The
VISION
.
As
lately
musing
in
a
lonely
shade
,
For
meditation
and
contentment
made
,
The
murm'ring
streams
reecho'd
thro'
the
trees
,
And
verdant
poplars
,
fan'd
the
gentle
breeze
,
All
dwelt
serene
within
my
tranquil
breast
,
And
sweet
retirement
,
lull'd
my
soul
to
rest
:
Delightful
fancy
lent
her
potent
aid
,
And
scenes
of
wonder
,
to
my
sense
convey'd
.
Transported
to
a
verdant
blooming
green
,
Where
all
was
calm
,
and
nature
shone
serene
:
The
daisy
painted
ground
,
perfum'd
the
air
,
And
sweet
contentment
,
seem'd
to
banish
care
,
A
group
of
lovely
damsels
caught
my
eye
,
And
each
in
youth
and
beauty
strove
to
vie
;
Yet
two
shone
more
resplendent
than
the
rest
,
One
in
a
purple
,
airy
,
flowing
vest
;
Her
temples
bound
with
flow'rs
of
diff'rent
hue
,
The
lilly
white
,
the
violet
azure
blue
,
Her
tender
feet
with
glitt'ring
sandals
bound
,
Trip't
lightly
o'er
the
flow'ry
painted
ground
.
Her
golden
locks
flow'd
careless
in
the
wind
.
And
her
whole
dress
was
loose
and
unconfin'd
.
The
other
,
clad
in
purity
,
and
truth
,
With
all
the
blooming
,
radiant
charms
of
youth
,
White
was
her
robe
,
bright
auborn
was
her
hair
,
Meek
her
deportment
,
and
serene
her
air
;
Her
looks
outvied
the
pure
and
unsun'd
snow
,
And
wreaths
of
laurel
,
bound
her
sacred
brow
,
Her
friend
was
wisdom
,
who
with
heav'nly
song
,
With
caution
lead
her
mistress
thro'
the
throng
.
Her
breath
with
ambient
sweets
perfum'd
the
ground
,
And
calm
serenity
shone
all
around
;
Each
strove
by
turns
to
sooth
the
giddy
croud
,
Courted
the
humble
,
and
implor'd
the
proud
.
The
first
was
pleasure
(
soft
alluring
name
,
)
The
other
virtue
,
surest
guide
to
fame
.
Struck
with
astonishment
I
gaz'd
around
,
When
suddenly
I
heard
a
heav'nly
sound
,
A
sound
more
sweet
than
the
soft
breath
of
love
,
Harmonious
as
the
songsters
of
the
grove
;
Melodious
as
the
pipe
upon
the
plains
,
The
tuneful
lyre
,
or
Philomela's
strains
.
'Twas
virtue's
voice
,
the
pure
seraphic
maid
,
In
tender
numbers
these
soft
accents
said
.
"
Ah
!
follow
me
,
fair
nymph
,
to
my
pure
cell
,
"
'Tis
there
content
,
and
peace
alone
can
dwell
;
"
'Tis
there
true
happiness
and
joy
you'll
find
,
"
A
homely
fair
,
but
a
reception
kind
:
"
Where
innocence
and
love
,
delight
to
reign
,
"
Free
from
dissimulation
,
care
,
and
pain
.
"
There
peace
resides
,
there
honor
keeps
her
court
,
"
There
pity
dwells
,
the
muses
there
resort
.
"
Beware
of
vice
,
her
pleasures
soon
will
cloy
,
"
And
keen
repentance
,
follow
guilty
joy
.
"
Forsake
the
giddy
,
gay
,
unthinking
croud
,
"
Forsake
the
covetous
,
the
vain
,
and
proud
;
"
By
me
be
guided
,
I
will
lead
the
way
,
"
To
blissful
paths
of
everlasting
day
.
"
In
this
precarious
life
i'll
be
thy
friend
,
"
And
celebrate
thy
name
,
e'en
to
time's
end
;
"
Take
my
advice
,
'tis
I
alone
can
prove
,
"
The
heart-felt
happiness
of
virtuous
love
:
"
The
real
pleasures
of
an
honest
mind
,
"
In
all
my
footsteps
you
will
surely
find
.
Thus
spoke
the
nymph
,
—
to
heav'n
the
music
floats
,
And
angels
echo
back
the
tuneful
notes
.
Transported
,
and
amaz'd
,
I
trembling
cry'd
,
"
In
thee
alone
I
trust
to
be
my
guide
!
"
The
goddess
smil'd
,
and
kindly
press'd
my
hand
,
When
I
obedient
to
her
wise
command
Followed
her
footsteps
,
to
that
blissful
seat
,
Where
peace
,
humility
,
and
love
do
meet
:
To
that
pure
cell
where
every
earthly
joy
,
Reigns
uncontroul'd
,
unmixt
,
without
a
cloy
.
The
journey
long
,
the
fare
was
mean
and
coarse
,
The
road
was
rugged
,
and
the
task
was
worse
;
Our
gentle
guides
were
Patience
,
Hope
,
and
Truth
,
(
The
best
supporters
of
each
virtuous
youth
)
Each
friend
,
by
turns
,
sooth'd
my
advent'rous
heart
,
And
tales
of
truth
,
and
honor
did
impart
.
When
,
on
a
sudden
,
horrors
spread
around
,
And
echo'd
thro'
the
grove
an
hollow
sound
;
The
clouds
grew
black
,
all
nature
seem'd
to
fade
,
And
sicken
o'er
the
solemn
lonely
glade
;
Naught
could
be
heard
but
silver
falling
floods
,
And
woe
fraught
murmurs
reign'd
throughout
the
woods
.
Confusion
struck
my
frame
,
when
Patience
cry'd
,
"
Fear
not
,
fair
nymph
,
in
me
alone
confide
;
"
In
a
short
time
these
dreadful
storms
shall
cease
,
"
And
I
will
crown
your
toil
,
with
joy
,
and
peace
.
"
E'er
you
arrive
where
bliss
eternal
reigns
,
"
You
first
must
learn
to
scorn
such
trifling
pains
;
"
The
pure
seraphic
mind
which
virtue
warms
,
"
Must
bare
serenely
these
tempestuous
storms
;
"
The
feeling
heart
must
many
crosses
know
,
"
In
virtue's
cause
,
—
where
fortune
proves
a
foe
:
"
Let
not
these
trifles
your
soft
breast
alarm
,
"
Patience
will
guide
you
free
from
every
harm
.
"
Here
ceas'd
the
virgin
,
the
prophetic
sound
,
And
gleams
of
heavenly
light
shone
all
around
;
The
clouds
dispers'd
,
the
storm
and
tempest
ceas'd
,
And
every
visionary
care
decreas'd
.
The
flowers
recover'd
their
delightful
hue
,
And
nature
shone
in
all
her
bloom
anew
;
No
scent
more
fragrant
does
the
rose
exhale
,
Then
those
which
fan'd
the
sweet
ambrosial
gale
.
At
a
small
distance
stood
the
peaceful
cell
,
Where
innocence
and
harmony
do
dwell
;
No
pompous
grandeur
there
adorns
the
grove
,
No
spiery
turrets
rear
their
heads
above
;
No
gilded
columns
,
no
gay
temples
rise
,
There
no
luxurious
dome
invades
the
skies
;
Alone
for
peace
the
humble
cell
was
made
,
And
sweet
contentment
,
reigns
within
the
shade
:
A
purling
stream
in
soft
meanders
glide
,
The
violet
sweet
,
and
daizy
blooms
beside
:
Fair
honor
reigns
supreme
and
void
of
care
,
Each
heavenly
blessing
does
inhabit
there
.
With
meek
humility
,
with
truth
divine
,
And
ev'ry
virtue
bows
before
the
shrine
.
Love
,
the
soft
moulder
of
the
pliant
soul
,
(
Whose
power
our
wishes
and
our
minds
controul
;
)
Within
these
sacred
shades
serenely
mov'd
,
By
virtue
guided
,
and
by
heav'n
approv'd
.
Enraptur'd
I
beheld
those
regions
bright
,
And
scenes
of
wonder
beam'd
upon
the
sight
;
Harmonious
songsters
I
distinctly
heard
,
And
soft
musicians
in
the
grove
appear'd
:
While
thus
I
stood
intent
to
see
and
hear
,
A
damsel's
voice
address'd
my
pensive
ear
.
"
Like
you
a
stranger
to
distress
and
woe
,
"
Possess'd
of
all
the
gifts
the
gods
bestow
,
"
Of
all
the
real
blessings
heaven
can
give
,
"
Still
my
fond
soul
for
other
joys
did
grieve
.
"
Once
on
a
time
by
giddy
fancy
taught
,
"
For
idle
pleasures
earnestly
I
sought
;
"
No
well-taught
council
could
my
feet
restrain
,
"
But
pleasures
lur'd
me
to
the
flow'ry
plain
;
"
That
sure
destruction
to
the
youthful
mind
,
"
To
her
my
frail
,
my
willing
heart
inclin'd
.
"
Long
time
I
revel'd
in
luxurious
joys
,
"
Which
ev'ry
gen'rous
sentiment
destroys
.
"
But
ah
!
fair
nymph
,
each
pleasure
quickly
dies
,
"
Where
blacken'd
vice
,
fair
virtue's
place
supplies
.
"
Such
idle
joys
last
but
a
fleeting
day
,
"
Where
vice
triumphant
reigns
with
potent
sway
;
"
Short
was
the
time
these
scenes
my
soul
possess'd
,
"
But
endless
are
the
pangs
within
my
breast
.
"
No
time
the
stings
of
conscience
can
subdue
,
"
Where'er
I
fly
fresh
grief
my
steps
pursue
;
"
Conscious
of
past
offence
,
my
erring
breast
,
"
Is
torn
with
sad
remorse
,
and
rob'd
of
rest
,
"
I
feel
,
I
feel
,
the
heaving
sigh
renew'd
,
"
And
sad
rememb'rance
on
my
soul
intrude
;
"
Still
must
my
mind
with
heart
felt
grief
abound
,
"
Till
virtue's
hand
shall
heal
reflection's
wound
.
"
Too
late
my
blinded
eyes
perceiv'd
the
road
,
"
Which
lead
to
this
celestial
,
bless'd
abode
;
"
Happy
are
you
,
whose
youthful
breast
aspires
,
"
With
genial
warmth
,
to
burn
with
purer
fires
.
"
Who
in
the
tender
,
early
days
of
youth
,
"
Trod
the
unsullied
paths
of
sacred
truth
.
"
Then
hail
,
fair
nymph
,
hail
sweet
humility
,
"
Each
vot'ry
of
our
shade
,
shall
honor
thee
.
"
Enjoy
,
henceforth
,
each
blessing
of
the
bless'd
,
"
May
all
thy
future
days
be
crown'd
with
rest
.
"
"
Farewell
,
"
she
cry'd
,
—
then
join'd
the
happy
throng
,
Who
to
my
list'ning
ear
address'd
their
song
.
"
Welcome
,
welcome
,
to
our
cell
,
"
Here
content
,
and
peace
do
dwell
;
"
Every
joy
to
charm
the
heart
,
"
All
that
wisdom
can
impart
,
"
All
that
can
the
bosom
fire
,
"
All
that
virtue
can
desire
;
"
Every
blessing
from
above
,
"
Ease
and
plenty
,
joy
and
love
;
"
Meek
humility
and
rest
,
"
All
the
transports
of
the
bless'd
;
"
Join
with
us
in
sprightly
song
,
"
Dance
among
the
happy
throng
;
"
Tune
the
cymbal
,
and
the
lyre
,
"
Virtue
does
our
souls
inspire
;
"
Prudence
,
is
our
matron
wise
,
"
Ev'ry
folly
we
despise
;
"
Here
the
graces
keep
their
court
,
"
Here
the
muses
all
resort
;
"
Welcome
to
this
happy
cell
,
"
Here
content
and
peace
doth
dwell
.
Here
ceas'd
the
tender
,
soft
,
alluring
throng
,
Their
artless
,
sweet
,
prophetic
,
warmbling
song
;
And
I
awoke
,
alas
!
too
soon
to
find
,
'Twas
only
fancy
that
deceiv'd
my
mind
;
But
what
a
change
from
scenes
of
tranquil
joy
,
To
momentary
pleasures
born
to
cloy
.