isi6.] 



[ U5 ] 

 ORIGINAL POETRY. 



SONG TO MV FRIEND. 



I GREATLY love the calm retreat, 

 Wliere, freed from noi>e and ruthless care, 

 The Muse can tre?.d wiih hallow'd feet, 

 And pour her tender breathings there. 

 I love to stroll the groves among, 

 And listen to the ieather'd throng ; 

 To pierce the gently winding dale, 

 Where echo swells in ev'ry gale. 

 I l^ve to climb the mnunfain's brow, 

 Impending o'er ihe deeps belnw ; 

 To watch the streamlet as it flaws, 

 Where the unciiltur'd strawb'rry grows. 



And, at first glimpfe of purple dawn, 

 I love to seek the tra^tant lawn ; 

 Or with the moon a vigil keep^ 

 Whose pale beams quiver on ihe deep. 



But craggy heightj. nor verdant fields. 

 With all the gifts kind Nature yields, 

 Scarce half their varied charms display, 

 Unblest by Friendship's cheering ray. 

 For 'tis participation gives 

 Life to every j^v that lives ; 

 And in the swelling breast of grief 

 Vours the mild balsam of relief. 



Come then, lov'd fav'ritc of my heart. 

 This wreath of happiness impart ; 

 Let these delights, which please awhile, 

 Be cheriah'd by Affectioa's smile. 



Thfn shady wood, msr fertile green, 

 Shall spread their blooming sweets unseen, 

 When at the airy minstrel's lay 

 We join to welcome op'hing day ; 

 Or, weary, court grey ev'ning'» breeze. 

 Whose spirit whitper through the trees. 

 In softest accent seems to bear 

 This message to the list'ning ear : — 



Think not, that on terrestrial ground 

 Pure, amaranthine bliss is found ; 

 Transplanted is fair Eden's prize ; 

 Together seek it in the skies. 

 j-iv^sham. JoHN Mann. 



DESCRIPTION OF LIBERTY; 

 •■ Bv THB i.ATii iMrs. Robinson. 



""pH ROUGH all the scenes of Nature's va- 

 ■^ rying plan, 



CelMtial Freedom warm? the breast of man ; 

 Led by her darling hand, wha' power can bind 

 The boundless efforts of the lab'iing mind ? 

 The god like fervour, ihiilling thro" the 



heart, 

 Gives new cieaiion to each vital pan ; 

 Throbs rapture through each palpitatmg vein, . 

 Wiiigs the rapt thought, and warms the ler- 



lile brain ; 

 To her the noblest attiibutes of Heav'n, 

 Ambition, v.iloiir. eloquence, are giv'n. 

 She binds the Soldier's brow with wreaths 



sublime, 

 From her expani'ing Reason learns to climb ; 

 To her the sounds of melody belong. 

 She w;<kfs the rapucrrsol the Foet's song ; 

 'Tis g"d.like Hrerdom bids tMch passion live, 

 'I hat Tru(h may boast, or patriot Virtue g vc j 

 iiuMiiLY aIau. No. '-itiS. 



From her the Arts enlighten'd splendours own, , 

 the gu'des (he Peasant — she adorns ihe 



Throne; 

 To mild Philanthropy extends her hand, 

 Gives Truth pre-eminence, and Worth com* 



mand; 

 Her eye directs the path that leads to Fame, 

 Lights Valour's torch, and trims the glorious 



flame ; 

 She scatters joy o'er Nature's endless scope, 

 Gives strength to Reason— ecstasy to Hope ; 

 Tempers each pang Humanity can fee'. 

 And binds presumptuous Power with nerves of 



steel ; 

 Strangles each tyrant Phantom in its birth, 

 And knows no title — but tUPERiOll 



WORTH. 



CHARACTER of SIR J. REYNOLDS J 

 Bv THE Same. 



O! if the graces of pathetic ver^e 

 Can add one iropliy to thy sahle hearie ; 

 If the soft sympathy of Sorrow's strain 

 Can for a moment soothe the throb of pain ; 

 Can check the drop that sieaU from Mem'ry'S 



eye. 

 Or ca'm Affliction's meek and melting sigh ; 

 Where i^ the Muse ? Why sleep the tuneful 



throng. 

 While Britsin's Ra'aelle claims the grateful 



song. 

 Ye solemn mourners, who, with footstep 



slow, 

 Prolong'd the sable line of public woe : 

 Who, tondly crowding round his plumed bier. 

 Gave to his worth th' involuntary tear; 

 Ye children of his School, who oft have hung 

 . On the graced precepts of his tuneful tongue ; 

 Who many an hour in mute attention caught 

 The vivid lustte of his polish'd thought* ; 

 Ye who have felt, for ye have taste to feel, 

 'l"he magic influence o'er your senses steal, 

 VVhen, eloquently chaste, from Wisdom's pag« 

 He drew each model for a rising age ! 

 Say, is no kind, no grdteful, tribute due 

 To him, who twin'd immortal wreaths for 



you ? 

 Who, from the dawn of youth to manhood's 



prime, 

 Snatch'd hidden beauties from the wings of 



Time ; 

 Who gave new lessons to your wond'riRg 



sit;lit, 

 Drawn fiom the chaos of oblivious Night ; 

 Where, chain'd by Ignorance, in Envy's cave. 

 The Art he courted lound a chilling grave ; 

 Where native Genius faded, unadmir'd. 

 While Fmulation's glorious flame expir'd ; 

 Till Revnolds, braving Envy's recreant 



Spell, 

 Dragg'd the huge monster from her thorny 



cell; 

 Who, shrinking from Ms mild benignant eye. 

 Subdued, to Stygian dfltkness fled — to die ! 



• Vide Sir Joshua Reynolds's Discourses 

 deliveitd al Iht Royal Academy. 



