Think that, in April's faireft hours,

To warbling shades and painted flowers.
The cuckow joins his lay.

How oft fhall I furvey

This humble roof, the lawn, the greenwood fhade,. The vale with fheaves o'erfpread,

The glaffy brook, the flocks which round thee ftray;
When will thy cheerful mind

Of these have utter'd all her dear efteem?
Or, tell me, doft thou deem

No more to join in glory's toilfome race,
But here content embrace

That happy leisure which thou hadft refign'd?

I. 2.

Alas, ye happy hours,

When books and youthful sport the foul could fhare, Ere one ambitious care

Of civil life had aw'd her fimpler powers;

Oft

Oft as your winged train

Revifit here my friend in white

O fail not to difplay

array,

Each fairer fcene where I perchance had part,
That fo his generous heart

The abode of even Friendship may remain.
I. 3.

For not imprudent of my lofs to come,
I faw from Contemplation's quiet cell
His feet afcending to another home

Where public Praife and envied Greatnefs dwell.
But fhall we therefore, O my lyre,
Reprove ambition's best defire?
Extinguish Glory's flame?

Far other was the task injoin'd

When to my hand thy ftrings were first affign'd: Far other faith belongs to Friendship's honor'd name. II. 2.

Thee, Townshend, not the arms

Of flumbering Eafe, nor Pleafure's rofy chain,
Were deftin'd to detain:

No, nor bright Science. nor the Mufe's charms.
For them high Heaven prepares

Their proper votaries, an humbler band:
And ne'er would Spenfer's hand

Have deign'd to strike the warbling Tuscan shell,
Nor Harrington to tell

What habit an immortal city wears.

II. 2.

Had this been born to fhield

The caufe which Cromwell's impious hand betray'd,, Or that, like Vere, display'd

His redcross banner o'er the Belgian field;

Yet where the will divine

Hath fhut thofe loftieft paths, it next remains,
With reafon clad in ftrains
Of harmony, felected minds to infpire,
And Virtue's living fire

To feed and eternize in hearts like thine.

II. 3.

For never fhall the herd, whom Envy fways,.
So quell my purpose or my tongue control,
That I should fear illuftrious worth to praise,.
Because its mafter's friendship mov'd my foul.
Yet, if this undiffembling ftrain
Should now perhaps thine ear detain
With any pleafing found,

Remember thou that righteous Fame

From hoary age a ftrict account will claim

Of each aufpicious palm with which thy youth was

Where Heaven expects thee; nor the traveller leads,
Through flowers or fragrant meads,

Or groves that hark to Philomela's lay.

The impartial laws of Fate

To nobler virtues wed feverer cares.

Is there a man who shares

"The fummit next where heavenly natures dwell?

Afk him (for he can tell)

What storms beat round that rough laborious height.

III. 2.

Ye heroes, who of old

Did generous England Freedom's throne ordain;
From Alfred's parent reign

To Naffau, great deliverer, wife and bold;
I know your perils hard.

Your wounds, your painful marches, wintery feas,
The night eftrang'd from ease

The day by cowardice and falfehood vex'd,
The head with doubt perplex'd,

The indignant heart difdaining the reward.

III. 3.

Which envy hardly grants. But, O renown,
O praife from judging heaven and virtuous men,
If thus they purchas'd thy divineft crown,

Say, who fhall hefitate? or who complain?

And now they fit on thrones above:
And when among the gods they move
Before the fovran mind,

"Lo, thefe," he faith, "lo, these are they "Who to the laws of mine eternal fway

"From violence and fear afferted human kind."

IV. I.

Thus honor'd while the train

Of legiflators in his prefence dwell;
If I may aught foretell,

The statesman shall the second palm obtain.
For dreadful deeds of arms

Lét vulgar bards, with undifcerning praise,
More glittering trophies raife:

But wifeft heaven what deeds may chiefly move
To favor and to love?

What, fave wide bleffings, or averted harms?

IV. 2.

Nor to the imbattled field

-Shall the atchievements of the peaceful gown green immortal crown

The

Of valor, or the fongs of conqueft yield.
Not Fairfax wildly bold,

While bare of creft he hew'd his fatal way,
Through Nafeby's firm array,

To heavier dangers did his breast oppofe

Than Pym's free virtue chose,
When the proud force of Strafford he control'd.

IV. 3.

But what is man at enmity with truth?

What were the fruits of Wentworth's copious mind When (blighted all the promise of his youth) The patriot in a tyrant's league had join’d ?

Let Ireland's loud-lamenting plains,

Let Tyne's and Humber's trampled fwains,

Let