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TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK.

TO THE RLADER.

HOPE the reader will forgive the liberty I have taken in translating these Verses somewhat at large, without which it would have been almoft impoffible to have given any kind of turn in English poetry to fo dry a fubject. The fenfe of the Author is, I hope, no where mistaken; and if there feems in fome places to be some additions in the English verses to the Greek text, they are only fuch as may be juftified from Hierocles's Commentary, and delivered by him as the larger and explained fenfe of the Author's fhort precept. I have in fome few places ventured to differ from the learned Mr. Dacier's French interpretation, as thofe that fhall give themselves the trouble of a ftrict comparison will find. How far I am in the right, is left to the reader to determine.

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IRST to the gods thy humble homage pay;

F'The greatest this, and firft of laws, obey!

Perform thy vows, obferve thy plighted troth,
And let religion bind thee to thy oath.
The heroes next demand thy just regard,
Renown'd on earth, and to the stars preferr'd,
To light and endless life, their virtue's fure reward.
Due rites perform and honours to the dead,
To every wife, to every pious fhade.
With lowly duty to thy parents bow,
And grace and favour to thy kindred show:
For what concerns the reft of human kind,
Choose out the man to virtue beft inclin'd;
Him to thy arms receive, him to thy bofom bind.
Poffeft of fuch a friend, preferve him ftill;
Nor thwart his counfels with thy stubborn will;
Pliant to all his admonitions prove,

And yield to all his offices of love :

Him from thy heart, fo true, fo justly dear,

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Let no rafh word nor light offences tear,

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Bear all thou canft, ftill with his failings strive,

And to the utmoft ftill, and ftill forgive;

For ftrong necefûty alone explores

The fecret vigour of our latent powers,
Rouzes and urges on the lazy heart,

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Force, to itself unknown before, t' exert.
By use thy ftronger appetites afwage,

Thy gluttony, thy floth, thy luft, thy rage:
From each difhoneft act of fhame forbear;

Of others, and thyself, alike beware.

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Let

Let reverence of thyfelf thy thoughts control,
And guard the facred temple of thy foul.
Let juftice o'er thy word and deed prefide,
And reason ev'n thy meanest actions guide :
For know that death is man's appointed doom,
Know that the day of great account will come,
When thy past life fshall strictly be survey'd,
Each word, each deed, be in the balance laid,
And all the good and all the ill moft justly be repaid.
For wealth, the perifhing, uncertain good,
Ebbing and flowing like the fickle flood,
That knows no fure, no fix'd abiding-place,
But wandering loves from hand to hand to pass;
Revolve the getter's joy and lofer's pain,
And think if it be worth thy while to gain.
Of all thofe forrows that attend mankind,
With patience bear the lot to thee affign`d;
Nor think it chance, nor murmur at the load;
For know what man calls Fortune is from God,
In what thou may'ft, from wisdom feek relief,
And let her healing hand affwage thy grief;
Yet ftill whate'er the righteous doom ordains,
What cause foever multiplies thy pains,
Let not those pains as ills be understood;
For God delights not to afflict the good.

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The reasoning art, to various ends apply'd,

Is oft a fure, but oft an erring guide.
Thy judgment therefore found and cool preserve,
Nor lightly from thy resolution swerve;

The dazzling pomp of words does oft deceive,
And sweet perfuafion wins the easy to believe.
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When

When fools and lyars labour to perfuade,
Be dumb, and let the babblers vainly plead.

This above all, this precept chiefly learn,
This nearly does, and first, thyfelf concern;
Let not example, let no foothing tongue,
Prevail upon thee with a Syren ́s song,
To do thy foul's immortal effence wrong.
Of good and ill by words or deeds expreft,
Choofe for thyself, and always choose the beft.
Let wary thought each enterprize forerun,
And ponder on thy task before begun,
Left folly should the wretched work deface,
And mock thy fruitless labours with difgrace.

Fools huddle on, and always are in hafte,

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Act without thought, and thoughtless words they waste.
But thou, in all thou doft, with early cares
Strive to prevent at firft a fate like theirs ;
That forrow on the end may never wait,
Nor fharp repentance make thee wife too late.

Beware thy meddling hand in aught to try,
That does beyond thy reach of knowledge lie;
But feek to know, and bend thy ferious thought
To fearch the profitable knowledge out.
So joys on joys for ever fhall increase,
Wisdom fhall crown thy labours, and fhall blefs
Thy life with pleasure, and thy end with peace.
Nor let the body want its part, but share
A juft proportion of thy tender care :
For health and welfare prudently provide,
And let its lawful wants be all fupply'd.

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Let fober draughts refresh, and wholesome fare
Decaying nature's wafted force repair;

And sprightly exercise the duller fpirits chear.
In all things still which to this care belong,
Obferve this rule, to guard thy foul from wrong. 95
By virtuous ufe thy life and manners frame,
Manly and fimply pure, and free from blame.
Provoke not envy's deadly rage, but fly
The glancing curfe of her malicious eye.
Seek not in needlefs luxury to waste

Thy wealth and substance with a spendthrift's hafte.
Yet flying thefe, be watchful, left thy mind,
Prone to extremes, an equal danger find,
And be to fordid avarice inclin'd.

Distant alike from each, to neither lean,

But ever keep the happy Golden Mean.

Be careful still to guard thy foul from wrong, And let thy thought prevent thy hand and tongue.

Let not the stealing God of Sleep furprize,

Nor creep in flumbers on thy weary eyes,
Ere every action of the former day
Strictly thou doft and righteously furvey.

With reverence at thy own tribunal stand,

And answer justly to thy own demand.

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Where have I been? In what have I trangrefs'd? 115 What good or ill has this day's life express'd?

Where have I fail'd in what I ought to do?

In what to God, to man, or to myself I owe?
Inquire fevere what-e'er from firft to last,

From morning's dawn, till evening's gloom,has paft. 120

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