POEMS. 



ON THE RAINBOW * 



I^tok npon the Rainbow, and praise him that made it : very beautiful ia . 



in the brightness thereof."— Eccles., xliii. 11. 



On morning or on evening cloud impress'd, 

 Bent in vast curve, the watery meteor shines 

 Delightfully, to th' levell'd sun opposed : 

 Lovely refraction ! while the vivid brede 

 In listed colours glows, th' unconscious swain, 

 "With vacant eye, gazes on the divine 

 Phenomenon, gleaming o'er the illumined fields, 

 Or runs to catch the treasures which it sheds. 



Not so the sage : inspired with pious awe, 

 He hails the federal arch ;"[ and looking up, 

 Adores that God, whose fingers form'd this bow 

 Magnificent, compassing heaven about 

 With a re^lendent verge, " Thou mad'st the cloud, 

 " Maker omnipotent, and thou the bow ; 

 " And by that covenant graciously hast sworn 

 " Never to drown the world again : J henceforth, 

 " Till time shall be no more, in ceaseless round, 

 " Season shall follow season : day to night, 

 " Summer to winter, harvest to seed time, 

 "Heat shall to cold in regular array 

 "Succeed." — Heav'n taught, so sang the Hebrew bard) 



A HARVEST SCENE. 



Waked by the gentle gleamings of the mom, 

 Soon clad, the reaper, provident of want, 

 BSes cheerful-hearted to the ripen'd field : 

 Nor hastes alone : attendant by his side 



♦ This and the following poem were published in the Gentleman's Ma^jazine 

 r 1 783, page 955, as imitations of an old poet. — Ed. 



t Gen.,ix. 12— 17. t Gen., viii. 22. § Moses. 



