preying vultures, Ixion's wheel, the fruitless toil of Sisyphus, and of the Belides, &c. to punish and torment the wicked! Such wild and romantic dreams though set off with never so much air of wit, humour, or fancy, can never be of any real force to reach the secret springs of passion. And little better are any of those gay images of false lustre, bestowed upon the fictitious atchievements of Gods and heroes; which make up the main subject, and are the chief embellishment of heathen song.

"The dignity of the Christian theme is infinitely more bright and dazzling; from the native charms of truth, the endearing sweetness and beneficence of its design, and the irresistible force of its divine authority: being not only fitted to raise, attract, and govern the most tender passions of love, wonder, and joy; but powerful enough to transport the soul above all the little scenes of time and chance, with very strong and anticipating views of the remotest futurity. Those representations of unchangeable blessedness or misery; that awful solemnity of the supreme tribunal; the irreversible sentence to be passed upon all mankind, at the end of a temporary probation; and the vastly different states of the two eternal worlds, authoritatively declared in the sacred canon, are every way adapted to take place in a reasonable mind; and have a natural tendency to awaken the most leading passions of hope and fear, into a watchful care and diligence to obtain the one and avoid the other.

"What I would infer from the whole argument is, that the inspired writings, have abundantly afforded the best helps in the world, for an useful employment of a poetic genius; whether in the more easy and practicable

way of ode, or the elaborate and more exalted strain of the epic kind. If the mean, trifling, and improbable stories which usually furnish out the tragical drama, are of so great force when set off by a brightness and majesty of expression, as to govern the rational powers, to triumph over the passions, and command alternate smiles or tears: what a powerful influence might such a happy talent have upon the moral conduct of mankind, if it were employed with an equal pleasure and application in beautifying scenes of natural and revealed religion with its proper colours; placing them in a true light, and displaying its native charms of sweetness and majesty! How easily might those ennobling christian virtues, which are by many, too often heard with a cold indifference, in the ordinary way of a set discourse, by this more alluring method, lead captive the lower faculties, with a kind of irresistible force; so as to draw insensibly the more noble and superior powers of the soul into a real love and practice of them untill it becomes happily inured to intermix with the innocent diversions of this life, a strong and predominant regard to the higher concerns of religion and eternity!

"The reader will easily perceive that such is the scope of this mean essay: and I need not tell him that I have made the great Milton my pattern; though I am very far from having the vanity to think myself capable of following him æquis passibus, either in respect of his incomparable sublimity of thought, or brightness of diction. Yet whilst I have endeavoured to imitate his manner and style, I have purposely avoided his uncouth and antiquated words; apprehending that an affected obscurity, or harshness of language, adds

nothing to the grandeur of the subject, or to a true elevation of the mind.

"If this specimen, such as it is, may but serve to excite others of great abilities, to engage farther in so good a design as restoring the Muses to their ancient dignity and usefulness, in promoting the excellent ends of Religion and Virtue; I shall think a few broken hours of amusement, in the intervals of other different studies, very happily employed."

EIRENODIA:

A Poem, sacred to Peace, and the promotion of Human
Happiness.

Celestial dove! by whose enliv'ning warmth,
From crude consistence, the terraqueous globe
Rose out of Chaos!-With thy genial fire
Deign to inform and guide the soaring Muse:
Who, vulgar themes disdaining, whilst up-rais'd
By thy Almighty aid, thro' orbs of light
Empyreal, tho' untrae'd by mortal eye,
With wing advent'rous fondly strives to gain
The summit of supernal bliss. Unfold
The awful wonders of creating pow'r ;
And, from its guilty lapse, the rising world,
Display'd by th' eternal Logos-crown'd
With glories infinite-who nature's course
Sustains unerring, and the traceless maze
Of providence supreme-first cause and end
Of all things form'd. To thy all-piercing eye
Are known the myst'ries in that vast abyss
Of love ineffable, whence Mercy smiles

With beams reviving on rebellious man,

Devoid of hope, to exile doom'd and death.

What heights and depths, unknown to finite minds, From heav'ns unvaried counsels rise! What gleams Of light and joy divine renascent, raise

To views sublime, the soul's awaken'd powers!

Say how the dreadful breach was clos'd; and whence That wond'rous compact by the sacred Three (One infinite, unchang'd, eternal mind)

Was seal'd in heav'n; and ratified on earth,
When the great price was paid. O boundless depth
Of unexampled love; The heav'nly host
Of shining seraphs, from their bright abodes
Stooping with downward wing, in wonder lost,
And joyous adoration, strive t' explore
The vast design unsearchable. Hence flow
Life, peace, and joy, from an exhaustless spring,
To those bless'd mortals who believe and love
The glorious agent; till they gain the height
Of blissful treasures infinite, unseen,

And unconceiv'd by thought: where hallow'd minds
Unbodied live; releas'd from cumbrous clay,
And purg'd from sin. The grand efficient cause
Mysterious, far surpassing human search,

Or mind angelic, which effac'd the stains
Of guilt, and vanquish'd all the pow'rs of death,
His visage chang'd, and set his pris'ners free,
Survey; with ectacy and pure affections rais'd.
Wonders here rise on wonders: joyous scenes
Reviving, open. Heedless mortals broke
The sov'reign laws of heav'n: the Almighty Son

Spotless, assum'd the trembling sinner's place;
Sustain❜d the penal threats; obey'd and dy'd ;—
And rose triumphant! Justice quits her claim,
Appeas'd with heav'nly blood, and asks no more.
Crown'd with new honours, thus the ancient pair
With their glad progeny, from mould'ring dust
Rise glorious; and their tuneful harps employ
In endless praises to th' immortal king,
First-born of the creation. Loftier beings
Ministrant, immaterial, which surround
The radiant throne, to heav'nly praise inur'd,
Melodious join the everlasting song!

Speak, how the filial Godhead, form divine
Of the paternal glory, uncreate,

In whom perfections infinite, truth, love,
And wisdom dwelt inherent, deign'd to leave
His beamy robes, and realms of heav'nly light,
For this wild waste, disconsolate; renew'd
Lost Paradise, and rais'd, from captive chains,
The exil'd human race, to joys sublime.

O sacred theme inexplicable! View
The infant God, inshrin'd in mortal frame;
Expos'd to darksome scenes of grief!

How mean

His birth-place; his attendants vile! From death
Triumphing, and the tempter's latent wiles,
Born to redeem, he treads the glitt❜ring pomp
Of this vain world beneath his feet: a rule
For minds, which, conscious of a loftier birth,
Dare claim their origin, and native rights
Re-purchas'd! To what narrow humble bounds
Infinity vouchsafes to be confin'd!

The lord of life, to die for helpless worms!