CONTENTS.

CANTo I.

INVOCATION, addressed to Fancy. Subject proposed; a short excursive survey of the Earth and Heavens. The poems opens with a description of the face of Nature in the different scenes of morning, funrife, noon, with a thunder-storm, evening, night, and a particular night-piece, with the character of a friend deceafed.

With the return of morning Fancy continues her excurfion, first northward-A view of the arctic continent and the deferts of I artary-From thence southward: a general prospect of the globe, followed by another of the mid-land part of Europe, suppose Italy. A city there upon the point of being fwallowed up by an earthquake: figns that usher it in : described in its causes and effects at length-Eruption of a burning mountain, happening at the fame time and from the fame causes, likewise described.

CANTO II.

Contains, on the same plan, a survey of the folar system, and of the fixed stars.

This poem is among the author's earliest performances. Whether the writing may, in fome degree, atone for the irregularity of the composition, which he confesses, and does not even attempt to excuse, is fubmitted entirely to the candor of the reader.

THE

THE

EXCURSΙΟΝ.

CANто

I.

COMPANION of the Muse, creative power,

Imagination! 'at whose great command

Arise unnumber'd images of things,

Thy hourly offspring: thou, who canst at will
People with air-born shapes the filent wood,
And folitary vale, thy own domain,

Where Contemplation haunts; Oh come, invok'd,
To waft me on thy many-tinctur'd wing,
O'er Earth's extended space: and thence, on high,
Spread to fuperior Worlds thy bolder flight,
Excursive, unconfin'd. Hence from the haunts
Of vice and folly, vanity and man

To yon expanfe of plains, where Truth delights, Simple of heart; and, hand in hand with her, Where blameless Virtue walks. Now parting Spring, Parent of beauty and of fong, has left, His mantle, flower-embroider'd on the ground. While Summer laughing comes, and bids the Months Crown his prime season with their choicest stores; Fresh rofes opening to the folar ray, And fruits flow-fwelling on the loaded bough. Here let me frequent roam, preventing morn, Attentive to the cock, whose early throat,

Heard from the distant village in the vale,
Crows chearly out, far-founding through the gloom.
Night hears from where, wide-hovering in mid-sky,
She rules the fable hour: and calls her train

Of vifionary fears, the shrouded ghost,
The dream distressful, and th' incumbent hag,
That rife to Fancy's eye in horrid forms,
While reafon fslumbering lies. At once they fly,
As shadows pass, nor is their path beheld.

And now, pale-gliminering on the verge of heaven,
From east to north in doubtful twilight seen,
A whitening lustre shoots its tender beam;
While fhade and filence yet involve the ball.
Now facred Morn, afcending, fmiles serene
A dewy radiance, brightening o'er the world.
Gay daughter of the air, for ever young,
For ever pleasing! lo, she onward comes,
In fluid gold and azure loofe-array'd,
Sun-tinctur'd, changeful hues. At her approach,
The western grey of yonder breaking clouds
Slow-reddens into flame: the rifing mists,
From off the mountain's brow, roll blue away
In curling spires; and open all his woods,
High waving in the sky: th uncolour'd stream,
Beneath her glowing ray, translucent shines.
Glad Nature feels her through her boundless realms
Of life and sense and calls forth all her sweets,
Fragrance and fong. From each unfolding flower
Transpires the balm of life, that Zephyr wafts,
Delicious, on his rosy wing: each bird,

Or

Or high in air, or fecret in the shade,
Rejoicing warbles wild his mattin hymn.
While beasts of chace, by fecret inftinct mov'd,
Scud o'er the lawns, and, plunging into night,
In brake, or cavern, slumber out the day.

Invited by the chearful morn abroad,
See, from his humble roof, the good Man comes
To taste her freshness, and improve her rife
In holy musing. Rapture in his eye,
And kneeling wonder speak his filent foul,
With gratitude o'erflowing, and with praise !

Now Industry is up. The village pours
Her useful fons abroad to various toil:
The labourer here, with every instrument
Of future plenty arm'd; and there the fwain,
A rural king amid his fubject-flocks,
Whose bleatings wake the vocal hills afar.
The traveller, too, purfues his early road,
Among the dews of morn. Aurora calls:
And all the living landscape moves around.

But fee, the flush'd horizon flames intense With vivid red, in rich profusion stream'd O'er heaven's pure arch. At once the clouds affume Their gayest liveries; these with filvery beams Fring'd lovely, splendid those in liquid gold: And speak their sovereign's state. He comes, behold! Fountain of light and colour, warmth and life! The King of Glory! round his head divine, Diffusive showers of radiance circling flow, As o'er the Indian wave up-rifing fair