Grays Elegy In A Country Churchyard And Other Selections PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ...groan With pangs unfelt before, unpitied and alone. When first thy Sire to send on earth Virtue, his darling child, designed, to To thee he gave the heavenly birth," And bade to form her infant mind.7 1 The first edition of this poem was preceded by a motto from the Greek of /'Eschylus, which describes affliction as being sent by ove for the ultimate good of man. 3 Ate, originally goddess of infatuation or reckless crime. Later she was regarded as the avenger of unrighteousness; but there seems to be no authority for considering her the goddess of adversity. 3 The " scourge" affrights; the " hour " afllicts. Cf. Milton's Paradise Lost, i. 48: "In adamantine chains and penal fire." 5 " Purple tyrants." Purple is the regal color. Perhaps it suggests " bloody." 6 Virtue. 7 The idea in lines 9-12 is a favorite with moralists. Cf. " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (Heb. xii. 6). Stem rugged Nurse! thy rigid lore With patience many a year she bore; What sorrow was, thou hadst her know, I 5 And from her own she learned to melt at others' woe. Scared at thy frown terrific, fly Self-pleasing F olly's idle brood Wild Laughter, Noise, and thoughtless Joy, And leave us leisure to be good? 20 Light they disperse, and with them go The summer friend, the flattering foe;3 By vain Prosperity 4 received, To her they5 vow their truth, and are again believed. Wisdom in sable garb 6 arrayed, 25 Immersed in rapturous thought profound, And Melancholy, silent maid 7 With leaden eye, that loves the ground, Still on thy solemn steps attend; Warm Charity, the general friend, 30 With justice to herself severe, And Pity, dropping soft the sadly pleasing...