Elyfium, feats of art, and laurels won, * "The Graces three, and Japhet's fabled fon : "Whilft Angelo fhall wave the myftic rod, "And see a new creation wait his nod; "Prescribe his bounds to Time's remorfelefs power, "And, to my arms, my absent friends restore, "Place me amidst the group, each well-known face, "The fons of fcience, lords of human race; “And as oblivion sinks at his command, "Nature shall rife more finish'd from his hand, "Thus fome Magician fraught with potent skill, "Transforms, and moulds each varied mafs at will; "Calls animated forms of wonderous birth, "Cadmean offspring, from the teeming earth, "Uncears the ponderous tombs, the realms of night, "And calls their cold inhabitants to light; "Or, as he traverses a dreary scene, "Bids every fweet of nature there convene, "Huge mountains skirted round with wavy woods, "The fhrub-deckt lawns, and filver sprinkled floods, "Whilft flowrets fpring around the smiling land, "And follow on the traces of his wand. * Prometheus. "Such "Such profpects, lovely Auburn! then, be thine; "And what thou canft of bliss impart be mine; "Amid thy humble shades, in tranquil ease, "Grant me to pass the remnant of my days. "Unfetter'd from the toil of wretched gain, 66 My raptur'd mufe fhall pour her nobleft ftrain, "Within her native bowers the notes prolong, "And, grateful, meditate her lateft fong. "Thus, as adown the flope of life I bend, "And move, refign'd, to meet my latter end, "Each worldly wish, each worldly care repreft, "A felf-approving heart alone poffeft, "Content, to bounteous heaven I'll leave the reft." } Thus, fpoke the Bard : but not one friendly power, With nod affentive crown'd the parting hour; No eastern meteor glar'd beneath the sky, No dextral omen; Nature heav'd a figh Prophetic of the dire impending blow, The prefage of her loss, and Britain's woe. Already portion'd, unrelenting Fate Had made a paufe upon the number'd date; Behind, flood death, too horrible for fight, In darkness clad, expectant, prun'd for flight; Pleas'd at the word, the shapeless monster sped, On eager meffage to the humble fhed, Where Where wrapt by soft poetic vifions round, Sweet flumbering, Fancy's darling fon he found. Affrighted, mount aloft, and quit the brain; Whilft the Archspectre issues forth confeft. prey, Prepar'd to strike, he pois'd aloft the dart, A wound A wound enroll'd among Britannia's woes, Oh, Goldsmith! how fhall forrow now effay In what fad accents mourn the luckless hour, Could pay a tribute, worthy of thy hearfe, With fearless hands I'd build the fane of praise, But, ah! with thee my guardian Genius fled, And penfive ftalks the folitary plains, Where hand and hand with time, the facred lore POEMS |