HYMN to ADVERSITY.

By the Same.

AUGHTER of Jove, relentless Power,
Thou Tamer of the human breast,

Whofe iron fcourge and tort'ring hour
The Bad affright, afflict the Beft!
Bound in thy adamantine chain

The Proud are taught to tafte of pain,
And purple tyrants vainly groan

With pangs unfelt before, unpitied and alone.

When first thy Sire to send on earth
Virtue, his darling Child, design'd,
To thee he gave the heav'nly Birth,
And bad to form her infant mind.
Stern rugged Nurse! thy rigid lore
With patience many a year she bore:

What forrow was, thou bad'st her know,

And from her own fhe learn'd to melt at others' woe.

Scared at thy frown terrific, fly

Self-pleafing Folly's idle brood,

Wild Laughter, Noife, and thoughtless Joy,

And leave us leifure to be good.

Light they disperse, and with them go
The fummer Friend, the flatt'ring Foe;

By vain Profperity received,

To her they vow their truth, and are again believed.

Wisdom in fable garb array'd,

Immers'd in rapt'rous thought profound,

And Melancholy, filent maid

With leaden eye, that loves the ground,
Still on thy folemn steps attend:
Warm Charity, the gen'ral friend,

With justice to herself severe,

And Pity, dropping foft the fadly-pleafing tear.

Oh! gently on thy Suppliant's head,

Dread Goddess, lay thy chaft'ning hand!

Not in thy Gorgon terrors clad,

Nor circled with the vengeful Band

(As by the Impious thou art feen)

With thund'ring voice, and threat'ning mien, With fcreaming Horror's funeral cry, Defpair, and fell Disease, and ghaftly Poverty.

Thy form benign, oh Goddefs, wear,
Thy milder influence impart,

Thy philofophic Train be there

To foften, not to wound my heart,

The gen'rous fpark extinct revive,
Teach me to love, and to forgive,

Exact my own defects to scan,

What others are to feel, and know myself a Man.

EDU.

EDUCATION.

A

POEM: in Two CANTOS.

Written in Imitation of the Style and Manner

O F

SPENSER'S FAIRY QUEEN. Infcribed to Lady LANGHAM,

Widow of Sir John LANGHAM, Bart.

By GILBERT WEST, Efq;

Unum ftudium vere liberale eft, quod liberum facit. Hoc fapientia ftudium eft, fublime, forte, magnanimum: cœtera pufilla & puerilia funt.—Plus fcire velle quàm fit fatis intemperantiæ genus eft. Quid, quod ia liberalium artium confectatio moleftos, verbofos, intempeftivos, fibi placentes facit, & ideo non dicentes neceffaria, quia fupervacua didicerunt. Sen. Ep. 88.

Goodly DISCIPLINE! from heav'n y-fprong!
Parent of Science, queen of Arts refin'd!
To whom the Graces, and the Nine belong:
O! bid those Graces, in fair chorus join'd

3

With

With each bright Virtue that adorns the mind!
O bid the Mufes, thine harmonious train,
Who by thy aid erft humaniz'd mankind,
Inspire, direct, and moralize the strain,

That doth effay to teach thy treasures how to gain!

And THOU, whose pious and maternal care,
The fubftitute of heavenly Providence,
With tenderest love my orphan life did rear,
And train me up to manly ftrength and fenfe;
With mildest awe, and virtuous influence,
Directing my unpractis'd wayward feet

To the smooth walks of Truth and Innocence;
Where Happiness heart-felt, Contentment sweet,
Philosophy divine aye hold their bleft retreat.

THOU, moft belov'd, most honour'd, most rever'd!
Accept this verse, to thy large merit due!
And blame me not, if by each tye endear'd,
Of nature, gratitude, and friendship true,
The whiles this moral thefis I pursue,
And trace the plan of goodly ‡ Nurture o'er,

I bring thy modeft virtues into view;

And proudly boaft that from thy precious flore,

Which erft enrich'd my heart, I drew this facred lore.

Nurture, Education.

And

And thus, I ween, thus fhall I best repay

The valued gifts, thy careful love bestow'd;
If imitating THEE, well as I may,

I labour to diffufe th' important good; 'Till this great truth by all be understood; "That all the pious duties which we owe, "Our parents, friends, our country and our God; "The feeds of every virtue here below, "From Difcipline alone, and early Culture grow.

CANTO I.

ARGUMENT.

The Knight, as to † PÆDIA's house

He his young Son conveys,

Is flaid by CUSTOM; with him fights,
And his vain pride dismays.

A

Gentle KNIGHт there was, whose noble deeds

O'er Fairy Land by Fame were blazon'd round:

For warlike enterprize, and sage ‡ areeds

Emong the chief alike was he renown'd;

Whence

+ Padia is a Greek word, fignifying Education.

Areeds, counfels.