The Governor of all, himself to all So bountiful, in whose attentive ear The unfledged raven and the lion's whelp Plead not in vain for pity on the pangs Of hunger unaffuaged, has interposed, Not feldom, his avenging arm, to smite The injurious trampler upon nature's law, That claims forbearance even for a brute. He hates the hardness of a Balaan's heart; And, prophet as he was, he might not strike The blameless animal, without rebuke, On which he rode. Her opportune offence Saved him, or the unrelenting feer had died. He fees that human equity is flack To interfere, though in fo juft a caufe; And makes the task his own. Inspiring dumb And helpless victims with a sense so keen
Of injury, with fuch knowledge of their strength And fuch fagacity to take revenge,
That oft the beaft has feemed to judge the man. An ancient, not a legendary tale,
By one of found intelligence rehearsed,
(If fuch who plead for Provideence may seem
In modern eyes) shall make the doctrine clear.
Where England, ftretched towards the fetting fun,
Narrow and long, o'erlooks the western wave,
Dwelt young Mifagathus; a fcorner he
Of God and goodness, atheift in oftent,
Vicious in act, in temper favage-fierce.
He journeyed; and his chance was as he went
To join a traveller, of far different note,
Evander, famed for piety, for years
Deferving honour, but for wisdom more.
Fame had not left the venerable man
A ftranger to the manners of the youth,
Whofe face too was familiar to his view.
Their way was on the margin of the land,
O'er the green fummit of the rocks, whose base
Beats back the roaring surge, scarce heard fo high.
The charity, that warmed his heart, was moved
At fight of the man-monfter. With a smile
Gentle, and affable, and full of grace,
As fearful of offending whom he wished.
Much to perfuade, he plied his ear with truths
Not harfhly thundered forth or rudely preffed,
But, like his purpose, gracious, kind, and sweet.
"And doft thou dream," the impenetrable man
Exclaimed, "that me the lullabies of age,
"And fantafies of dotards fuch as thou,
"Can cheat, or move a moment's fear in me?
"Mark now the proof I give thee, that the brave
"Need no fuch aids, as fuperftition lends,
"To steel their hearts against the dread of death."
He spoke, and to the precipice at hand
Pushed with a madman's fury. Fancy fhrinks,
And the blood thrills and curdles, at the thought
Of fuch a gulph as he defigned his grave.
But, though the felon on his back could dare
The dreadful leap, more rational, his steed
Declined the death, and wheeling fwiftly round,
Or e'er his hoof had preffed the crumbling verge,
Baffled his rider, saved against his will.
The frenzy of the brain may be redreffed
By medicine well applied, but without graee
The heart's infanity admits no cure.
Enraged the more, by what might have reformed
His horrible intent, again he fought
Destruction, with a zeal to be destroyed,
With founding whip, and rowels dyed in blood.
But ftill in vain. The Providence, that meant
A longer date to the far nobler beast,
Spared yet again the ignobler for his fake.
And now, his prowess proved, and his fincere
Incurable obduracy evinced,
His rage grew cool; and pleafed perhaps to have
So cheaply the renown of that attempt,
With looks of fome complacence he refumed
His road, deriding much the blank amaze
Of good Evander, still where he was left
Fixt motionless, and petrified with dread.
So on they fared. Difcourfe on other themes
Enfuing feemed to obliterate the past;
And tamer far for fo much fury fhown,
(As is the course of rafh and fiery men)
The rude companion smiled, as if transformed.
But 'twas a tranfient calm. A ftorm was near,
An unfufpected ftorm. His hour was come.
The impious challenger of Power divine
Was now to learn that Heaven, though flow to wrath,
Is never with impunity defied.
His horse, as he had caught his master's mood,
Snorting, and starting into fudden rage,
Unbidden, and not now to be controlled,
Rushed to the cliff, and having reached it, stood. At once the fhock unfeated him: he flew
Sheer o'er the craggy barrier; and immersed
Deep in the flood, found, when he fought it not,
The death he had deserved, and died alone.
So God wrought double justice; made the fool
The victim of his own tremendous choice,
And taught a brute the way to safe revenge.
I would not enter on my lift of friends (Tho' graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting fenfibility) the man,
Who needlessly fets foot upon a worm.
An inadvertent step may crush the snail,
That crawls at evening in the public path;
But he that has humanity, forewarned,
Will tread afide and let the reptile live.
The creeping vermin, loathfome to the fight,
And charged perhaps with venom, that intrudes,
A vifitor unwelcome, into scenes
Sacred to neatness and repose, the alcove,
The chamber, or refectory, may die:
A neceffary act incurs no blame.
Not fo when, held within their proper bounds,
And guiltlefs of offence, they range the air,
Or take their paftime in the spacious field:
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