Omodamus, delay! Fire seize your house, And mingle the whole labour of your hands, Flash in his face and scorch it, that all men IN MEMORY OF THE LATE JOHN THORNTON, ESQ. [November, 1790.] POETS attempt the noblest task they can, And, next, commemorating Worthies lost, Thee, therefore, of commercial fame, but more Famed for thy probity from shore to shore, Thee, THORNTON! worthy in some page to shine, As honest, and more eloquent than mine, I mourn ; or, since thrice happy thou must be, The world, no longer thy abode, not thee. Thee to deplore, were grief mispent indeed; It were to weep that goodness has its meed, That there is bliss prepared in yonder sky, And glory for the virtuous, when they die. What pleasure can the miser's fondled hoard, By virtue suffer'd combatting below? That privilege was thine; Heav'n gave thee means And, though God made thee of a nature prone And still by motives of religious force Nice in its choice, and of a temper'd heat; To Him, whose works bespeak his nature, Love. THE FOUR AGES, (A brief fragment of an extensive projected Poem.) [May, 1791.] "I COULD be well content, allow'd the use Of past experience, and the wisdom glean'd From worn-out follies, now acknowledg'd such, "To recommence life's trial, in the hope "Offewer errors, on a second proof!" Thus, while gray evening lull'd the wind, and call'd Fresh odours from the shrubb'ry at my side, Taking my lonely winding walk, I mus'd, And held accustom'd conference with my heart; When, from within it, thus a voice replied. "Couldst thou in truth? and art thou taught at length "This wisdom, and but this, from all the past? Is not the pardon of thy long arrear, "Time wasted, violated laws, abuse Than opportunity vouchsaf'd to err With less excuse, and haply, worse effect?" I heard, and acquiesc'd; then to and fro My grav❜lly bounds, from self to human kind Knows he his origin? can he ascend By reminiscence to his earliest date? Slept he in Adam? and in those from him Through num'rous generations, till he found At length his destin'd moment to be born? Or was he not, till fashion'd in the womb? Deep myst'ries both! which schoolmen much have toil'd To unriddle, and have left them myst'ries still. It is an evil incident to man, And of the worst, that unexplor'd he leaves THE JUDGMENT OF THE POETS. [May, 1791.] Two nymphs, both nearly of an age, The worth of each had been complete, But one, although her smile was sweet, And in her humour, when she frown'd The garland that she wore |