she steps, their silver leaves in air;
Bright chains of pearl, with golden buckles brac'd,
Clasp her white neck, and zone her slender waist; 210
Thin folds of silk in soft meanders wind
Down her fine form, and undulate behind;
The purple border, on the pavement roll'd,
Swells in the gale, and spreads its fringe of gold.

"FIRST, if you can, celestial Guide! disclose
From what fair fountain mortal life arose,
Whence the fine nerve to move and feel assign'd,
Contractile fibre, and ethereal mind:

"How Love and Sympathy the bosom warm,
Allure with pleasure, and with pain alarm, 220
With soft affections weave the social plan,
And charm the listening Savage into Man."

"GOD THE FIRST CAUSE!--in this terrene abode
Young Nature lisps, she is the child of GOD.
From embryon births her changeful forms improve,
Grow, as they live, and strengthen as they move.

[Footnote: _God the first cause_, l. 223.

A Jove principium, musae! Jovis omnia plena.
VIRGIL.

In him we live, and move, and have our being.
ST. PAUL.]

[Footnote: _Young Nature lisps_, l. 224. The perpetual
production and increase of the strata of limestone from the
shells of aquatic animals; and of all those incumbent on them
from the recrements of vegetables and of terrestrial animals,
are now well understood from our improved knowledge of
geology; and show, that the solid parts of the globe are
gradually enlarging, and consequently that it is young; as
the fluid parts are not yet all converted into solid ones.
Add to this, that some parts of the earth and its inhabitants
appear younger than others; thus the greater height of the
mountains of America seems to show that continent to be less
ancient than Europe, Asia, and Africa; as their summits have
been less washed away, and the wild animals of America, as
the tigers and crocodiles, are said to be less perfect in
respect to their size and strength; which would show them to
be still in a state of infancy, or of progressive
improvement. Lastly, the progress of mankind in arts and
sciences, which continues slowly to extend, and to increase,
seems to evinc