THE Poem opens with a comparison between the beauty of remote objects in a landscape, and those ideal fcenes of felicity which the imagination delights to contemplate.—The influence of anticipation upon the other paffions is next delineated. An allufion is made to the well known fiction in Pagan tradition, that, when all the guardian deities of mankind abandoned the world, Hope alone was left behind.-The confolations of this paffion in fituations of danger and diftrefs.-The feaman on his midnight watch.-The foldier marching into battle.—Allufion to the interefting adventures of Byron. The infpiration of Hope, as it actuates the efforts of genius, whether in the department of fcience, or of tafte.-Domestic felicity, how intimately connected with views of future happinefs.-Picture of a mother watch A ing her infant when afleep.-Pictures of the prifoner, the maniac, and the wanderer. From the confolations of individual mifery, a tranfition is made to profpects of political improvement in the future state of society.-The wide field that is yet open for the progress of humanizing arts among uncivilized nations. From thefe views of amelioration of fociety, and the extenfion of liberty and truth over defpotic and barbarous countries, by a melancholy contrast of ideas we are led to reflect upon the hard fate of a brave people recently confpicuous in their ftruggles for independence. Defcription of the capture of Warfaw, of the laft conteft of the oppreffors and the oppreffed, and the maffacre of the Polish Patriots at the bridge of Prague.-Apoftrophe to the felf-interefted enemies of human improvement. The wrongs of Africa.-The barbarous policy of Europeans in India.-Prophecy in the Hindoo mythology of the expected descent of the Deity, to redrefs the miseries of their race, and to take vengeance on the violators of juftice and mercy. PART I. AT fummer eve, when Heav'n's aerial bow Whose funbright fummit mingles with the sky? More fweet than all the landscape fmiling near ?— 'Tis Distance lends enchantment to the view, And robes the mountain in its azure hue 5 Thus, with delight, we linger to furvey The promis'd joys of life's unmeafur'd way; Thus, from afar, each dim-difcover'd scene More pleasing feems than all the past hath been; From dark oblivion, glows divinely there. What potent spirit guides the raptur'd eye 15 To pierce the fhades of dim futurity ? Can Wisdom lend, with all her heav'nly power, The pledge of Joy's anticipated hour? Ah, no! fhe darkly fees the fate of man Her dim horizon bounded to a span; Or, if she hold an image to the view, 'Tis Nature pictur'd too feverely true. 20 |