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And bursting through the dusky shroud
That dared his power invest,

Ride throned in light o'er every cloud
Triumphant to his rest.

And there, beneath His beam renewed,
That glorious vale shall shine,
So long by trembling hope pursued,
And now for ever thine.

Then, Christian, dry the falling tear,
The faithless doubt remove;
Redeem'd at last from guilt and fear,
Oh! wake thy heart to love.

A SAVIOUR'S blood hath bought thy peace,
Thy SAVIOUR GOD adore;

He bade the throb of terror cease,
The pains of guilt he bore.

TO HIS MOTHER.-J. Bowdler, Jun.

THOU dearest object of my earliest love,
Whom Nature's voice first taught me to adore,
Ere rising Reason's mandate could approve,
What heaven-taught instinct had inspired before;

O what a race my weary feet have run,

Since last thy image met my wishful eye; Then waft me hence, thou quick revolving sun, To that lov'd region of eternal joy.

For where can man in heaven's high realms beside,

Heart-soothing peace and gentle pleasure find; If senseless apathy in stoic pride,

Constrain each nobler feeling of the mind?

"Tis warm Affection's links that mildly join
In sacred sympathy each kindred soul,
When, rich with mercies from the hand divine,
Days, months, and years, in blissful silence roll.

Such were the hours that once in rapture flew,
While every day increase of bliss supplied:
With every hour some sweeter pleasure grew,
Each wish prevented, and each want untried.

Yet, e'en while Freedom spread her charms around,

While laughed the morn, and every joy was
mine,

Could fancied sorrows real pleasures wound,
And passion thwart reflection's cool design.

Fool that I was-full oft I vowed in vain,

To rule my life with Reason's sober sway; Till headstrong Passion snatched the slackened

rein,

And chased Reflection's milder power away.

Then, when o'erwhelmed I lay with fancied woe, Thy present image cheered the darkling scene, Methinks e'en now thy gentle dictates flow,

Queen of each thought, of each affection queen

For thou art all that Heaven itself could form, The noblest soul and meekest spirit joined; Nor Fortune's dream, nor Fate's o'erwhelming

storm

Can change th' unaltered tenor of thy mind.

O yet, while youth smiles in its earliest prime,

This ruffian soul with meekest thoughts inspire, Thoughts like thine own; e'er the rude hand of Time

Light every spark, and fan the rising fire.

While thus entranced I soothed each wishful care With silent Meditation's gentle power,

Slow sunk the Sun, while poured on Night's dull

ear,

These awful dictates charmed the sacred hour:

"Say why, my son, thus pensive and alone, "Does thy sad heart with fancied sorrows

mourn;

"Think'st thou these childish sighs, this abject

groan,

"Can bid the scenes of former bliss return?

"Know, then, that years on hasty pinions fly,

"Not pleasure's poison can their force destroy; "Silent we steal through life, are born and die, "Catch fancied bliss, and taste unreal joy.

"But oh! how wretched he, whose infant heart "No mother's tender precepts e'er refined; "To him no joys can love's sweet balm impart, "Or soft affection sooth his tortured mind.

"Go then, to Heaven thy pure devotions pay; "Go sooth thy Mother's soul with filial zeal, "Tear from her heart each anxious care away, "Feel what you are, and dare be what you feel."

TO MISS B

Then two years old.-Miss Bowdler.

SWEET blossom, opening to the beams of day!
Dear object of affection's tender care!
For whom she gently smooths the painful way,
Inspires the anxious wish, the ardent prayer!

How pleasing in thy infant mind to trace
The dawn of reason's force, of fancy's fire,
The soft impression of each future grace,
And all a parent's warmest hopes desire !

How sweet that smile unknown to ev'ry art,
Inspired by innocence, and peace, and joy!
How pure the transports of thy guiltless heart,
Which yet no fears alarm, no cares annoy !

No airy phantoms of uncertain woe,

The blessings of the present hour allay;
No empty hopes a fancied good bestow,
Then leave the soul to real grief a prey.

Gay pleasure sparkles in thy gentle eye,
Some new delight in ev'ry scene appears―
Yet soft affection heaves a secret sigh,

And sends an anxious look to distant years.

While those dear smiles with tender love I view, And o'er thy infant charms enraptured bend, Does my fond hope a real good pursue?

And do these arms embrace a future friend?

Should Heaven to me a lengthened date assign,
Will e'er that love thy gentle heart engage
With friendship's purest flame to answer mine,
And charm the languor of declining age

Yet not for me these ardent wishes rise,
Beyond the limits of my fleeting years,

For thee, dear babe, my prayers ascend the skies,
And pleasing hope my anxious bosom cheers.

May innocence still guard thy artless youth,
Ere vice and folly's snares thy breast alarm,
While sweetness, modesty, and spotless truth,
Beam from thy soul, and brighten ev'ry charm!

May Heaven to thee its choicest gifts impart,
Beyond what wealth bestows, or pride pursues,
With ev'ry virtue animate thy heart,

And raise thy efforts to the noblest views!

In transport wrapt may each fond parent see
Thro' rising years those virtues still improve,
While ev'ry tender care now felt for thee,

Thy heart repays with never-ceasing love.

When pleasure smiles, and strews thy path with flow'rs,

And youthful fancy doubles ev'ry joy,

May brighter hopes attend thy gayest hours,
And point to bliss which time can ne'er destroy!

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