'Twas thus with weight of woes opprest,
I sought to ease my bruised breast:
When straight more gloomy grew the shade,
And lo! a tall majestic maid!
Her limbs, not delicately fair,
Robust, and of a martial air;
She bore of steel a polish'd shield,
Where highly-sculptur'd I beheld
Th' Athenian martyr smiling stand,
The baleful goblet in his hand;
Sparkled her eyes with lively flame,
And Patience was the seraph's name;
Sternly she look'd, and stern began —
"Thy sorrows cease, complaining man,
" Rouse thy weak soul, appease thy moan,
"Soon are the clouds of sadness gone;
" Tho' now in Grief's dark groves you walk,
"Where griesly fiends around you stalk,
" Beyond, a blissful city lies,
"Far from whose gates each anguish flies:
" Take thou this shield, which once of yore
"Ulysses and Alcides wore,
" And which in later days I gave
"To Regulus and Raleigh brave;
" In exile or in dungeon drear
"Their mighty minds could banish fear;
" Thy heart no tenfold woes shall feel,
"'Twas Virtue temper'd the rough steel,
" And, by her heavenly fingers wrought,
"To me the precious present brought."