ON A SIMILAR OCCASION, FOR THE YEAR 1789. -Placidaque ibi demum morte quievit. VIRG. There calm at length he breathed his soul away. « On most delightful hour by man • Experienced here below, « The hour that terminates his span, “ His folly, and his woe! « Worlds should not bribe me back to tread “ Again life's dreary waste, “ To see again my day o'erspread “ With all the gloomy paft. “ My home henceforth is in the skies, “ Earth, feas, and fun adieu ! « All heaven unfolded to my eyes, " I have no fight for you.” So spoke Afpafio, firm poffeft Of faith's supporting rod, The borom of his God. He was a man among the few Sincere on virtue's fide; And all his strength from scripture drew, To hourly use applied. 'That rule he prized, by that he feared, He hated, hoped, and loved; But when his heart had roved. For he was frail as thou or I, And evil felt within: And loathed the thought of sin, Such lived Afpafio; and at laft Called up from Earth to Heavenr, The gulph of death triumphant pasledy. By gales of blessing driven. His joys be mine, cach Reader cries, When my last hour arrives : Such only be your lives. ON A SIMILAR OCCASION, FOR THE YEAR 1790. Ne commonentem recta sperne. BUCHANAN. Despise not my good counsel. He who sits from day to day, Where the prisoned lark is hung, Heedless of his loudest lay, Hardly knows that he has sung. Where the watchman in his round Nightly lifts his voice on high, None, accustomed to the found, Wakes the sooner for his cry. So your verse-man I, and clerk, Yearly in my song proclaim Death at hand-yourselves his mark And the foe's unerring aim. Duly at my time I come, Publishing to all aloud And your only suit, a shroud. But the monitory strain, Oft repeated in your ears, Wins no notice, wakes no fears. Can a truth, by all confessed Of such magnitude and weight, Grow, by being oft expressed, Trivial as a parrot's prate? Pleasure's call attention wins, Hear it often as we may ; New as ever seem our fins, Though committed every day. |