[Page 79]

ODE TO THE NEW YEAR, 1769.

1 AQUARIUS rules the frozen skies,
2 Deep frowning clouds on clouds arise,
3 Fraught with the thunder's roar;
4 With fury heaves the raging main,
5 When foaming billows lash in vain
6 The hoarse-resounding shore.
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7 No flowery vale now charms the eye;
8 No tuneful warblers of the sky
9 Now chear the lingering hours;
10 No genial ray the groves illume,
11 No zephyrs waft their mild perfume
12 From sighs o'er vernal flowers.
13 Tho' blooming scenes are now no more,
14 That aid the raptur'd soul to soar,
15 Poetic thoughts refine;
16 Yet still the moralizing page
17 To warm an unattentive age,
18 These hoary scenes combine.
19 With this I hail the opening year,
20 Address the God, whose works appear
21 Through each harmonious round;
22 Who rules, serenely rules the storm,
23 Who gave the lurid lightnings form,
24 Whose thunders rock the ground.
25 O Thou! alike where perfect day,
26 In bright refulgent glories play,
27 Around thy awful throne!
28 When seraphs glow with sacred fires,
29 When angels tune celestial lyres,
30 To hymn thy praise alone!
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31 Still may thy providential care
32 With blessings crown the rising year!
33 Impending ills restrain!
34 Thy wisdom guide my youthful Muse!
35 Thy sacred eloquence diffuse,
36 And consecrate my strain!
37 While thus revolving seasons roll,
38 Obsequious to thy wise controul,
39 Obedient to thy plan;
40 With silent eloquence they preach,
41 The most important lessons teach,
42 To cold unthinking man.
43 Behold thyself reflected here!
44 The Spring proclaims thine infant year,
45 Gay life the Summer's bloom;
46 Mild Autumn speaks maturer age,
47 Confirms thee Fool, or hails thee Sage,
48 While Winter shews the tomb.
49 Or view the image of thy soul,
50 As now the mountain surges roll,
51 In wild tumultuous roar;
52 Fit emblem of the wrathful mind,
53 To Anger's tyrant sway consign'd,
54 Where reason rules no more:
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55 Unlike its placid form, serene,
56 When Zephyr breathing o'er the scene,
57 Sheds balmy peace around;
58 Bless'd emblem of the conquering soul,
59 Whose every passion knows controul,
60 While conscious joys abound!
61 That this may prove my bounteous share,
62 Ascends my ever-constant prayer,
63 To thee, all-perfect Mind;
64 O aid me in the arduous strife,
65 Through each perplexing maze of life,
66 To all thy ways resign'd!

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Title (in Source Edition): ODE TO THE NEW YEAR, 1769.
Themes: God; nature
Genres: ode
References: DMI 32557

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Source edition

Pearch, G. A collection of poems in four volumes. By several hands. Vol. III. [The second edition]. London: printed for G. Pearch, 1770, pp. 79-82. 4v. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T116245; DMI 1136; OTA K093079.003) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [(OC) 280 o.790].)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

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