The Beauties of English Poetry - 1804 Author:Peter Pindar Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SELIM; THE SHEPHERD'S MORAL. JIN ORIENTAL ECLOODE. BY COLLINS. SCBNE—A VALLEY NEAR BAGDAT. Time—The Morning. JL E Persian maids, attend your po... more »et's lays, And hear how shepherds pass their golden days. Not all are blest, whom fortune's hand sustains Wi th wealth in courts, nor all that haunt the plains; Well may your hearts believe the truths I tell! 'Tis virtue makes the bliss, where'er we dwell. Thus Selim sung, by sacred truth inspir'd ; Nor praise, but such as truth bestow'd, desir'd : Wise in himself, his meaning songs convey'd Informing morals to the shepherd-maid ; Or taught the swains that surest bliss to find, What groves nor streams bestow, a virtuous mind. When sweet,and blushing, Jike a virgin bride-' The radiant morn resum'd her orient pride, When wanton gales along the. valleys pjay. Breathe on each flo wer,and bear their sweets away ; By Tigris' wandering waves he sat,' and sung This useful lesson for the fair and young.. Ye Persian dames, he said, to you belong, Well may they please, the morals of my song: No fairer maids, I trust, than you are found, Grac'd with soft arts, the peopled world around ! The mom that lights-you, to your loves supplies Each gentler ray delicious to your eyes . For you those flowers her fragrant hands bestow, And yours-the love that kings delight ta know. Yet think not these, all beauteous as they are, The best kind blessings Heaven can grant the fair; Who trust alone in beauty's feeble ray, Boast but the worth Bassora's pearls display; Drawn from the deep, we own theirsurface bright,. But, darkiwithin, they drink no lustrous light: Such are the maids,and such the charms they boast,. By sense unaided, or to virtue lost.- Self-flattering sex ! your hearts believe in vain. That love shall blind,when-once he fi...« less