"O Thou, my King, my Father, and my God! Prais'd be thy name, I own thy chastening rod: When best for me the stroke to meet or shun, Strike or withhold, and let thy will be done!"

}

She spoke, when lo! a cloud appear'd to move In billowy wreathes along the towering grove; Its thickening folds an angel form convey'd, Around whose brows celestial glories play'd; A starry crown on his fair temples beam'd, His twinkling eyes like radiant Hesper gleam'd, His locks th' undulating meteors stream'd; His cheeks with morn's empurpled blushes glow, His jewell'd robes in loose luxuriance flow: Round all the vapour, glittering as he turn'd, The rainbow's mingling hues alternate burn'd. He came commission'd from the throne above, And seem'd the smiling messenger of Love! Borne through the yielding void on airy gales, Down to the flower-bespangled bank he sails: The sad Sophronia rais'd her wondering eyes, And hail'd the sacred vision of the skies; Florello stood confess'd in all his charms, She springs and folds him in her raptur'd arms, Close to her bosom strain'd the lovely boy, And kiss'd him round and round with tears of joy. "Whence come, dear child, to visit scenes below, And bless a parents eyes bedimm'd with woe! How fared you since the spirit wing'd its way, And left this world of anguish and dismay?" He then: My honour'd parent dry thy tears, Give God the praise, and hush ungrounded fears: For now beyond where storms and pains molest, Beneath His sheltering wings in peace I rest. Were I foredoom'd to drag a length of days, And wander still thro' life's perplexing maze,

66

The threaten'd ills were dire beyond compare, Each secret labyrinth hid a mortal snare; Vice for my youth her sharp-fang'd traps would spread, And ambush'd furies lurk in ev'ry shade; The syren Pleasure weave her snaky wiles, And urge me to my fate with tempting smiles: God saw the storm loud bellowing round the field, And o'er me spread Salvation's mighty shield, From earth transferr'd me to my natal home, Transferr'd to save me from the wrath to come, "For far beyond that wide encircling pole, Within whose vault the starry myriads roll, The empyreal regions bright with day divine," And the high towers of favour'd Salem shine: There round the Eternal Throne we tune our lays, And themes majestic swell from praise to praise; There trees of life their verdant ranks unfold, And health perennial streams on waves of gold; There grief no more extorts the piteous wail, Nor sin nor death with mortal shafts assail; Exempt from toil or pain we rest on beds, Or warble praise thro' Eden's bowery glades; Or borne by hosts of flying angels, rove From clime to clime, thro' all the realms of Love! Sometimes we wing those fiery tracts on high, Where worlds and systems sail the boundless sky; Trace planets winding their stupendous round, Or dart with comets thro' the vast profound; Or in bright bands revisit earth below, And hov'ring flutter round the couch of woe; With Heaven's soft balm allay the painful smart, Lull care asleep, and cheer the drooping heart And in fair vision opening on the eyes, Make Paradise with all her glories rise.

Cease then my sorrowing parent, cease to weep,
Death to the Christian is a pleasing sleep,
For he who dy'd a rebel world to save,
And forc'd the shadowy portals of the grave,
Holds in his hand the keys of Death and Hell,
And gilds the horrors of the dreary vale.

"And now once more we bid a short adieu,
For yon bright pomp awaiting meets my view.
Still hold the sacred dictates of the skies,
And ardent strive to gain th' immortal prize:
For soon revolve the few predestin'd years,
And soon you leave the cloudy cell of tears,
To heavenly thrones with choirs of angels soar,
And meet your long lost friends to part no more."
As thus he spoke, th' ambient vapour came,
With films condensing round his lucid frame;
Smooth o'er the boughs that crown'd the sylvan scene
It sails, and rising, mounts the calm serene,
Where stretch'd in ranks along th' unmeasured void,
Ten thousand thousand angels seem'd to ride
O'er a long vaulted tract, that dazzling shone
Across Heaven's forehead, like a milky zone,
Lin'd with a beauteous range of clouds that roll'd,
Such clouds as deck the western skies with gold!
Here round Florello clos'd the legions fair,
And bore him high thro' pathless vasts of air,
While all their harps immortal praises sound,
And list'ning orbs the choral strains rebound.
Now Heaven's wide gates their starry folds display,
And downward burst the whelming flood of day,
Fierce on my sight the dreadful splendors beam,
Starting I woke, and morn dispell'd my dream.

OLD ABERDEEN,

ODE

TO MY FRIEND.

DEAR Edward! should it e'er be said
That friendship from the earth is fled,
And sympathy unknown;

Let us confute those selfish elves,
Who judge of others by themselves,
By instancing our own.

Ours is no tie of common stamp,
Whose warmth an angry word may damp,
Which e'en a breath may end;
But 'tis that temper of the mind,
Which, every other wish resign'd,
Cares only for its friend.

Let Prussia, Germany, and Spain
Prepare against a fresh campaign,
And quarrel for-a bone.
We'll sit at home, con o'er the news,
And mark the interested views,
All have-yet none dare own.

Let whigs their tory foes bespatter,
We'll smoke our pipes, and cry,
66 no matter:
""Tis all to help the farce on,”
Nor, when we see a mitre fall
On cranium, dubb'd episcopal,
Regret we're not the
parson,

When evening closes in the day,
And Luna's horns their tips display,
In winter's freezing season:

We'll trim the fire, and drink our ale,
(A source of joy, that ne'er shall fail,)
Nor think of courts, or treason.

On tardy sloth's luxurious bed,
Whilst others rest the aching head,
We'll taste the charms of morn?
Exulting skim the broad champaign,
Enlivened by the jocund strain,
The music of the horn.

Or else, should frosts enchain the ground,
Forbidding sports of horn, and hound,
The gun shall be our care,

Our dogs th' unshackled streams shall try,
"Till roving where the stragglers lie,
They snuff the tainted air.

Health, a no longer bashful lass,
Who flies the full nocturnal glass,
Each peaceful hour shall bless,
Contentment too, that timid maid,
No longer of mankind afraid,
Shall join our social mess.

But chief-to friendship we shall owe
Those joys, which uniformly flow,
And gild the cloudless day,
Faithfull we'll still agree to share
Each other's happiness, or care,
"Till life dissolves away.

HORATIO.