Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

Watches awhile the gay hearth's flickering blaze,
Or meets her much-lov'd partner's tender gaze;
He to her listening ear some volume reads,
Where History's pen has trac'd immortal deeds;
Or wild Romance, with tales of woe and fear,
Excites an interest deep, and draws the tear,
Unless the Muse some nobler theme rehearse,
In plaintive song, or high heroic verse.

The night, thus spent, was clos'd with fervent pray'r,
That surest refuge from all earthly care,
When the full heart unburthens all its woes,
And on its Maker's bosom finds repose;
Or, with the sense of bliss enraptur'd high,
Breathes forth its thanks in many a grateful sigh.
O sacred converse! source of peace divine,
Oh! still be all thy holy transports mine;
Preserve my mind for ever pure and ev'n,
Raise my low thoughts, and lift my soul to Heav'n!
How happy they, whom pure, connubial love
Unites below, and fits for bliss above:
No jarring passion, no discordant noise,
Disturbs the tranquil current of their joys,
Whilst all their hours on downy pinions fly,
And scarcely claim the tribute of a sigh!
What, tho' the world be distant-its gay nights,
With all the splendour of their false delights;
Its domes of pleasure, vainly bright and fair,
Haunts that may hide, but never banish, care;
Its midnight revelry-the dance and song,
That to the dawn the festive hours prolong;
Its dice, and cards, and deeply anxious play,
With all the changing follies of the day:
Ah! what are these to nature's simple charms,
And purer joys exempt from guilt's alarms?

In Pope's Homer, we have a fine description of parental solicitude in the parting scene of Hector and Andromache:

The illustrious PRINCE of Troy

Stretch'd his fond arms to clasp the lovely boy;
The babe clung crying to his nurse's breast,
Scar'd at the dazzling helm and nodding crest;
With secret pleasure each fand Parent smil'd,
And Hector hasted to relieve his child;

The glittering terrors from his brows unbound,
And plac'd the beaming helmet on the ground;

Then kiss'd the Child, and lifting high in air,
Thus to the gods preferr'd a FATHER's prayer.
O THOU, whose glory fills the ethereal throne,
And all the deathless pow'rs, protect my Son!
Grant him, like me, to purchase just renown,
To guard the Trojans, to defend the crown;
Against his country's foes the war to wage,
And rise the Hector of the future age!
So when, triumphant from successful toils
Of heroes slain, he bears the reeking spoils,
Whole hosts may hail him with deserv'd acclaim;
And say-This chief transcends his FATHER'S fame:
While, pleas'd amidst the general shouts of Troy,
His MOTHER'S conscious heart o'erflows with joy!
He spoke and fondly gazing on her charms,
Restor'd the pleasing burden to her arms.
Soft on her fragrant breast the babe she laid,
Hush'd to repose, and with a smile survey'd;
The troubled pleasure soon chastis'd by fear,
She mingled with the smile a tender tear!

CHAP. X.

THE PLEASURES of married life-continued.

All the pious duties which we owe

Our parents, friends, our country, and our God
The seeds of every virtue here below,

From discipline alone and early culture grow.

As the importance of education is now universally acknowledged, I shall treat copiously on the subject, and shall introduce the concentrated ideas of many excellent authors who have written on this interesting subject.

Although instruction should, as much as possible, wear an agreeable habit, it is a great error to endeavour to cheat children into learning, rather than persuade and oblige them to apply to it as a duty. This

Watches awhile the gay hearth's flickering blaze,
Or meets her much-lov'd partner's tender gaze;
He to her listening ear some volume reads,
Where History's pen has trac'd immortal deeds;
Or wild Romance, with tales of woe and fear,
Excites an interest deep, and draws the tear,
Unless the Muse some nobler theme rehearse,
In plaintive song, or high heroic verse.

The night, thus spent, was clos'd with fervent pray'r,
That surest refuge from all earthly care,
When the full heart unburthens all its woes,
And on its Maker's bosom finds repose;
Or, with the sense of bliss enraptur'd high,
Breathes forth its thanks in many a grateful sigh.
O sacred converse! source of peace divine,
Oh! still be all thy holy transports mine;
Preserve my mind for ever pure and ev'n,
Raise my low thoughts, and lift my soul to Heav'n!
How happy they, whom pure, connubial love
Unites below, and fits for bliss above:
No jarring passion, no discordant noise,
Disturbs the tranquil current of their joys,
Whilst all their hours on downy pinions fly,
And scarcely claim the tribute of a sigh!
What, tho' the world be distant-its gay nights,
With all the splendour of their false delights;
Its domes of pleasure, vainly bright and fair,
Haunts that may hide, but never banish, care;
Its midnight revelry-the dance and song,
That to the dawn the festive hours prolong;
Its dice, and cards, and deeply anxious play,
With all the changing follies of the day:
Ah! what are these to nature's simple charms,
And purer joys exempt from guilt's alarms?

In Pope's Homer, we have a fine description of parental solicitude in the parting scene of Hector and Andromache:

The illustrious PRINCE of Troy

Stretch'd his fond arms to clasp the lovely boy;
The babe clung crying to his nurse's breast,
Scar'd at the dazzling helm and nodding crest;
With secret pleasure each fond Parent smil'd,
And Hector hasted to relieve his child;

The glittering terrors from his brows unbound,
And plac'd the beaming helmet on the ground;

Then kiss'd the Child, and lifting high in air,
Thus to the gods preferr'd a FATHER'S prayer.
O THOU, whose glory fills the ethereal throne,
And all the deathless pow'rs, protect my Son!
Grant him, like me, to purchase just renown,
To guard the Trojans, to defend the crown ;
Against his country's foes the war to wage,
And rise the Hector of the future age!
So when, triumphant from successful toils
Of heroes slain, he bears the reeking spoils,
Whole hosts may hail him with deserv'd acclaim;
And say-This chief transcends his FATHER's fame:
While, pleas'd amidst the general shouts of Troy,
His MOTHER'S conscious heart o'erflows with joy!
He spoke and fondly gazing on her charms,
Restor'd the pleasing burden to her arms.
Soft on her fragrant breast the babe she laid,
Hush'd to repose, and with a smile survey'd ;
The troubled pleasure soon chastis'd by fear,
She mingled with the smile a tender tear!

CHAP. X.

THE PLEASURES OF MARRied life-continued.

All the pious duties which we owe

Our parents, friends, our country, and our God
The seeds of every virtue here below,

From discipline alone and early culture grow,

As the importance of education is now universally acknowledged, I shall treat copiously on the subject, and shall introduce the concentrated ideas of many excellent authors who have written on this interesting subject.

Although instruction should, as much as possible, wear an agreeable habit, it is a great error to endeavour to cheat children into learning, rather than persuade and oblige them to apply to it as a duty. This

method may form many intelligent infants, and some conversable men and women; but it is to be doubted, whether it ever will make a sound scholar; we have seen it produce pert babies and coxcombical adults. But the greatest danger arises from the moral injury which the character may sustain, by being thus early habituated to do only such things as are perfectly agreeable. If our first aim be to develop the understanding, surely a paramount attention should be paid to the temper and the dispositions of the heart. Of all infantine graces, affectionate simplicity and ingenuous playfulness are the most attractive; and it is to be feared, that a very early course of philosophical experiment and scientific scrutiny, must impress this pliant mass of docile imitation with a very different cast of character. However we may be amused with what is called a well-cultivated child, if it have lost the diffidence and credulity (shall I not say the endearing folly?) of its age, we rather consider it with wonder than delight. The fruits of autumn cannot properly mingle with the snow-drops and violets of early spring; the painter who should combine them would become unnatural; time and place are what constitute beauty and agreeableness. But if we only regret a want of diffidence in what is called a welleducated child, or young person, we must have seen very little, or observed less. Diffidence has almost universally exchanged places with confidence. happily, parents give too much proof that it is vanity, rather than affectation, which induces them to bestow so much culture on their offspring; for they rarely rest satisfied with their attainments, unless they are shewn and admired. Thus, a child who excels in any particular species of knowledge, lives in a constant state of acquisition and exhibition, and treasures in its plastic memory the easily comprehended language of praise. Address always implies perfect self-possession, and at the mature periods of life, the want of it is a manifest disadvantage. But a child should be considered as a feeble being who runs to your bosom to be cherished; not as an accomplished gallant, who

Un

« AnteriorContinuar »