But why do I delay my flight?
Or on ſuch gloomy objects gaze?
I go to realms ſerene, with ever-living light.
Haſte, clouds and whirlwinds, haſte a raptured bard to raiſe;
Mount me ſublime along the ſhining way,
Where planets, in pure ſtreams of Æther driven,
Swim thro’ the blue expanſe of heav’n.
And lo! th’ obſequious clouds and winds obey!
And lo! again the nations downward fly;
And wide-ſtretch’d kingdoms periſh from my eye.
Heav’n! what bright viſions now ariſe!
What op’ning worlds my raviſh’d ſenſe ſurprize!
I paſs Cerulian gulphs, and now behold
New ſolid globes; their weight ſelf-ballanc’d, bear
Unprop’d amidſt the fluid air,
And all, around the central Sun, incircling eddies roll’d.
Unequal in their courſe, ſee they advance
And form the planetary dance!
Here the pale Moon, whom the ſame laws ordain
T’ obey the earth, and rule the main;
Here ſpots no more in ſhadowy ſtreaks appear;
But lakes inſtead, and groves of trees,
The wand’ring muſe, tranſported ſees,
And their tall heads diſcover’d mountains rear.
And now once more, I downward caſt my ſight,
When lo! the earth, a larger moon diſplays,
Far off, amidſt the heav’ns, her ſilver face,
And to her ſiſter moons by turns gives light!
Her ſeas are ſhadowy ſpots, her land a milky white.
The author of an Eſſay on Criticiſm, printed in the year 1728, informs us, that the Tragedy of Cato being brought upon the ſtage in 1713 was owing to Mr. Hughes. The circumſtances recorded
