« This fair variety of things,
• Are merely life's refreshing springs,

"To soothe him on his way.

• Enthufiaft, go! unftring thy lyre,
• In vain thou fing'ft, if none admire,

• How sweet foe'er the strain.
• And is not thy o'erflowing mind,
• Unless thou mixeft with thy kind,

Benevolent in vain ?

• Enthusiast, go! try every sense; • If not thy bliss, thy.excellence, • Thou

yet

haft learn'd to scan ; • At least thy wants, thy weakness know, « And see them all uniting show,

• That man was made for man.'

THE CURE OF S A U L.

A SACRED ODE.

BY DR. BROWN.

'

ENGEANCE, arise from thy infernal bed,

• And pour thy tempest on his guilty head!'
Thus Heaven's decree, in thunder's sound,
Shook the dark abyss profound.
The unchain'd Furies come!
Pale Melancholy stalks from hell :
Th'abortive offspring of her womb,
Despair and Anguilh, round her yell.

By fleepless terror Saul poffefs'd,
Deep feels the fiend within his tortur'd breaft,

Midnight

3 A

Midnight Spectres round him howl:

Before his eyes

In troops they rise ;
And seas of horror overwhelm his soul.

• Hafte! to Jeffe's fon repair ;

• He best can sweep the lyre,
« Wake the solemn-founding air,

And lead the vocal choir :
• On every string soft-breathing raptures dwell,

To soothe the throbbings of the troubled breast ; · Whose magick voice can bid the tides of passion swell,

• Or lull the raging storm to reft.',

Sunk on his couch, and loathing day,

The heaven-forsaken monarch lay :
To the sad couch the shepherd now drew near ;

And, while th' obedient choir stood round,
Prepar'd to catch the foul-commanding sound,

He dropp'd a generous tear.

Thy pitying aid, O God, impart!
• For lo, thy poison'd arrows drink his heart!'

The mighty song from Chaos rose: Around his throne the formless atoms sleep, And drowzy darkness broods upon the deep.-

Confusion, wake!
• Bid the realms of Chaos shake!

• Rouze him from his dread repose!!
Hark! loud Discord breaks her chain :
The hostile atoms clash with deafʼning roar ;
Her hoarse voice thunders thro' the drear domain,'
And kindles every element to war

“ Tumult cease!:

• Sink to peace!
« Let there be light!"4th' Almighty said:

• And lo, the radiant fun,

Flaming from his orient bed, * His endless course begun !

See, the twinkling Pleïads rise :
« Thy star, Orion, reddens in the skies;

• While slow around the northern plain,
• Arcturus wheels his nightly wane.'

Thy glories, too, refulgent moon, he sung ; ;,
Thy mystick mazes, and thy changeful ray:

« 0, fairest of the starry throng!

Thy folemn orb of light

• Guides the triumphant car of Night • O'er filver clouds, and sheds a fofter day !

• Ye planets, and each circling constellation,
• In fongs harmonious tell your generation !
« Oh! while yon radiant seraph turns the spheres,
And on the stedfast pole-ftar ftands sublime;

• Wheel your rounds

. To heavenly founds, « And soothe his fong-enchanted ears

With your celestial chime.'

In dumb surprize the lift'ning monarch lay ;
(His woe suspended by fweet Mufick's fway ;)
And awe-struck, with uplifted eye,
Mus’d on the new-born wonders of the sky.

• Lead the foothing verse along;
• He feels, he feels the power of fong!

« Ocean haftens to his bed ; * The lab'ring mountain rears his rock-encumber'd head:

· Down his steep and fhaggy fide,
« The torrent rolls his thundering tide ;
3

« Then

• Then smooth and clear, along the fertile plain
• Winds his majestick waters to the distant main.

• Flocks and herds the hills adorn ;

• The lark, high soaring, hails the morna
· And while along yon crimson-clouded steep
« The flow fun steals into the golden deep,

· Hark! the folemn nightingale

« Warbles to the woodland dale.
• See, descending angels shower

• Heaven's own bliss on Eden's bower :
• Peace on Nature's lap reposes;
• Pleasure strews her guiltless roses ;
• Joys divine in circles move,

• Link'd with Innocence and Love.
Hail, happy Love, with Innocence combin'd!
• All hail, ye finless parents of mankind !!

They pausd :--the monarch, prostrate on his bed,

Submiffive, bow'd his head;

Ador'd the works of boundless power Divine :
Then, anguish-struck, he cry?d, (and smote his breaft)

"Why, why is Peace the welcome guest
• Of ev'ry heart but mine!'

s Now let the folemn numbers flow,
« Till he feel that guilt is woe.'-

• Heavenly harp, in mournful strain,

O'er yon weeping bower complain :
• What sounds of bitter pangs I hear !

• What lamentations wound mine ear!
• In vain, devoted pair, thefe tears ye shed;

« Peace with Innocence is filed :

The messengers of Grace depart;

• Death glares, and shakes the dreadful dart !
· Ah, whither fly ye, by yourselves abhorråd,
s To fhun that frowning cherub's fiery sword !

! ܐ ،

< Lo!
• Hapless, hapless pair,
• Goaded by despair,
• Forlorn, thro' desart climes they gol.com

Wake, my lyre! can Pity sleep,
• When Heaven is mov'd, and angels weep!

• Flow, ye melting numbers, flow;
• Till he feel that guilt is woe.'

The king, with pride, and shame, and anguish torn,

Shot fury from his eyes, and scorn.
The glowing youth,

Bold in truth,
(So still should virtue guilty power engage)
With brow undaunted met his

rage.
See, his cheek kindles into generous fire!

Stern, he bends him o'er his lyre;
And, while the doom of guilt he fings,
Shakes horror from the tortur'd ftrings.

• What sounds of terror and distress
• Rend yon howling wilderness !

. The dreadful thunders found !
• The forked lightnings flash along the ground !

• Why yawns that deep’ning gulph below ?-
6 'Tis for Heaven's rebellious foe!--
• Fly, ye fons of Israel, Ay;
• Who dwells in Korah's guilty tents must die!

They fink !-Have mercy, Lord! Their cries

. In dreadful tumult rise!
• Hark! from the deep their loud laments I hear !
• They lessen now,

and lefsen on the ear!
• Now, destruction's ftrife is o'er!

The countless hoft

• For ever loft!
* The gulph is clos'd!
_Their cries are heard no more!-

• But