Were plac'd by Glycon. He with cowflips pale,
Primrofe, and purple Lychnis, deck'd the green
Before my threshold, and my fhelving walls
With honeyfuckle cover'd. Here at noon,
Lull'd by the murmur of my rifing fount,
I flumber here my clustering fruits I tend;
Or from the humid flowers, at break of day,
Fresh garlands weave, and chace from all my
Each thing impure or noxious. Enter-in,
O ftranger, undifmay'd. nor bat nor toad
Here lurks and if thy breaft of blameless thoughts
Approve thee, not unwelcome shalt thou tread
My quiet manfion: chiefly, if thy name
Wife Pallas and the immortal Mufes own.

bounds

SUCH

Of him who firft with harmony inform'd The language of our fathers. Here he dwelt For many a cheerful day. these ancient walls Have often heard him, while his legends blithe He fang; of love, or knighthood, or the wiles Of homely life through each eftate and age, The fashions and the follies of the world

With

With cunning hand portraying. Though perchance
From Blenheim's towers, O ftranger, thou art come
Glowing with Churchill's trophies; yet in vain
Doft thou applaud them, if thy breaft be cold
To him, this other heroe; who, in times
Dark and untaught, began with charming verse
To tame the rudeness of his native land,

********

********

W

III.

HOE'ER thou art whofe path in fummer lies

Through yonder village, turn thee where the grove

Of branching oaks a rural palace old

Imbofoms. there dwells Albert, generous lord
Of all the harveft round, and onward thence
A low plain chapel fronts the morning light
Fast by a filent riv'let. Humbly walk,
O ftranger, o'er the confecrated ground;
And on that verdant hilloc, which thou fee'ft
Befet with ofiers, let thy pious hand
Sprinkle fresh water from the brook and ftrew
Sweet-fmelling flow'rs. for there doth Edmund reft,
The learned fhepherd; for each rural art
Fam'd, and for fongs harmonious, and the woes
Of ill-requited love. The faithless pride

Of fair Matilda fank him to the grave

In

In manhood's prime. But foon did righteous heaven
With tears, with fharp remorfe, and pining care,
Avenge her falfhood. nor could all the gold

And nuptial pomp, which lur'd her plighted faith
From Edmund to a loftier husband's home,
Relieve her breaking heart, or turn afide
The strokes of death. Go, traveller; relate
The mournful ftory. haply fome fair maid
May hold it in remembrance, and be taught
That riches cannot pay for truth or love.

IV.

YOUTHS and virgins: O declining eld:

O pale misfortune's flaves: O ye who' dwell
Unknown with humble quiet; ye who wait
In courts, or fill the golden feat of kings:
O fons of sport and pleasure: O thou wretch
That weep'ft for jealous love, or the fore wounds
Of conscious guilt, or death's rapacious hand
Which left thee void of hope: O ye who roam
In exile; ye who through the embattled field
Seek bright renown; or who for nobler palms
Contend, the leaders of a public cause ;
Approach: behold this marble. Know ye not
The features? Hath not oft his faithful tongue

Told

Told you the fashion of your own eftate,
The fecrets of your bofom? Here then, round
His monument with reverence while ye ftand,
Say to each other: "This was Shakespear's form;
"Who walk'd in every path of human life,

"Felt every paffion; and to all mankind

"Doth now, will ever that experience yield "Which his own genius only could acquire."

GULIELMUS III. FORTIS, PIUS, LIBERATOR, CUM INEUNTE AETATE PATRIAE LABENTI ADFUISSET SALUS IPSE UNICA; CUM MOX ITIDEM REIPUBLICAE BRITANNICAE VINDEX RENUNCIATUS ESSET ATQUE STATOR; TUM DENIQUE AD ID SE NATUM RECOGNOVIT ET REGEM FACTUM, UT CURARET NE DOMINO IMPOTENTI CEDERENT PAX, FIDES, FORTUNA, GENERIS HUMANI.

AUCTORI PUBLICAE FELICITATIS P, G. A. M. A.

VOL. VI.

C

VI. For

VI.

For a Column at RUNNYMEDE.

HOU, who the verdant plain doft traverse here,
While Thames among his willows from thy view
Retires; O ftranger, ftay thee, and the scene
Around contemplate well. This is the place
Where England's ancient barons, clad in arms
And ftern with conqueft, from their tyrant king
(Then render'd tame) did challenge and secure
The charter of thy freedom. Pass not on
Till thou have blefs'd their memory, and paid
Thofe thanks which God appointed the reward
Of public virtue. And if chance thy home.
Salute thee with a father's honour'd name,
Go, call thy fons: inftruct them what a debt
They owe their ancestors; and make them fwear
To pay it, by tranfmitting down intire

Thofe facred rights to which themselves were born,

ODE