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ELEGY W RI TT E~ I ~ A COUNTRY CHURCHYARD . 135
How jocund did they drive th eir team afield!
H ow bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
/ 8. Let not Ambitiou mock th eir useful toil,
Th eir homely joys, and destiny obscure ;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
Th e short and simple annals of the poor.
9. The boast of Heraldry, the pomp of P ower,
And nil that Beauty, all that ' Vealt h e'er gave ,
Await alike the inevitable hour-
The paths of glory lend but to the gra,·e.
10. Nor you, )'e proud, impute to these the fault,
If )Iemory o'er th eir tombs no trophies raise,
"Wh ere through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
Th e pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
II. Can storied urn or animated bust
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath ~
Can H onour's voice provoke the silent du st,
Or Flat tery soothe the dull cold ear of Death i /
12. P erh aps ill this neg lected spot is laid
Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
H ands that the rod of empire might have swayed,
Or wak ed to ecstasy th e living lyre.
13. But Knowledge to their ey"s her ample page,
Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll ;
Chill Penury repressed th eir noble rage,
And froze the gen ial current of thesoul.
14. F ull many a gem, of purest ray serene,
The dark un fathomed caves of ocean bear;