Page:The works of Anna Laetitia Barbauld volume 1.djvu/293

 the hill of science, after steep And rugged paths that tire the’ unpractised feet, A grove extends ; in tangled mazes wrought, And filled with strange enchantment:—dubious shapes Flit through dim glades, and lure the eager foot Of youthful ardour to eternal chase. Dreams hang on every leaf: unearthly forms Glide through the gloom; and mystic visions swim Before the cheated sense. Athwart the mists, Far into vacant space, huge shadows stretch, And seem realities ; while things of life, Obvious to sight and touch, all glowing round, Fade to the hue of shadows—Scruples here,