o D F X — INSCRIBED TO JOHN HOWARD, Esq. F. R. S. AUTHOR OF “ The State of Fnglijh and Foreign Prifons nohKTtv f'j«Sv)C •!rovos. Euripides. By WILLIAM HAYLEY, Esq. / THE SECOND EDITION. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. DODSLEY, PALL-MALT. M.DCC.LXXXI. [ Price i j. 6 d. ] O D E, &c. F AV’RITE of Heaven, and friend of Earth! Philanthropy, benignant Power ! Whole fons difplay no doubtful worth. The pageant of the palling hour ! Teach me to paint, in deathlels long, Some darling from thy filial throng. Whole deeds no party-rage inlpire, But fill th’ agreeing world with one defire, To echo his renown, relponfive to my lyre ! . Ah ! whither lead'd; thou ? — whence that figh ? What found of woe my bofom jars ? Why pals, where Mifery’s hollow eye Glares wildly thro’ thofe gloomy bars ? Is Virtue fonk in thefo abodes, Where keen Remorfe the heart corrodes ; Where Guilt's bafo blood with frenzy boils, And Blalphemy the mournful foene embroils ? — - From this infernal gloom my fhudd'ring foul recoils*. But whence thole ludden lacred beams ? Oppreflion drops his iron rod ! And all the bright’ning dungeon foems To Ipeak the prefence of a God* Philanthropy's defoending ray Diffufos unexpedted day ! Lovelieft of angels! — at her fide Her favourite votary Hands ;■ — her Englifh pride, Thro’ Horror's manfions led by this celeftial guide. C 5 J Hail ! generous Howard ! tho* thou bear A name which Glory's hand fublime Has blazon’d oft, with guardian care, In charafters that fear not Time ; For thee fhe fondly fpreads her wings ;; For thee from Paradife fhe brings, More verdant than her laurel bough, Such wreaths of facred Palm, as ne’er till now The finding Seraph twin’d around a mortal brow- That Hero’s * praife fhall ever bloom, Who fhielded our infulted coaft; And launch’d his light’ning to conlume The proud Invader’s routed hoft. Brave perils rais’d his noble name : But thou deriv’d: thy matchlefs fame From Icenes, where deadlier danger dwells ; Where fierce Contagion, with affright, repels Valor’s advent’rous ftep from her malignant cells- * Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham* Where C 6 ] Where in the dungeons loathfome fhade, The fpeechlefs Captive clanks his chain, With heartlefs hope to raife that aid His feeble cries have call’d in vain : Thine eye his dumb complaint explores ; Thy voice his parting breath reftores ; Thy cares his ghaftly vifege clear From Death’s chill dew, with many a clotted tear, And to his thankful foul returning life endear. What precious Drug, or ftronger Charm, Thy conftant fortitude infpires In fcenes, whence, muttering her alarm, Med’cine *, with felfilh dread, retires ? Nor Charm, nor Drug, difpel thy fears : Temperance, thy better guard, appears : For thee I fee her fondly fill Her crytlal cup from Nature’s pureft rill ; Chief nouriiher of life ! beft antidote of ill ! I foe * Muffabat tacito Medecina timore. Lucretius. E 7 1 1 lee the hallow’d fhade of Hales % Who felt, like thee, for human woe. And taught the health-dlffufing gales Thro 3 Horror’s murky cells to blow, As thy prote&ing angel wait ; To lave thee from the lhares of Fate, Commiflion’d from the Eternal Throne : I hear him praile, in wonder’s warmeft tone. The virtues of thy heart, more active than his own, * Stephen Hales, minifter of Teddington : he died at the age of 84, 1 7 6 1 5 and has been juftly called “An ornament to his profefiion, as a clergyman, “ and to his country, as a philofopher. 5 * I had the happinefs of knowing this excellent man, when I was very young ; and well remember the warm glow of benevolence which ufed to animate his countenance, in relating the fuccefs of his various projedts for the benefit of mankind. I have frequently heard him dwell with great pleafure on the fortunate incident which led him to the dilcovery of his Ventilator, to which I have, alluded. — He had ordered a new floor for one of his rooms ; his carpenter not having prepared the work fo foon as he expected, he thought the feafon improper for laying down new boards, when they were brought to his houfe, and gave orders for their being de- pofited in his barn-, — from their accidental pofition in that place, he caught:, his fir ft idea of this ufeful invention. Tliy [ 8 . ] Thy loul fupplies new funds of health That fail not, in the trying hour, Above Arabia’s fpicy wealth And Pharmacy’s reviving power. The tranfports of the generous mind, Feeling its bounty to .mankind, Inlpirit every mortal part ; And, far more potent than precarious art, Give radiance to the eye, and vigor to the heart. Bleft Howard ! who like thee can feel This vital ipring in all its force ? New ftar of philanthropic zeal ; Enlight’ning nations in thy courfe ! And fhedding Comfort’s heavenly dew On meagre Want’s deferted crew ! Friend to the wretch, whom friends difclaim, Who feels ftern Juftice, in his famifh’d frame, A perfecuting fiend beneath an angel’s name. Authority ! [ 9 ] Authority ! unfeeling power, Whole iron heart can coldly doom The Debtor, drag’d from Plealure’s bower, To ficken in the dungeons gloom ! O might thy terror-ftriking call, Profufion’s fbns alone enthrall ! But thou canft Want with Guilt confound : Thy bonds the Man of virtuous toil liirround, Driven by malicious Fate within thy dreary bound. How lavage are thy ftern decrees ? Thy cruel minifter I lee A weak, laborious vi&im leize, By worth entitled to be free ! Behold, in the affli&ing ftrife, The faithful partner of his life, In vain thy ruthlels lervant court, To Ipare her little children’s lole lupport, Whom this terrific form has frighten’d from their Iport. B Nor [ IO ] Nor weeps (he only from the thought* Thofe infants muft no longer (hare His aid, whofe daily labour bought The pittance of their fcanty fare. The horrors of the loathfome jail Her inly-bleeding heart aflail : E’en now her fears, from fondnefs bred, See the loft partner of her faithful bed Drop, in that murd’rous (cene, his pale, expiring head* Take comfort yet in theft keen pains, Fond mourner ! check thy guflhing tears ! The dungeon now no more contains Thofe perils which thy fancy fears No more Contagion’s baleful breath Speaks it the hideous cave of Death Howard has planted (afety there ; Pure minifter of light! his heavenly care Has purg’d the damp of Death from that polluted air*. Nature ! C » ] Nature ! on thy maternal breaft For ever be his worth eograv’d! Thy boiom only can atteft How many a life his toil has lav’d : Nor in thy relcued Sons alone, Great Parent ! this thy guardian own ! His arm defends a dearer Have ; Woman, thy darling I ’tis his pride to lave * From evils, that lurpafs the horrors of the grave. Ye lprightly nymphs, by Fortune nurft, Who fport in Joy’s unclouded air. Nor lee the diftant ftorms, that burft In ruin on the humble Fair; * Mr ‘ Howard has been the happy inftrument of preferving female pri- foners from an infamous and indecent outrage.— It was formerly a cuftom in our gaols to load their legs and thighs with irons, for the deteftable purpofe of extorting money from thefe injured fufferers.— 1 This circumftance, unknown to me when the Ode was written, has tempted me to introduce the few addi- tional ftanzas, as it is my ardent wifh to render this tribute to an exalted cha- ra&er as little unworthy as I can of the very extenfive and fublime merit which it afpires to celebrate. B a Ye Ye know not to what bitter {mart A kindred form, a kindred heart. Is often doom’d, in life’s low vale, Where frantic fears the Ample mind affail, And fierce afflictions prefs, and friends and fortune fait See yon fweet ruftic, drown’d in tears ! It is not Guilt — ’tis Mifery’s flood. While dire Sufpicion’s charge fhe hears Of fhedding infant, filial blood : Nature’s fond dupe ! but not her foe ! That form, that face, the fahhood {hew : — Yet Law exafts her ftern demand ; She bids the dungeon’s grating doors expand, And the young captive faints beneath the gaoler’s hand*. Ah, ruffian ! ceafe thy favage aim ! She cannot ’'{cape thy harfh controul: Shall iron load that tender frame, And enter that too-yielding foul ? — Unfeeling C J 3 ] Unfeeling wretch ! of baleft mind t To mifery deaf, to beauty blind 1 I fee thy viftitn vainly plead ; For the word fiend of hell’s malignant breed, Extortion, grins applaufe, and prompts thy ruthlefs deed. With brutal force, and ribbald jeft. Thy manacles I fee thee lhake ; Mocking the merciful requeft, That Modefty and Juftice make : E’en Nature’s fhriek, with anguilh ftrong. Fails to fufpend the impious wrong ; Till Howard’s hand, with brave difdain, Throws far away this execrable chain : O Nature, fpread his fame thro’ all thy ample reign I His Care, exulting Britain found Here firft difplay’d, not here confin’d ! No C *4 3 No Angle tra£t of earth could bound The a&ive virtues of his mind. To all the lands, where’er the tear, That mourn’d the Prifoner’s wrongs fevere, Sad Pity’s glift’ning cheek impearl’d, Eager he fleer’d, with every fail unfurl’d, A friend to every clime ! a Patriot of the World ! Ye nations thro’ whole fair domain Our flying Ions of joy have paft, By Pleafure driven with loofen’d rein, Aftonifh’d that they flew fb faft ! How did the heart-improving fight Awake your wonder and delight, When, in her unexampled chace, Philanthropy outftript keen Pleafure’s pace, When with a warmer foul Ihe ran a nobler race ! Where- L *5 ] Where-e’er her generous Briton went, Princes his Applicants became : He feem’d the enquiring angel, lent To fcrutinize their fecret lhame*. Captivity, where he appear’d, Her languid head with tranlport rear’d ; And gazing on her godlike gueft, Like thofe of old, whom Heaven’s pure fervant bleft, E’en by his fhadow feem’d of demons dilpofTeft. Amaz’d her foreign children cry 3 Seeing their patron pafs along ; u O ! who is he, whofe daring eye Can fearch into our hidden wrong ? What monarch’s Heaven-dire&ed mind. With royal bounty unconfin’d, * I am credibly, informed that feveral Princes, or at leaft perfons in autho- rity, requefted Mr. Howard not to publifh a minute account of fome prifons, which refle&ed difgrace on their government. Has [ ■« ] Has tempted Freedom’s fon to fhare Thefe perils ; fearching with an angel's care Each cell of dire Difeafe, each cavern of Delpair ?” No monarch's word, nor lucre’s luft. Nor vain ambitions reftlefs fire, Nor ample power, that (acred truft ! His life-diffufing toils in(pire : Rous’d by no voice, (ave that whofe cries Internal bid the (bul arife From joys, that only feem to blefs, From low purfuits, which little minds poffels, To Nature’s nobleft aim* the Succour of Diftrefe ! Taught by that God, in Mercy’s robe, Who his coeleftial throne refign’d, To free the prilbn of the globe From vice, th’ oppreflor of the mind ! For thee, of mifery’s rights bereft, For thee, Captivity ! he left Inviting [ *7 ] Inviting Eafe, who, in her bower, Bade him with fmiles enjoy the golden hour, While Fortune deck’d his board with Plealiires feftive flower. While to thy virtue’s utmoft foope I boldly ftrive my aim to raife As high as mortal hand may hope To fhoot the glittering * lhaft of Praife ; Say ! Howard, lay ! what may the Mule, Whole melting eye thy merit views, What guerdon may her love defign ? What may Ihe alk for thee, from Power Divine, Above the rich rewards which are already thine ? Sweet is the joy when Science flings Her light on philolbphic thought ; When Genius, with keen ardor, fprings To clalp the lovely truth he fought : * . . . » ai/fya, $' eyu > isivov An/yroii y.tvoivuv, iXiropoa Mu p^aAK 07 rapaoi/ axovO* uirsi r otyw~ wy |3 «A£»i/ 7 rahoifiu, foviuv* Pindar. c Sweet C *8 3 Sweet is the joy, when Rapture’s fire Flows from the fpirit of the lyre ; When Liberty and Virtue roll Spring-tides of fancy o’er the poet’s loul, That waft his flying bark thro’ feas above the pole- Sweet the delight, when the gall’d heart Feels Confolation’s lenient hand Bind up the wound from Fortune’s dart With Friendfhip’s life-fupporting band 1 And fweeter ftiR, and far above Thefe fainter joys, when pureft Love The loul his willing captive keeps ! When he in blils the melting fpirit fteeps r Who drops delicious tears, and wonders that he weeps 11 But not the brightefl: joy, which Arts, In floods of mental light, beftow ;; Nor what firm Friendfhip’s zeal imparts,, Efefl antidote of bittereft woe 1 r >9 i Nor thole that Love’s Iweet hours dilpenle. Can equal the ecftatlc lenle, When, fwelllng to a fond excels, The grateful prailes of reliev’d diftrels, Re-echoed thro 5 the heart, the foul of Bounty blels* Thele tranlports, In no common ftate, Supremely pure, fublimely ftrong, Above the reach of envious fate, Bleft Ho ward! thele to thee belong : W hile years encreafmg o’er thee roll, Long may this funlhine of the loul New vigor to thy frame convey ! Its radiance thro’ thy noon of life dilplay. And with lereneft light adorn thy doling day 1 And when the Power, who joys to lave r . Proclaims the guilt of earth forgiven ; And calls the priloners of the grave To all the liberty of Heaven In C 20 1 In that bright day, whole wonders blind The eye of the aftonilh’d mind ; When life’s glad angel (hall relume His ancient {way, announce to Death his doom, And from exiftence drive that tyrant of the tomb ; In that bleft hour, when Seraphs fing The triumphs gain’d in human ftrife ; And to their new alfociates bring The wreaths of everlafting life : May’ll thou, in Glory s hallow d blaze, Approach the Eternal Fount of Praile, W ith thole who lead the angelic van. Thole pure adherents to their Saviour’s plan, Who liv’d but to relieve the Miferies of Man ! finis. TA -^Y£Cl