Rich as Eden's happy ground, 25 Hills of contemplation rife; Both rejoice when there we meet. Earth hath no refemblance for; Than the bowels of Peru; 35 40 45 ૩૦ Yet the filly wand'ring mind, Loath to be too much confin'd,' Coafling round the narrow shores, Picking fhells and pebbles thence; If fhe faw her native store; 60 65 70 If her inward worth were known She might ever live alone. 74 The adventurous Mufe. I. URANIA takes her morning flight With an inimitable wing; Thro' rifing deluges of dawning light She cleaves her wondrous way, She tunes immortal anthems to the growing day, 5 Nor Rapin* gives her rules to fly nor Purcel† notes II. She nor inquires, nor knows, nor fears, [to fing. Where lie the pointed rocks or where th'ingulfing Climbing the liquid mountains of the skies She meets defcending angels as fhe flies, Touch'd with an empyreal ray She fprings unerring upward to eternal day, [fand; IO With bold and safe attempt to the celestial land, III. Whilft little fkiffs along the mortal fhores Coafting in fight of one another's oars, Such low pretending fouls are they * A French critick. An English mafter of mufick, 20 Who dwell in enclos'd folid orbs of fcull; The fnail o'ertakes them in their wildest play, While the poor lab'rers sweat to be correctly dull. IV. Give me the chariot whofe diviner wheels Mark their own route, and unconfin'd Bound o'er the everlasting hills, 26 And lofe the clouds below and leave the stars behind: There Milton dwells; the mortal fung Themes not prefum'd by any mortal tongue; New terrours or new glories fhine In ev'ry page, and flying fcenes divine 35 Surprise the wond'ring fenfe and draw our fouls along. Behold his Mufe fent out t' explore The unapparent deep, where waves of chaos roar, And realms of night unknown before. She trac'd a glorious path unknown 40 Thro' fields of heav'nly war and feraphs overthrown, Where his advent'rous genius led; Sov'reign fhe fram'd a model of her own, Nor thank'd the living nor the dead. 45 The noble hater of degen'rate rhyme Shook off the chains and built his verfe fublime, A monument too high for coupled founds to climb: He mourn'd the garden loft below; (Earth is the fcene for tuneful wo) Now blifs beats high in all his veins, Now the loft Eden he regains, Keeps his own air and triumphs in unrivall'd flrains. VI. Immortal Bard! thus thy own Raphael fings, And knows no rule but native fire; All heav'n fits filent while to his fov'reign ftrings With graces infinite his untaught fingers rove From ev'ry note devotion fprings; Rapture, and harmony, and love, O'erfpread the lift'ning choir. To Mr. Nicholas Clarke. The complaint. I. "TWAS in a vale where ofiers grow Friendship fat pleas'd in both our eyes, 56 60 64 6 |