Wit & humour > Gentle shepherd

C 8 1
The peaceful houfliold fill’d with dire alarms,
The ravifh’d virgin mourns her flighted charms;
The voice of impious mirth is heard around;
In guilt they feall, in guilt the bowl is crown’d.
Unpunifli’d violence lords it o’er the plains.
And Happinefs forfakes the guilty fwains.
Oh Happinels! from human fearch retir’d.
Where art thou to be found, by all defir’d?
Nun fober and devout, why art thou fled !
To hide in (hades thy meek contented head ?
Virgin'of afpedt mild! ah why unkind,
Fly’ft thou difpleas’d the commerce of mankind ?
O! teach our fteps to find the fecret cell,
Where with thy Sire content thou lov’fl: to dwelL
Or fay, doft thou a duteous handmaid wait
Familiar, at the chambers of the great ?
Dofl: thou purfue the voice of them that call
Tonoify revel, and to midnight ball?
On the full banquet when we feaft our foul,
Doft thou infpire the mirth, or mix the bowl ?
Or with the induftrious planter doft thou talk,
Converfing freely in an evening-walk ?
Say, does the Miler e’er thy face behold.
Watchful and ftudious of the treafur’d gold ?
Seeks Knowledge, not in vain, thy much-Iov’d pow’r.
Still mufing filcnt at the morning-hour ?
May we thy prefence hope in war’s alarms.
The Statefman’s wifdom, or the Fair-one’s charms ?
In vain our flattering hopes our fteps beguile.
The flying good eludes the fearcher’s toil:
In vain we feek the city or the cell;
Aloae with virtue knows the pow’r to dwell.
Nor need mankind defpair thefe joys to know.
The gift themfelves may on themfelves beftow.
Soon, foon we might the precious blefling boaft;
Hut many palfions muft the bldEnfi coft;
Infernal