Beneath mishapen Chaos, and the field Of fighting atoms, where hot, moist, and dry, Wage an eternal war with dismal roar ; The difmal roar breaks fmoothly on the ground, Sacred to horror, and eternal night:
Here Silence fits, whofe vifionary shape
In folds of wreathy mantling finks obfcure, And in dark fumes reclines his drowsy head; An urn he holds, from whence a lake proceeds, Wide, flowing gently, fmooth, and Lethe nam'd: Hither compell'd, each foul muft drink long draughts Of those forgetful streams, 'till forms within, And all the great ideas fade and die : For if vaft thought should play about a mind Inclos'd in flesh, and dragging cumbrous life, Flutt'ring and beating in the mournful cage, It foon would break its grates and wing away : 'Tis therefore my decree, the foul return Naked from off this beach, and perfect blank, To visit the new world; and strait to feel Itself, in crude confiftence closely shut, The dreadful monument of just revenge; Immur'd by heaven's own hand, and plac'd ere& On fleeting matter all imprison'd round
With walls of clay; th' ætherial mould shall bear The chain of members, deafen'd with an ear,
Blinded by eyes, and manacled in hands. Here anger, vaft ambition, and disdain,
And all the haughty movements rife and fall, As ftorms of neighbouring atoms tear the foul; And hope, and love, and all the calmer turns Of eafy hours, in their gay gilded shapes, With fudden run, skim o'er deluded minds, As matter leads the dance; but one defire, Unfatisfy'd, shall mar ten thousand joys.
The rank of beings, that fhall firft advance, Drink deep of human life; and long shall stay On this great fcene of cares. From all the reft, That longer for the destin'd body wait, Lefs penance I expect; and short abode In those pale dreary kingdoms will content : Each has his lamentable lót, and all,
On different racks, abide the pains of life. The penfive spirit takes the lonely grove : Nightly he vifits all the fylvan fcenes, Where far remote, a melancholy moon
Raifing her head, ferene and fhorn of beams, Throws here and there the glimmerings thro' the trees, To make more aweful darkness. Starry lights, Hung up on high, fhed round 'em as they burn A pale fad influence; and they gild the plains With doubtful rays, which ftrike within the fhades A trembling luftre and uncertain light.
The SAGE fhall haunt this folitary ground, And view the difmal landscape, limn'd within In horrid fhades, mix'd with imperfect light.
Here JUDGMEGT, blinded by delusive SENSE, Contracted through the cranny of an eye,
Shoots up faint languid beams, to that dark feat, Wherein the foul bereav'd of native fire,
Sits intricate, in mifty clouds obfcur'd, Ev'n from itself conceal'd, and there prefides O'er jarring images with reafon's fway,
Which by his ordering more confounds their form ; And by decisions more embroils the fray :
The more he strives t' appeafe, the more he feels The ftruggling furges of the darksome void Impetuous, and the thick revolving thoughts Encount❜ring thoughts, image on image turn'd, A Chaos of wild fcience, where fometimes The clashing notions ftrike out cafual light, Which foon muft perish and be loft again In the thick darkness round it.
With all his might to raise fome weighty thought,
Of me, of fate, or of th' eternal round,
Which but recoils to crufh the labouring mind. High are his reasonings, but the feeble clue Of fleeting images he draws in vain
To wond'rous length; (for still the turning maze Eludes his art) its end flies far
And leaves him tracing round the toilfome path, Returning oft on the fame beaten thought. For much of good he talks, and life ferene, Of happiness deny'd, the difmal wafte
Of wisdom's privilege, and th' obdurate breast, Stubborn in anguish; idle wisdom all, Weak forcery to charm a real pain;
Diftafting crowds and bufinefs, thus he feeks Diverfion in himself, but with deep thoughts He kindles doubt; and while he strives to blow The ashes off, revives the brand of care. Hence far remov'd, a diff'rent noisy race In cities full and frequent take their seat, Where honour's crush'd, and gratitude oppress'd With fwelling hopes of gain, that raise within A tempeft, and, driv'n onward by fuccefs, Can find no bounds. For creatures of a day Stretch their wide cares to ages; full increase Starves the penurious foul, while empty found Fills the ambitious; that shall ever shrink, Pining with endless cares, whilft this shall swell To tympany enormous. Bright in arms Here fhines the hero, out he fiercely leads A martial throng, his inftruments of rage, To fill the world with death, and thin mankind. Ambition drives, and round the world he roams, Marking his way with blood; the dreadful noise Begets a fame; and all the breath he leaves Is fpent in his false praise, and vainly bloats The tyrant's foul; while high his kingdoms rife In fleeting pomp, hov'ring o'er their gaudy wings Around the fervile globe, that tamely bends
Beneath his haughty reign; and all his flaves Under his yoke shall groan, and scarce shall groan Without a crime. Here torturing engines roar With human voice difguis'd; earth, water, fire, Are made (dire elements of cruelty!) Subfervient to his luft, and power to kill;
Yet fhall the herd endure, nor dare to break
United their imaginary chain ;
While their great monarch chills with equal fears, No lefs a flave than they. Each rumour shakes The haughty purple, dark and cloudy cares Involve the aweful throne, that stands erect, Balanc'd on the wild people's temper'd rage, And fortify'd with dangerous arts of power, But death fhall fhift thofe fcenes of mifery ; Then doubtful titles kindle up new wars, And urge on ling'ring fate; the enfigns blaze About the camp, and drums and trumpets' found Prepare a folemn way to griezly war;
Javelins and bearded spears in ghaftly ranks Erect their fhining heads, and round the field
A harvest's scene of formidable death;
Then joins the horrid shock, whose bellowing burst
Torments the shatter'd air, and drowns the Of men below that roll in certain death. These are the mortal fports, the tragick plays By man himself embroil'd; the dire debate Make the wafte defart seem ferene and mild,
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