Thou mountain nymph, fair Solitude!
O! lead me to thy secret cell,
Where no unholy cares intrude,
But Peace and V IRTUE ever dwell.

The cavern'd rock, with moss o'ergrown,
And crown'd with ivy's lasting hue,
Thou chusest for thy rural throne—
Thy canopy the concave blue.

O! place me gently by thy side,
Whilst the wide landscape blooms below,
And o'er our heads, in Nature's pride,
Rich show'rs form Heav'n's resplendent bow.

Whilst, downward, on the sunny plain,
And sloping hills and vales I gaze,
Where Beauty, Health, and Pleasure reign,
And Man, rejoicing, spends his days.

Imprint this precept in my heart—
All temporal delights are vain,
The labour'd elegance of Art,
And all the treasuries of gain.

O! purify my humble mind
With thy divine supernal fire,
And let me, by its pow'r refin'd,
To real happiness aspire.

With Contemplation let me range
Vast Nature's ever-varying maze,
And view, with wonder, ev'ry change,
And give to Nature's Author praise.

The glens and rocks shall hear me sing,
Their echoes to my voice reply,
Whilst I adore Creation's King,
Whose wisdom form'd the earth and sky.

All earthly happiness how vain,
Compar'd with heav'nly Solitude,
That leads the studious soul, serene,
To seek—and find— ETERNAL G OOD !