CHARITY.—An ELEGY

Fair Charity! 'tis thine to wipe away, From Sorrow's faded cheek, the streaming tear! 'Tis thine, the debt of Sympathy to pay, And whisper comfort in Affliction's ear!

From Heav'n's high portals come, thou peerless maid! Borne on the radiant wings of beaming light: Be wide thy olive branch of peace display'd, And stand thyself confest to mortal sight!

Teach hearts humane to heave the tender sigh, For others' ills, adopted as their own; Till ev'ry scalded sluice of grief be dry, And gen'ral merriment their labours crown!

Where fell Oppression clanks the galling chain, And shackled captives writhe, in dismal caves; Thine be the task, to soothe, as they complain, And to emancipate the hapless slaves!

Where haggard Poverty reclines, on straw, Its meagre limbs, by aching rheums oppress'd; Vouchsafe to mitigate the weight of woe! The hungry feed, and give the weary rest!

Where pale-complexion'd Melancholy reigns, And Beauty's roses droop their heads and die; There image prospects bright, fair, flow'ry plains, Gay, gilded scenes, and an indulgent sky!

Where Pain acute, in agonizing throes, Roars dissonant, and shrieks in discord dire; Tread softly there! yet kindly interpose, And stedfast faith and patient hope inspire!

Where sinks the suff'rer, at his latest breath, While dread, disrupting, doleful pangs dismay, Thy presence lend; dispel the gloom of death, And point the passage to eternal day!

Nor fix'd, alone, to one dark chequer'd scene, Move cheerily, where harmless pleasures flow; And frown not, with a stern and stoic mien, At gleams of bliss the kinder Fates bestow!

Where Temp'rance bland her wholesome viands spreads, Disdain not thou the simples that abound; And where light Mirth to sairy Frolic leads, Be not the last to wind the wanton round!

Where grateful Transport darts it genial rays, And youthful Joy holds open jubilee; Fresh fuel fetch! increase the mantling blaze, And swell the choral lay with festal glee!

But oh! where mortals baneful paths pursue, And fondly frisk to Folly's frenzy'd sound; Picture deep danger there, in frightful view! Bid serpents hiss, and scorpions bite the ground!

To me thy best and softest influence deign! True tenderness, and feelings all refin'd! The heart be mine, to share another's pain, And wide expand to all the human kind!

Spent be my life, my fellow-ment to bless, With meek-ey'd Pity for my inmate dear! Mine the sweet toil, to counteract distress, And some lone widow's sickly heart to cheer!

To salve the soul, where keenest mis'ry dwells, Gangren'd by Cruelty's envenom'd dart! To visit Want, in dark and dreary cells, And wish'd relief, if possible, impart!

Then, at the period of my earthly woes, May guardian angels tend my dying bed! Some faithful friend my eyelids gently close! Some weeping wretch the tear unbidden shed!