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1900

Ten thousand worlds, ten thousand ways devout,
All Nature fending incenfe to The Throne,
Except the bold Lorenzos of Our sphere?
Opening the folemn fources of my foul,
Since I have pour'd, like feign'd Eridanus,
My flowing numbers o'er the flaming skies,
Nor fee, of fancy, or of fact, what more
Invites the Mufe-Here turn we, and review
Our paft nocturnal landschape wide :-Then say,
Say, then, Lorenzo! with what burst of heart,
The whole, at once, revolving in his thought,
Muft man exclaim, adoring, and aghaft?
"O what a root! O what a branch, is here!
"O what a Father! What a Family!
"Worlds! fyftems! and creations!—And creations,
"In one agglomerated cluster, hung,

1905

1910

<< * Great Vine! On Thee, on Thee the cluster hangs “The filial cluster! infinitely spread

1915

"In glowing globes, with various being fraught;
"And drinks (nectareous draught !) immortal life.
"Or, fhall I fay (for who can say enough?).
"A conftellation of ten thousand gems,

"(And, O! of what dimenfion! of what weight!) 19 "Set in one Signet, flames on the right hand

"Of Majefty Divine! The blazing Seal,

"That deeply ftamps, on all created mind, "Indelible, His fovereign attributes,

"Omnipotence, and Love! That, paffing bound: 1925 "And This, furpaffing That. Nor ftop we Here,

VOL. III.

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"For want of Power in God, but Thought in Man. “Ev'n This acknowledg'd, leaves us still in debt: "If Greater aught, That Greater all is Thine, "Dread Sire !-Accept this Miniature of Thee; 1930 "And pardon an Attempt from mortal thought, "In which archangels might have fail'd, unblam'd.” How fuch ideas of th' Almighty's Power,

And fuch ideas of th' Almighty's Plan, (Ideas not abfurd) diftend the thought Of feeble mortals! Nor of them alone!

The fulness of the Deity breaks forth

In Inconceivables to men, and gods.

1935

Think, then, O think; nor ever drop the thought;

How low muft Man defcend, when Gods adore! 1940

Have I not, then, accomplish'd my proud boast ?

Did I not tell thee, "* We would mount, Lorenzo ! "And kindle our devotion at the Stars ?"

And have I fail'd? And did I flatter thee?
And art all adamant? And doft confute
All urg'd, with one irrefragable Smile?
Lorenzo Mirth how miferable here!

1945

Swear by the Stars, by Him who made them, swear,
Thy heart, henceforth, shall be as pure as They:
Then Thou, like Them, shalt shine; like Them, shalt rise
From low to lofty; from obfcure to bright;

By due gradation, Nature's facred law.

The Stars, from whence?-Ask Chaos-He can tell. Thefe bright temptations to idolatry,

From Darkness, and`Confusion, took their birth; 1955

Sons

* Page 22,

Sons of Deformity! from fluid dregs
Tartarean, first they rofe to maffes rude;
And then, to spheres opaque; Then dimly shone
Then brighten'd; Then blaz'd out in perfect day.
Nature delights in progrefs; in advance
From worse to better: but, when Minds afcend,
Progrefs, in part, depends upon themselves.
Heaven aids exertion; Greater makes the Great ;
The voluntary Little leffens more.

O be a Man! and thou shalt be a God!

;

1960

1965

And Half Self-made !-Ambition how divine!

O Thou, ambitious of difgrace alone!

1970

Still undevout? Unkindled?-Though high-taught,
School'd by the fkies, and pupil of the ftars;
Rank coward to the fashionable world!
Art thou afham'd to bend thy knee to heaven?
Curst fume of pride, exhal'd from deepest hell!
Pride in Religion is man's highest praise.

Bent on destruction! and in love with death!
Not all thefe luminaries, quench'd at once,
Were half fo fad, as one benighted mind,
Which gropes for happiness, and meets despair.
How, like a widow in her weeds, the Night,
Amid her glimmering tapers, filent fits!
How forrowful, how defolate, fhe weeps
Perpetual dews, and faddens nature's scene!
A fcene more fad Sin makes the darken'd foul,
All comfort kills, nor leaves one spark alive.
Though blind of heart, ftill open is thine eye:
Why fuch magnificence in all thou feest ?
F 2

1975

1980

1985

Of

AOf Matter's grandeur, know, one end is This,
To tell the Rational, who gazes on it-

1985

"Though That immensely Great, ftill Greater He,
"Whose breast, capacious, can embrace, and lodge,
"Unburden'd, nature's universal scheme;
"Can grafp Creation with a fingle thought;
"Creation grafp; and not exclude its Sire”-
To tell him farther-" It behoves him much
"To guard th' important, yet depending, fate
"Of being, brighter than a thousand funs:
"One fingle ray of Thought outfhines them all."-
And if man hears obedient, foon he 'll foar
Superior heights, and on his purple wing,
His purple wing bedropt with eyes of gold,
Rifing, where Thought is now deny'd to rise,
Look down triumphant on these dazzling spheres.
Why then perfift?-No mortal ever liv'd

But, dying, he pronounc'd (when words are true)
The whole that charms thee, abfolutely vain;

1995

2000

Vain, and far worfe!-Think Thou, with dying men; O condescend to think as angels, think!

O tolerate a chance for happiness !

Our nature fuch, ill choice enfures ill fate;

2010

And hell had been, though there had been no God.
Doft thou not know, my new astronomer!
Earth, turning from the Sun, brings night to man?
Man, turning from his God, brings endless night;
Where thou canst read no morals, find no friend,
Amend no manners, and expect no peace.

How deep the darkness! and the groan, how loud! 2015

And far, how far, from lambent are the flames !-
Such is Lorenzo's purchase! Such his praise !
The proud, the politic, Lorenzo's praise !
Though in his ear, and level'd at his heart,
I've half read o'er the volume of the fkies.

2020

For think not thou hast heard all this from me; My fong but echoes what Great Nature speaks. What has she spoken? Thus the goddess spoke, Thus fpeaks for ever :-" Place, at nature's head, "A fovereign, which o'er all things rolls his eye, 2025 "Extends his wing, promulgates his commands, "But, above all, diffufes endless good;

"To whom, for fure redrefs, the wrong'd may fly; "The vile, for mercy; and the pain'd, for peace; "By whom, the various tenants of thefe fpheres, 2030 Diverfify'd in fortunes, place, and powers,

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2035

"Rais'd in enjoyment, as in worth they rise, "Arrive at length (if worthy such approach) "At that bleft fountain-head, from which they stream; "Where conflict past redoubles present joy; "And prefent joy looks forward on increase; "And That, on more; no period! every step "A double boon! a Promife, and a Bliss.” How eafy fits this fcheme on human hearts! It fuits their make; it fooths their vast desires; Pafion is pleas'd; and Reason asks no more; 'Tis rational! 'tis great!-But what is Thine? It darkens! fhocks! excruciates! and confounds! Leaves us quite naked, both of help, and hope, Sinking from bad to worfe; few years, the sport 2045

F 3

2040

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