And the first smith was the first mur derer's fon.
His art furvived the waters; and ere long,
When man was multiplied and fpread abroad
In tribes and clans, and had begun to call
These meadows and that range of hills his own,
The tafted fweets of property begat
Defire of more; and industry in fome

To improve and cultivate their just demefne,
Made others covet what they faw so fair.
Thus war began on earth: these fought for spoil,
And those in felf-defence. Savage at first

The onset, and irregular. At length
One eminent above the rest for strength,
For ftratagem, for courage, or for all,
Was chofen leader; him they ferved in war,
And him in peace, for fake of warlike deeds
Reverenced no less.

MM

THUS by degrees, felf-cheated of their found
And fober judgment, that he is but man,
They demi-deify and fume him fo,
That in due feafon he forgets it too.
Inflated and aftrut with felf-conceit,
He gulps the windy diet; and ere long,
Adopting their mistake, profoundly thinks
The world was made in vain, if not for him.
Thenceforth they are his cattle: drudges, born
To bear his burdens, drawing in his gears,
And sweating in his fervice his caprice,

Becomes the foul that animates them all.
He deems a thousand, or ten thoufand lives,
Spent in the purchase of renown for him,
An eafy reckoning; and they think the fame.
Thus kings were first invented, and thus kings
Were burnished into heroes and became

The arbiters of this terraqueous swamp;

Storks among frogs, that have but croaked and died.

Task. b. v.

ON HEROISM.

YE monarchs, whom the lure of honour draws,

Who write in blood the merits of

your caufe,

Who ftrike the blow, then plead your own defenceGlory your aim, but juftice your pretence;

Behold in Etna's emblematic fires

The mischiefs your ambitious pride inspires!
Faft by the stream that bounds your just domain,
And tells you where you have a right to reign,
A nation dwells, not envious of your throne,
Studious of peace, their neighbours', and their own.
Ill-fated race! how deeply must they rue
Their only crime, vicinity to you!

The trumpet founds, your legions fwarm abroad,
Through the ripe harveft lies their deftin'd road;
At ev'ry step beneath their feet they tread
The life of multitudes, a nation's bread!

Earth

Earth feems a garden in its lovelieft dress
Before them, and behind a wilderness.
Fanine, and peftilence, her first-born son,
Attend to finish what the fword begun;
And, echoing praises such as fiends might earn,
And folly pays, refound at your return:
A calm fucceeds-but plenty, with her train
Of heart felt joys, fucceeds not foon again.
And years of pining indigence must show,
What scourges are the gods that rule below.

Increasing commerce and reviving heart
Renew the quarrel on the conq'ror's part;
And the fad leffon must be learn'd once more,
That wealth within, is ruin at the door.

What are ye, monarchs, laurel'd heroes, say--
But Etnas of the fuff'ring world ye sway;
Sweet nature, ftripp'd of her embroider'd robe,
Deplores the wasted regions of her globe;
And ftands a witness at truth's awful bar
To prove you, there, destroyers as ye are.

Oh, place me in fome heav'n-protected ifle,
Where peace, and equity, and freedom fmile;
Where no volcano pours his fiery flood,
No crefted warrior dips his plume in blood.

BATTLE OF BLENHEIM.

It was a fummer evening,

Old CASPAR's work was done,
And he before his cottage door
Was fitting in the fun :

And by him fported on the green
His little grand child WILHELMINE.

She faw her brother PETERKIN

Roll fomething large and ronnd,
That he befide the rivulet

In playing there had found;

He came to ask what he had found,
That was fo large and smooth and round,

Old CASPAR took it from the boy,
Who stood expectant by ;

And then the old man fhook his head,

And with a natural figh

""Tis fome poor fellows Skull, faid he, "Who fell in the GREAT VICTORY ;,

"I find them in my garder, for "There's many here about ;] "And often, when I go to plow,

"The plough-fhare turns them out;

"For many thousand men, faid he, Were flain in the GREAT VICTORY."

"Now

"Now tell us what 'twas all about,"
Young PETERKIN he cries;
And little WILHELMINE looks up,
With wonder-waiting eyes;

"Now tell us all about the war,
"And what they kill'd each other for."

"It was the English, CASPAR cried,
"That put the French to rout;
"But what they killed each other for
"I could not well make out;

"But every body faid quoth he,

"That 'twas a FAMOUS VICTORY!

"My father lived at Blenheim then,
"Yon little ftreams hard by;
"They burnt his dwelling to the ground,
"And he was forc'd to fly;

"So with his wife and child he fled,

"Nor had he where to reft his head:

"With fire and fword the country round, "Was wafted far and wide;

"And many a childing mother then,

"And new-born infant died :

"But things like that, you know, must be,