POEMS. 



ON THE RAINBOW* 



" Look upon the Bainbow, and piaise him that made it : very heautifal is it 

 in the hrightness thereof." — Ecdes., sliii. 11. 



On morning or on evening cloud impresa'd, 

 Bent in vast curve, the watery meteor shines 

 Delightfully, to th' leveU'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 Ulumined fields. 

 Or runs to catch the treasures which it sheds. 



Not so the sage : inspired with pious awe. 

 He hails the federal arch ;i- and looking up, 

 Adores that God, whose fingers form'd this bow 

 Magnificent, compassing heaven about 

 With a resplendent 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." — rHeav'n taught, so sang the Hebrew bard ^ 



A HAHVEST SCENE. 



Waked by the gentle gleamings of the mom, 

 Soon clad, the reaper, provident of want, 

 Hies cheerful-hearted to the ripen'd field : 

 Nor hastes alone : attendant by his side 



* This and the following poem were piiblished in the Gentleman's Magazine 

 for 1783, page 9S5, as imitations of an old poet. — Ed. 



+ Gen.,ix. 12— 17. J Gen., viii> 22. § Moses. 



