Sees barren wastes with unknown fruitage bloom;
Sees Labour bending patient o'er the loom;
Sees Science rove thro' academic bow'rs;
And peopled cities lift their spiry towers :
Trade fwells her fails, wherever ocean rolls,
Glows at the line, and freezes at the poles:

While through unwater'd plains and wondering meads
Waves not its own the obedient river leads.

But chief the god-like mind, which bears imprefs'd
Its Maker's glorious image full confeft;
Nobleft of works created; more divine,
Than all the ftarry worlds, that nightly fhine;
Form'd to live on, unconscious of decay,
When the wide universe shall melt away:
The mind, which, hid in favage breast of yore,
Lay, like Golconda's gems, an useless ore;
Now greatly dares fublimeft aims to fean;
Enriches fcience, and enobles man ;

Unveils the femblance, which it's God beftow'd;

And draws more near the fount, from whence it flow'd.

ODE on the distant VIEW of FRANCE from DOVER CLIFF, in the Year 1789.

[From the fourth Volume of the Poetry of the World.]

G

ENIUS of France! thy mifty fhore

From Albion's rocky verge I trace,

As high above the billowy roar,

I dart my view thro' fubject fpace :
Thron'd on this cliff's embattled brow,
I feem the lord of all below,

And while my patriot paffions boil,
I gaze indignant on thy crouching foil!

Has not old ocean's ruthlefs force

Torn thee from favour'd Britain's fide?

And here with well-directed courfe
Still rolls he not his barrier tide?
Yes! his dividing waves defign'd
To give this leffon to mankind-
'Tis nature's voice, 'tis Heav'n's decree,
Britain! alone be great-alone be free."

Warm'd with the thought my fancy dreams
Of all the mighty deeds of old,"

When Britain rous'd to martial themes
Her monarchs ftern, her warriors bold:

M 3

I hear

I hear from off this airy steep

Her thunder rattle o'er the deep, See in the field her fire display'd,

And mark the withering lily droop and fade.

Then proudly turn my mental eye

On fcenes of council-fcenes of peace,
Where freedom lifts her voice on high,
And bids each tyrant paffion cease.
Illustrious ifle! let circling fame
Thy juft pre-eminence proclaim!
In clashing arins, in fage debate,
Alike fupremely brave-fupremely great.

Such flattering vifions footh my foul,
Elanc'd from this aerial height;
No narrow bounds her range controul,
No power restrains her daring flight.
Say what awakes the Eagle's fire?

The pride his towering haunts infpire-
He wheels around his favourite stand,
And frowns contempt on every distant land,

Hufh'd be the haughty ftrain! a found

Of maddening joy burfts on my ear!
From fhore to fhore its echoes bound-
'Tis new-born freedom's voice I hear !
Arous'd at fuperftition's death,

In Gallia's womb the pants for breath!
Frefh fhouts announce the finifh'd ftrife,
She breaks her bands-fhe fprings to life!

Transporting founds! they check my pride,
Mv flattering vifions melt away:
At wifdom's nod my vaunts fubfide-
I own her juft, impartial fway.'

From clime to clime may freedom's note
On ocean's wavy bofom float!

May rapid gales its fpirit bear,

Till every distant tribe the bleffing share :

Enlighten'd France! no more I view

With cold contempt thy glittering coaft-
To active worth is honour due;

Th' unfetter'd mind has cause to boast.
Henceforth e'en Britain's fplendid name
Can no fuperior luftre claim,

Nor fingly now shall dart its rays,

But blend with thine in freedom's fpreading blaze.

Enough

Enough of war, of proud difdain-
The felfifh thought, the taunting jeft;
Abfurd diftinétion-preference vain,

Be banifh'd from the liberal breast!
Ye fwell'd the lift of human woes!
Ye made of France and Britain foes!
Taught each to fcorn its neighbouring state,
And thwart its views with unremitting hate.

Malignant fhadows-hence, away!

Hie to fome dark, unletter'd fhore!
Behold the dawn of reafon's day-
Britain and France contend no more.
In freedom's cause from age to age
Shall both with equal warmth engage,

Purfue the fame exalted plan,

And vindicate on earth the Rights of Man,

ON a TEAR.

[From the third Volume of the fame Work.]

Could chryftalize this facred treasure !

Long fhould it glitter near my heart,
A fecret fource of penfive pleasure.

The little brilliant, ere it fell,

It's luftre caught from Chloe's eye;
Then, trembling, left its coral cell-
The fpring of fensibility!

Sweet drop of pure and pearly light!
In thee the rays of virtue fhine
More calmly clear, more mildly bright,
Than any gem that gilds the mine.

Benign reftorer of the foul!

Who ever fly'ft to bring relief,

When first the feels the rude controul
Of love or pity, joy or grief.

The fage's and the poet's theme,

In every clime, in every age;

Thou charm'ft in fancy's idle dream,
In reafon's philofophic page.

M 4

That very law + which moulds a tear,
And bids it trickle from its fource,
That law preferves the earth a sphere,

And guides the Planets in their courfe.

LINES TO HIM WHO WILL UNDERSTAND THEM,

TH

[From Mrs. Robinson's Poems.]

HOU art no more my bofom's friend
Here must the sweet delufion end,
That charm'd my fenfes many a year,
Thro' fmiling fummers, winters drear.-
O, Friendship! am I doom'd to find!
Thout art a phanton of the mind?
A glit'ring flade, an empty name,
An air-born vifion's vap'rith flame?
And yet, the dear deceit fo long
Has wak'd to joy my matin fong,
Has bid my tears forget to flow,
Chas'd ev'ry pain, footh'd ev'ry woe;
That truth, unwelcome to my ear,
Swells the deep figh, recalls the tear,
Gives to the fenfe the keeneft smart,
Checks the warm pulfes of the heart,
Darkens my fate and fteals away
Each gleam of joy thro' life's fad day.

Britain, farewel! I quit thy fhore,
My native country charms no more;
No guide to mark the toilfome road;
No deftin'd climes; no fix'd abode;
Alone and fad, ordain'd to trace
The vaft expanfe of endless space;
To view, upon the mountain's height,
Thro' varied fhades of glimm'ring light,
The diftant landscape fade away
In the laft gleam of parting day :-
Or, on the quiv'ring lucid ftream,
To watch the pale moon's filv'ry beam;
Or when, in fad and plaintive ftrains
The mournful Philomel complains,
In dulcet notes bewails her fate,
And murmurs for her abfent mate;
Infpir'd by Sympathy divine,

I'll weep her wots-for they are mine.
Driven by my fate, where'er I go,
O'er burning plains, o'er hills of Inow

The law of Gravitation.

Or on the bofum of the wave,

The howling tempest doom'd to brave,
Where'er my lonely course I bend,
Thy image fhall my steps attend;
Each object I am doom'd to fee,
Shall bid remembrance picture Thee.

Yes; I fhall view thee in each flow'r,
That changes with the tranfient hour:
Thy wand'ring Fancy I fhall find
Borne on the wings of every wind
Thy wild impetuous paffions trace
O'er the white wave's tempeftuous space :
In every changing feafon prove
An emblem of thy wav'ring love.

Torn from my country, friends, and you,
The world lies open to my view ;
New objects fhall my mind engage;
I will explore th' hiftoric page;
Sweet poetry fhall foothe my foul;
Philofophy each pang control:
The Mufe I'll feek, her lambent fire
My foul's quick fenfes fhall infpire;
With finer nerves my heart shall beat,
Touch'd by Heaven's own Promethean heat;
Italia's gales fhall bear my fong

In foft-link'd notes her woods among;

Upon the blue hill's mifty fide,

Thro' trackless desarts waste and wide,

O'er craggy rocks, whofe torrents flow
Upon the filver fands below.
Sweet land of melody! 'tis thine
The fofteft paffions to refine;

Thy myrtle groves, thy melting ftrains,
Shall harmonize and footh my pains.
Nor will I caft one thought behind,
On foes relentless, friends unkind;
I feel, I feel their poifon'd dart
Pierce the life-nerve within my heart
'Tis mingled with the vital heat,
That bids my throbbing pulfes beat;
Soon fhall that vital heat be o'er,
Those throbbing pulfes beat no more!
No-I will breath the spicy gale;

;

Plunge the clear ftream, new health exhale;

O'er my pale cheek diffuse the rose,

And drink Oblivion to my woes.

ODE