35 /Q 
 
 Jerningham 
 
 An Elegy 'Written Among the Ruins 
 of an Abbey
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD 
 ENDOWMENT FUND
 
 A N 
 
 ELEGY 
 
 WRITTEN AMONG THE 
 
 RUINS OF AN ABBEY. 
 
 By the AUTHOR of the N U N. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. D o d s l e y, in Pali-Mall. ^.^^^ 
 MDCCLXV, 
 
 [Price Six Pence.]
 
 
 E L E G Y. 
 
 WHERE fighs the Zephyr to yon lonely Tree, 
 A folemn Grove its leafy Mantle fpread : 
 Where bend yon mould'ring Turrets o'er the Sea, 
 A venerable Dome once rear'd its Head. 
 
 The Iblemn Grove, the venerable Dome, 
 Were erft frequented by a num'rous Train, 
 Ev'n chafte as they who Dian's Mountain roam, 
 But not fubjedled to her gentle Reign : 
 
 A 2 Far 
 
 890894
 
 [4] 
 
 Far other Goddefs did this Train obey. 
 Far other Temples, other Altars rais'd. 
 Far other Meaning breath'd their Choral Lay, 
 Far other Incenfe on their Altars blaz'd : 
 
 Veil'd Superftition wak'd her magic Sound, 
 Bad Albion's Sons forfake the fplcndid Court, 
 Forlake Amufement's variegated Round, 
 And to her fable Standard here refort: 
 
 Alas ! obfequious to her ftcrn Command, 
 A fuUen-penfive Brotherhood they came, 
 Refus'd to trace the Paths by Nature plan'd, 
 And raz'd from Glory's Page their ancient Name. 
 
 Nor
 
 [5 ] 
 
 Nor thefe alone were found incloifter'd here, 
 Here alio dwelt the fimple-mlnded Swain, 
 Who wrapt in Sloth dream'd out the lazy Year, 
 * While Induftry fat weeping on the Plain.' 
 
 The many Temples rifmg fair to view. 
 Which tow'ring Superftition call'd her own. 
 With Hand unerring radiant Truth o'erthrew, 
 And fnatch'd th' Impoftor from her tiniel'd Throne : 
 
 On yon Duft-level'd Spire the crafty Maid, 
 With Indignation brooding in her Breaft 
 
 Sits gloomily Her Vot'rles all are fled, 
 
 Her Lamps extinguifli'd, and her Rites fupprefs'd: 
 
 Within
 
 Within her Hand a vacant String fhe holds 
 That once conne£led many a hallow'd Bead : 
 The blotted Scroll the other Hand unfolds, 
 Contains the Maxims of her flighted Creed: 
 
 Couch'd at her Feet, behold a mould'ring Shrine 
 (Of various Relics once the dread Abode) 
 Where runs the Spider o'er his treach'rous Line, 
 Where lurks the Beetle, and the loathfome Toad: 
 
 On Darkneis' wing now (ails the midnight Hour, 
 When for the grateful Sound of choral Pray'r, 
 The fhrieking Owl from yon diiparted Tow'r, 
 With Notes of Horror wakes her trembling Ear. 
 
 Of
 
 [7] 
 
 Of human Grandeur mark the fleeting Day, 
 How frail each Purpofe, and each Wifh how vain ! 
 The ftrong- built Domes, the cloifter'd Fanes decay,, 
 And Ruin hovers round the delert Scene. 
 
 The Path that leads to yonder fhatter'd Pile 
 Is now perplex'd with many a fordid Brier : 
 No Crowd is feen within the facred Ille, 
 The Sabbath mourns its long-deferted Quire, 
 
 The golden Crozier blended with the Duft 
 In horrid Folds the Serpent claips around : 
 The pow'rful Image, and the fainted Bufl, 
 Defam'd, unhallow'd, prefs tlie weedy Ground, 
 
 Not
 
 [ 8 ] 
 
 Not diftant far, her gold-encircled Tow'r 
 
 'TIS inviolable Dome majeftic rear'd, 
 
 On whofe dread Altar breath'd Ibme hidden Pow r, 
 
 By Terror guarded, and by Kings rever'd : 
 
 To which Afylum ev'n th' Aflaflin came, 
 (His Hand audacious ftill imbrued with Gore) 
 The Boon of full Impunity to claim, 
 While feeble Juftice wept her baffled Lore. 
 
 So Truth at length diffolv'd the mental Chain, 
 And banifh'd Error from th' enllghten'd Shore ; 
 So clos'd at length the bufy-a£i:ed Scene, 
 The Curtain drop'd, and Folly's Malk was o'er. 
 
 Then
 
 [9] 
 
 Then gladlbme Ceres rals'd her drooping Head, 
 (While yellow Harvefts gilt the fmiling Plain) 
 Beheld a youthful Band around her fpread, 
 With Sickles arm'd to reap the bearded Grain. 
 
 The Warrior then beneath the trailing Veft, 
 The peaceful Caflbck, or the drowfy Cowl, 
 No longer quench'd the Flame within his Breaft, 
 Or lull'd the Purpofe of his daring Soul : 
 
 But rufh'd undaunted to the doubtful War, 
 Purfued where Glory led the radiant Way, 
 Till Neptune rifing on his coral Car, 
 Refign'd his watVy World to Britain^ Sway. 
 
 B The
 
 [ 1° ] 
 
 The Virgin Fair by venal Guardians doom'd, 
 By Error prompted, or fubdued by Force, 
 No more in Cloifters drear their Days confum'd : 
 Like Flow'rets ftrevv'd around the fenfeleis Corfe. 
 
 Triumphant Hymen haii'd the blifsful Hour, 
 And faw a white-rob'd focial Train approach, 
 For whom the Pleafures drefs'd the happy Bow'r,, 
 And fcatter'd Rofes o'er the deftin'd Couch. 
 
 Still other Blefilngs from this Change appear'd, 
 No injur'd Family did then behold 
 On loit'ring Monks its native Wealth confer'd,. 
 Nor fpacious Altars covered with its Gold. 
 
 Full
 
 Full many trod that crooked Path to Fame, 
 Yet from her Hand receiv'd no laftlng Meed, 
 She from her Annals rends their fading Name, 
 And gives to Infamy the worthlels Deed : 
 
 But Vengeance lome purfued with dire Di(grace, 
 Purfued beyond the Circle of its Sphere, 
 Ev'n to the Cemetery's dark Receis, 
 Nor fJ3ar'd them fleeping on the peaceful Bier : 
 
 Befide the fpreading of that fbmbrous Yew, 
 Where yawns with hideous Chafin the vaulted Cave, 
 Prefenting to the fix'd aftonifh'd View, 
 The Profanation of a rifled Grave : 
 
 B 2 The
 
 [ I^ ] 
 
 The large-endowing Rufus lay inurn'd 
 With many a {ciilptur'd Image on his Shrine, 
 That fiTtit with Sorrow o'er his Afhes mourn'd, 
 The Sifter-Graces and the tuneful Nine. 
 
 Imprinted on Tradition's ftoried Leaf 
 Is found (to this fepulchral Spot confin'd) 
 A Terror- breathing Tale that wins Belief, 
 And oft repeated by the neighb'ring Hind ! 
 
 From where yon Mountain fhades the dreary Piai 
 Attra£led by the Scent of human Blood, 
 A Troop of \Voives voracious fcour'd amain. 
 And at this Charnel Vault requir'd their Food : 
 
 When,
 
 [ '3 ] 
 
 When, horrid to relate! they burft the Tomb, 
 And fwlft defcending to the-deepeft Shade, 
 Up-tore the ilirouded Tenant from its Womb, 
 And o'er the mangled Corfe jrelendefs prey'do 
 
 The paly Stars with dim reluftant Light, 
 Like Tapers glimmer'd on their Orgies foul, 
 While ghding Spe^lres fcream'd with wild Affright, 
 Re-echo'd loud by their tremendous Howl, 
 
 Ah ! what avail'd the folemn-moving Herfe ? 
 The fabled- mantled Cars, the Fun'ral Throng ? 
 Grav'd on his Monument the Ibothing Verfe ? 
 The Priefts, the Torches, and the choral Song ? 
 
 Misjudging
 
 [ '4 ] 
 
 Misjudging Wretch ! while thou with Hand profule, 
 Thy Treafures on this Manfion didil entail, 
 And pour down Riches on the vow'd Reclufe, 
 Thine Orphan Babes partook a fcanty Meal : 
 
 Thy widow'd Fair, her Cheek bedew'd with Tears, 
 Approach'd with luppliant Knee the Cloifter-Gate, 
 There oft difclos'd in vain, her poignant Cares, 
 Returning ftill to weep her haplefs Fate. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 REC'D LDURL 
 
 MAR 10 1984 
 
 Form L9-40m-7, '56(079054)444
 
 oei-xu-ii^iiom O I lOB U0919 
 
 Elegy written 
 among the ruins 
 
 of an abbey. 
 JINDERY Alk 9^1 1957 
 
 mill 
 
 D 000 000 86 
 
 PR 
 
 3519 
 J5e