal bloom,
Earth robed in verdure, from the Maker's hand
Came warm and genial; and her peaceful fons
Knew not the lore of Luxury. Serene
Thou feeft them; various in the rural talk
Employ'd; or fporting on the lillied lawn;
Or ftretch'd at eafe beneath the mantling bough,
Hymning the great Creator. Happy tribe!
But perfect Happiness to inan's frail race
Pertains not.

Drink inftruction, and be wile.

He spoke; - and fudden as I gaz'd around,
Bright in the glittering East *) a form appear'd

Di

*) It was from that part of the world, alternately con-
quered by the Greeks and the Romans, that the luxury
and effeminacy, which finally ruined both these nations,
was originally derived.

Ogilvie.

Divinely beauteous, whofe rich plumage gleam'd

Gay to the dazzling fun: beyond the race
Of mortals fair, beyond the human fize
Rais'd, with fuperior dignity 1 he trod;
And feem'd a Goddess from celeftial climes
To man defcending, that her lenient hand
Might point the path to Happiness. Her head
A crown encircled: o'er her limbs a robe
Floated in eafy majefty; a ftar

Beam'd from her brow; and on her arm fhe bore
A polifh'd mirror, where the forms of things
Reflected, with transcendant luftre flam'd.
Age in the glass beheld its wrinkled front
Smooth as the cheek of Hebe. Beauty fhone
With angel-radiance; and Deformity,
(Had fhrunk Deformity been there,) had vy'd
With Helen ftruggling in the arms of, Love
Sweetly reluctant. Such the Goddess fhone.

Not long fhe trod the plain, when gathering
round

The rural tribe, yet innocent, beheld

Her form with wonder; eyed her purple plumes,
Her crown, her ftature, and her magic glafs,
Curious, amaz'd, delighted. But when near
She held the mirror up, and fhow'd the face
That glow'd celestial, foft as fancy paints
Bright Venus orient from the filver wave;
The throng obfequious to the powerful, charm
Purfued her step, nor knew that all the scene
Was falfe and hollow; nor behind the veil
Difcern'd Temptation; till fhe led them on,
Where, rob'd in vivid green, a meadow spread
Its velvet mantle to the fun. All-wild
They rufh'd along, till in the fecret fnares
Spread o'er the fmiling lawn, their flippery feet.
Befet, the Fiend fecured them as her prey.

Loft then at once were all the native charms Of tender Innocence; the heart no more