By cooling streams, and softening showers, And trees, and plants, and herbs, and flowers, The flow'ry tribes, all blooming, rise Speak sweet conviction to the heart. Ye curious minds, who roam abroad, The Good Man Happy. How more than bless'd the Man! how truly wise! Who from the paths of treach'rous pleasure flics; Who laughs at honors, riches, pomp, and state, Convinced the virtuous man alone is great; That grandeur can't prevent the heart-felt sigh, And wealth is oft but splendid poverty. He knows how great a fine, how dear a price, Their swift wing'd hours, while others idly Neglecting learning's sacred spring to taste, Sweet blooming child of virtue, smiling health What is't to him, vain folly's ideot grin ? What all the scoffs and taunts of hell-born sin? Whom wisdom has determined for her own, And virtue, heaven's bright offspring, calls her son. Shall one of such descent, such heavenly birth, Envy, however great, the sons of earth? Shall not his heart with pity overflow To see the proud so mean, the great so low? Thus when an angel on some high behest, Forsakes the golden mansion of the bless'd, The wing'd celestial smiles at mortal things, And views with pity, (what men envy,) Kings. The sons of profanation he detests, Those witty fools, whose arguments are jests; Who, for a laughing hour, heaven's joys forego, And weep eternally with fiends below. Passion and prejudice he lays aside, Should reason err-he knows his heart is right. When the pale tyrant, Death, with threat'ning hands, Before his couch, in form terrific, stands; Epigram, BY DR. DODDRIDGE. On his Motto,---."Dum vivimus, vivamus." "LIVE while you live," the epicure will say, "And take the pleasures of the present day :""Live while you live," the sacred preacher cries, "And give to God each moment as it flies."Lord! in my view let both united be! I live in pleasure, while I live to THEE! U Ode on the King's Recovery.* ANNO 1789. -Redeunt Saturnia regna. Virgil. OBE not mute, my rural lyre! Quick to rapture, every eye Spreads the universal song: Pride burns his pedigree; and, rank forgot, * This ode was written, and published on the spur of the occasion, previous to a general illumination, by which it was intended to commemorate this event. The author meant at once, to evince his own gratitude, and to beseech the forbearance of the public, towards a class of Dissenters, whose principles forbid them, to demonstrate the satisfaction of the heart, by exterior fire and flame. It therefore appeared in the Sheffield Register; a paper, which hath, since the emigra tion of its former editor, assumed the title of the IRIS; and which is pre-eminently distinguished amongst provincial prints, by the genius of its present owner, and editor, JAMES MONTGOMERY. |