Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-10-17
20 e Il 4 Y.
YIR TUE.
" IIoc sIGNo vINcEs.


The beauties of thy cherub face,
Out-shining all on earth.
The radiant smiles which purely shine
With beam of majesty divine
From thy benignant orb;
The pearly drops that glisten there,
COMPOSED of picty and prayer,
In heav'n were sure endow'd.
Thou art the soul of health and life,
Thou kindlest UP the social strife,
That glows in sweet concord;
Soundness the body draws from thee,
The mind its tone and energy,
The lips the guileless word
Thy counscls beam through ev'ry age,
Thy music cheers mans ev'ry stage,
With wisdom's sweet solace;
It soothes the fiery heat of youth,
TIE passions cools, and useful truth,
Displays in native grace.
Youth, led by thy paternal hand,
On high Olympus take their stand,
And view yon canopy;
See multitud'nous worlds career,
And many sun in chrystal sphere,
Roll through his szure sky.
And why survey this great abode,
ofWonders, Angels and of God,
The Afmighty's works TO scanl
IT'S to unfold the mighty pow'r,
Who in the great creative hour,
From chaos form'd his man.
Ills to inspire the breast with awe,
OfGod's great fiat--and his law,
Which regulates the whole;
That man may dread omnipotence,
Who gave his reason and has sense,
To light his godlike soul.
Why flies the searching mind around,
And quitting heav'n scans the ground,
With scrutinizing ken'
IL IN Iea rn fhe notenf crlrac
Ofvegetables, plants and fow'rs,
For maladies ofmen.
Why does the SON of science go,
Through infection, pain and voc,
Through CRATES and dungeons shade
Because, fair Virtue, we confess,
Mars Tau is mans oSUn happiness,
Ind man for heaD'n Spas made.
Why does the statesman strain his lungs,
The Clergy raise their myriad tongues,
And Doctors sage attend
Virtue excites the patriots zeal,
Virtue consults the common veal,
Makes man, his brothers friend
Hail Virtue! goddess bright yet meek,
Thou paint'st the roses ON the cheek
OF Emma, beauteous Maid;
And makst her like the Ermine, pure,
Unblemish'd like new-driven SNOW,
On brightest scarlet shed.
When fair Aurora opes her gate,
Whose op'ning many colours wait,
To purify the morn;
Fair Emma trips the fow'ry way,
Brushing the dew-drops from each spray,
And hies to kiss the dawn.
And why That lovely check can tell,
Which looks so roseate, plump and well.
Where rose and lily vie;
That nervous, light, majestic form,
Which exercise and Temperance warm.
Can make the best reply.
Through ev'ry hour of the day,
In ey'ry subtil plastic ray,
Ofyon omniic Sun;
She eyes seraph, sees a God
And when beneath the waves she's how'd,
He visits the pale moon.
Emma, grateful homage pays,
To the great author of all days,
0flight, oflife and joy;
This makes her glisten to my eyes,
Like precious dImond prize,
Whose lustre ne'er can cloy.
Blest Virtue! Let me hail thy reign,
Far more expansive than the nam,
Or thought can well conceive;
Thou bring'st from God the high behest,
"Go make mankind forever best"
" And ev'ry i'll relieve"
Is man destitute And flags,
His spirit as he haunts in rags,
And starves for want Of food
Thou op'st the hand of charity,
To check and calm necessity,
And give the wish'd for good.
Do angry passions rage and storm,
And appetitcs the soul deform,
With guilt and violence
The fierce INSIDERS hand is staid,
Just ere he yields the fatal blade,
Or gratifes his sense.
Does wealth make bombastic vaunt,
OF his great power TO still each want,
In ev'ry situationl
PASSIONS zest thou tak'st away,
And bindest by an artless lay,
EY'ry rude temptation.
Does power with fresh success elate
Boast Of her might to devastatc,
Whole realms with fire and sword
Virtue opposes all her might
But oft prevents the coming fight,
BY utt'ring mild word.
Through this drear valley filed by fate
With love, indifference, direful hate,
And floods of worm-wood tears,
Great Virtue, is forever nigh,
To cheer her pious vOtsry,
Through rounds Of sickly years.
Reason and Virtue hand in hand,
In harmony walk Ger the land,
That seeks each distant pole
Breathe in the air, in richness glow,
Bid wine and milk and honey flow
To feed the immortal soul.
q. MELVILLE
-----------