tjgt. ASTROKOMICAL REVERIE. 1 23 



on the regularity and beauty of the univerfe ,and on the 

 divine energy of its creator. 



Aftronomy and natural philofophy have always been 

 my favourite ftudies, and I may fay, the attendants of 

 my devotion ; fo that while thefe delightful thoughts 

 had taken full poffeffion of my imagination, I fell in- 

 to a fweet deep, that called up before me the follow- 

 ing moft enchanting delufion. 



Methought I was feated on the ruins of a ftately 

 edifice, that feemed to be the remains of an ancient 

 abbey. 



The architefture exhibited a mixture of Greek, Ro- 

 man, and Gothic ; yet it was exceedingly pleafing and 

 majeftic. 



All over the huge fragments of this magnificent 

 building, I faw the ufurpation of nature over art, 

 that indicated the great antiquity of its deflruftion. 



Oaks, elms, and yews, of an immenfe bulk, grew 

 from the rubbifii within the walls. 



The fliapes of the doors and windows feemed but 

 little altered; fome of them were quite obfcured; others 

 only partially ftiaded by tufts of ivy ; one circular 

 window was edged only with iis flender tendrils, and 

 lighter foliage, wreathing about the fides and divifions 

 of its aftragal carvings, whidi were radiated from the 

 centie to the circumference. 



From the crevices of the ruins, there fprunga profu- 

 fion of flowers, in the wildeft, but moft beautiful dif- 

 erder. 



The gold and purple gleam of the fetting fun fhone 

 through the doors and windows, and the open aides of 

 the ftruclure, beyond which there was a beautiful mea- 

 dow, fprinkled with venerable trees of various hue and 

 fliape, amid the items of which I obferved a beautiful 

 flockof Iheep, and a fliepherd reclining on the turf, play- 

 ing on a flute to a fhepherdef? who flood by him, leaii- 

 •-ir^ on her crook, in a beautiful attitude of attention tp 

 mufic. 



Q. 2 



