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Condemn'd a needy fupplicant to wait,
While ladies interpofe, and flaves debate.
But did not Chance at length her error mend
Did no fubverted empire mark his end?
Did rival monarchs give the fatal wound?
Or hoftile millions prefs him to the ground
His fall was deftin'd to a barren ftrand,
A petty fortrefs, and a dubious hand;
He left the name, at which the world grew pall
To point a moral, or adorn a tale,

See nations flowly wife, and meanly juft,
To buried merit raise the tardy buft.
If dreams yet flatter, once again attend,
Hear Lydiat's life., and Galileo's end.
Nor deem, when Learning her last prize bestows,
The glitt'ring eminence exempt from foes;
See, when the vulgar 'fcapes, defpis'd or aw'd,
Rebellion's vengeful talons feize on Laud.
From meaner minds, tho' smaller fines content,
The plunder'd palace or fequefter'd rent;
Mark'd out by dangerous parts he meets thethock
And fatal Learning leads him to the block:
Around his tomb let Art and Genius weep,
But hear his death, ye blockheads, hear and deep.
The + feftal biazes, the triumphal fhow,
The ravish'd standard, and the captive foe,
The fenate's thanks, the gazette's pompous tale,
With force refiftlefs o'er the brave prevail.
Such bribes the rapid Greek o'er Afia whirl'd,
For fuch the fteady Romans fhook the world;
For fuch in diftant lands the Britons fhine,
And ftain with blood the Danube or the Rhine;
This pow'r has praife. that virtue fcarce can warm Till rude refiftance lops the fpreading god;
Till fame fupplies the univerfal charm, The daring Greeks deride the martial fhow,
Yet Reason frowns on War's unequal game, And heap their vallies with the gaudy foe;
Where wasted nations raise a single name, Th' infulted tea with humbler thoughts he gains
And mortgag'd states their grand tires wreaths re- A fingle kit to fpeed his flight remains;
From age to age in everlafting debt; [gret, Th'incumber'd oar fcarce leaves thedreadedcoaft
Wreaths which at laft the dear-bought right con-
To ruft on medals, or on ftones decay. [vey |
On what foundation ftands the warrior's
pride,

How juft his hopes, let Swedish Charles decide;
A frame of adamant, a foul of fire,

No dangers fright him, and no labours tire;
O'er love, o'er fear, extends his wide domain,
Unconquer'd lord of pleasure and of pain;
No joys to him pacific fceptres yield,
War founds the trump, he rufhes to the field ;
Behold furrounding kings their pow'r combine,
And one capitulate, and one refign; [vain;
Peace courts his hand, but fpreads her charms in
"Think nothing gain'd, he cries, till nought
remain,

All times their scenes of pompous woes afford
|From Perfia's tyrant, to Bavaria's lord.
In gay hoftility, and barb'rous pride,
With half mankind embattled at his fide,
Great Xerxes comes to feize the certain prey,
And ftarves exhausted regions in his way;
Attendant Flatt'ry counts his myriads o'er,
Till counted myriads footh his pride no more
Fresh praife is try'd till madness fires his mind
The waves he lathes, and enchains the wind;
New pow'rs are claim'd, new pow'rs are stil
bestow'd,

Thro' purple billows and a floating hoft.

The bold Bavarian, in a lucklets hour,
Tries the dread fummits of Cæfarean pow't,
With unexpected legions burfts away,
And fees defenceless realms receive his fway,
Short fway! fair Auftria (preads her mournful
charms,

The queen, the beauty, fets the world in arms;
From hill to hill the beacon's routing blaze
Spreads wide the hope of plunder and of praife;
The fierce Croatian, and the wild Huffar,
With all the fons of ravage crowd the war;
The baffled prince in honour's flatt'ring bloom
Of hafty greatness finds the fatal doom,
His foes derifion, and his fubjects blame,
And fteals to death from anguish and from thame.

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« On Mofcow's walls till Gothic flandards fly, Enlarge || my life with multitude of days;

« And all be mine beneath the polar fky." The march begins in military tate,

And nations on his eye fufpended wait;

Stern Famine guards the folitary coaft,

And Winter barricades the realins of Froft;

In health, in ficknefs, thus the fuppliant prays;
Hides from himself his ftate, and thuns to know,
That life protracted is protracted woe.
Time hovers o'er, impatient to deftroy,
And fhuts up all the paffages of joy :

He comes, nor want nor cold his courte delay;-In vain their gifts the bounteous feafons pour,
Hide, bluthing Glory, hide Pultowa's day:

The fruit autumnal, and the vernal flow'rThe vanquish`d hero leaves his broken bands,With littlefs eyes the dotard views the store, And fhews his micries in diftant lands He views, and wonders that they please no more;

A very learned divine and mathematician, fellow of New College Oxford, and rector of Okerton near Banbury. He wrote, among many others, a Latin Treatife De Natura Coeli, &c. in which he attacked the fentiments of Scaliger and Ariftotle; not bearing to hear it urged that fome things are true in panosophy and ralie in divinity. He made above fix hundred ferinos on the harmony of the Evangelifts Ring unfucceftul in publishing his works, he lay in the profon of Pocardo at Oxford, and the King'sbench, till bishop Usher, Dr. Laud, Sir William Bofwell, and Dr. Pink, released him by paying his debts. He petitioned King Charles I. to be fert into Ethiopia, &c. to procure MSS. Having fpoken in favor of monarchy and bithops, he was plund red by the rarament forces, and twice carried away prifoner from has rectory; and afterwards had not a fhart to shift him in three monthis, unless he borrowed it, and he died very poor in 1646.

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! Ver. 183-288.

Now

a

Now pel the taftelefs meats, and joyless wines,
Ad Larry with fighs her flave refigns.
Apach, ye minstrels, try the foothing ftrain,
Deface the tuneful lenitives of pain:

unds, would touch th' impervious ear,
Though dancing mountains witnefs'd Orpheus
Norte nor lyre his feeble pow'rs attend, [near;
Nor tweeter inufic of a virtuous friend:
But everafting dictates crowd his tongue,
Perverely grave, or pofitively wrong.
The turning tale, and ling`ring jeft,
Pex the fawning niece and pamper'd gueft,
We growing hopes fcarce awe the gath'ring
Andicate a legacy can bribe to hear; [fneer,

Who frown with vanity, who fimile with art,
And afk the latest fashion of the heart,
What care, what rules your heedlefs charms thall
fave,

The watchful guests ftill hint the laft offence,
The Laughter's petulance, the fon's expence,
Love his heady rage with treach'rous fkill,
And mould his paffions till they make his will.
Unumber'd maladies his joints invade,
Lay Bege to life, and prefs the dire blockade;
Bac unextinguifh'd Av'rice ftill remains,
As dreaded loffes aggravate his pains;
Heras, with anxious heart and crippled hands,
His bands of debt, and mortgages of lands;
Or vares his coffers with fufpicious eyes,
Locks is gold, and counts it till he dies.
Bt, the virtues of a temp'rate prime
Biswan age exempt from fcorn or crime;
As age that melts with unperceiv'd decay,
And gues in modeft innocence away ;
Wace peaceful day Benevolence endears,
We night congratulating Confcience cheers;
The gatal favrite as the gen'ral friend:
Such age there is, and who fhall with its end?
To prea the weary minutes flagging wings;
Yere on this her load Misfortune flings,
New Sorrow nies as the day returns,
After ckens, or a daughter mourns.
Now kindred Merit fills the fable bier,
Now lacerated Friendship ciaims a tear.
Year chafes year, decay purfues decay,
Stall drops fome joy from with ring life away;

New forms arife, and diffrent views engage,

fucas lags the vet'ran on the ftage,
Ting Nature figns the laft releafe,
And is afflicted worth retire to peace.
Be there are whom hours like thefe await,

W

Each nymph your rival,and each youthyourflave?
Againft your fame with fondnefs hate combines,
The rival batters, and the lover mines.
With diftant voice neglected Virtue calls,
Lefs heard and lefs, the faint remonftrance falls;
Tir'd with contempt, fhe quits the flipp'ry rein,
And Pride and Prudence take her feat in vain.

In crowd at once, where none the pafs defend,
The harmless freedom, and the private friend.
The guardians yield, by force fuperior ply'd;
To Int'reft, Prudence; and to Flatt'ry, Pride.
Here beauty falls betray'd, defpis'd, diftreft,
And hiffing Infamy proclaims the reft.

unclouded in the gulphs of Fate.
Becaution'd to regard his end,
das monarch should the fearch defcend,
Ines at fcene what prodigies furprife,
Fears of the brave, and follies of the wife!
Marih'rough's eyes the streams of dotage
And Swift expires a driv'ler and a show. [flow,
The teeming mother, anxious for her race,
Pe for each birth the fortune of a face:
And Seday curs'd the form that pleas'd a king.
ang could tell
Wezyrchs of rofy lips and radiant eyes,
Pleafure keeps too bufy to be wife,
Wys with foft varieties invite,

the frolic, and the dance by night,

Ver. 289-345

Where then shall Hope and Fear their objects
find?

Muft dull Sufpenfe corrupt the stagnant mind?
Muft helplefs man, in ignorance fedate,
Roll darkling down the torrent of his fate
Muft no dislike alarm, no wishes rife,

No cries invoke the mercies of the skies?
Enquirer, ceafe, petitions yet remain
Which Heav'n may hear, nor deem religion vain,
Still raife for good the fupplicating voice,
But leave to Heav'n the measure and the choice,
Safe in his pow'r, whofe eyes difcern afar
The fecret ambush of a fpecious pray'r,
Secure whate er he gives, he gives the best.
Implore his aid, in his decifions reft,
Yet when the fenfe of facred prefence fires,
And ftrong devotion to the fkies afpires,
Pour forth thy fervours for a healthful mind,
Obedient paffions, and a will refign'd;
For love, which fcarce collective man can fill;
For patience, fov'reign o'er tranfmuted ill;
For faith, that, panting for a happier seat,
Counts death kind Nature's fignal of retreat:
Thefe goods for man the laws of Heav'n ordaiu,

Thefe goods he grants, who grants the pow'r to

gain;

With these celestial Wisdom calms the mind,
And makes the Happiness fhe does not find.

§ 101. Elegy on the Death of Lady Coventry.
THE midnight clock has toll'd--and, hark
Written in 1760. Mafon.
[found?

the bell

Of death beats flow! heard ye the note pro-
Flings to the hollow gale its fullen found.
It paufes now; and now, with rifing knell,
Yes-Coventry is dead. Attend the train,
Daughters of Albion! ye that, light as air,
So oft have tripp'd in her fantastic train,

With hearts as gay, and faces half as fair:
For fhe was fair beyond your brightest bloom
(Thisenvy owns, fince now her bloom is fled);
Fair as the forms that, wove in Fancy's loom,
Float in light vision round the poet's head.

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Whene'er with foft ferenity the fmil'd,

Or caught the orient blush of quick furprise, How fweetly mutable, how brightly wild,

The liquid luftre darted from her eyes! Each look, each motion, wak'd a new-born grace, That o'er her form its tranfient glory caft: Some lovelier wonder foon ufurp'd the place, Chas'd by a charm still lovelier than the laft. That bell again! It tells us what he is;

On what the was, no more the strain prolong: Luxuriant fancy, paufe! an hour like this Demands the tribute of a serious song,

Maria claims it from that fable bier,

Where cold and wan the lumb'rer rests her head;

In ftill fmall whispers to reflection's ear

She breathes the folemn dictates of the dead.

O catch the awful notes, and lift them loud! Proclaim the theme by fage, by fool rever'd; Hear it, ye young, ye vain, ye great, ye proud! 'Tis Nature fpeaks, and Nature will be heard. Yes; ye fhall hear, and tremble as ye hear,

While, high with health, your hearts exulting E'en in the midst of pleafure's mad career, [leap, The mental monitor shall wake and weep! For fay, than Coventry's propitious star,

What brighter planet on your births arose? Or gave of fortune's gifts an ampler fhare, In life to lavith, or by death to lofe? Early to lose! While, borne on bufy wing, Ye fip the nectar of each varying bloom; Nor fear, while basking in the beams of spring, The wint'ry storm that sweeps you to the tomb; Think of her fate! revere the heavenly hand That led her hence, tho' foon, by steps fo flow; Long at her couch Death took his patient ftand, And menac'd oft, and oft withheld the blow: To give reflection time, with lenient art,

Each fond delution from her foul to fleal; Teach her from folly peaceably to part, And wean her from a world the lov'd fo well. Say, are you fure his mercy fhall extend

To you to long a fpan? Alas, ye figh! [friend, Make then, while yet ye may, your God your And learn with equid eate to fleep or die! Nor think the Mufe, whofe fober voice ye hear, Contracts with bigot frown her fullen brow; Cafts round religion's orb the mists of fear, [glow. Or fhades with horrors what with fimiles thould No-she would warn you with feraphic fire, Heirs as ye are of heaven's eternal day; Would bid you boldly to that heaven alpire, Not fink and lumber in your cells of clay. Know, ye were form'd to range yon azure field, In yon ethereal founts of blifs to lave: Force then, fecure in faith's protecting thield, Thefting from death, thevict'ry from thegrave! Is this the bigot's rant? Away, ye vain! [fteep: Your hopes, your fears, in doubt, in dulinefs

Go footh your fouls in fickness, grief, or pai
With the fad folace of eternal fleep!
Yet will I praife you, triflers as you are,
More than thofe preachers of your fav'rite cree
Who proudly fwell the brazen throat of war,
Who from the phalanx, bid the battle bleed
Nor wish for more; who conquer but to die
Hear, Folly, hear, and triumph in the tale
Like you they reafon, not like you enjoy
The breeze of blifs that fills your filken fa
On pleafure's glitt'ring ftream ye gaily steer
Your little course to cold oblivion's shore
They dare the ftorm, and thro' th' inclement ye
Stem the rough furge, and brave the torrent

roar.

Is it for glory? That juft Fate denies;

Long must the warrior moulder in his fhrou Ere from her trump the heaven-breath'd accen That lift the hero from the fighting crowd! [ri Is it his grafp of empire to extend?

To curb the fury of infulting foes? Ambition, ceafe! the idle conteft end: 'Tis but a kingdom thou canst win or lose. And why muft murder'd myriads lofe their al (If life be all), why defolation low'r With famifh'd frown on this affrighted ball, That thou mayft flame the meteor of an hour Go, wifer ye, that flutter life away,

Crown with the mantling juice the goblet high Weave the light dance, with feftive freedom gay And live your moment, fince the next ye die Yet know, vain sceptics! know, th' Almight

Mind,

Who breath'd on man a portion of his fire, Bade his free foul, by earth nor time confin'd, To heav'n, to immortality afpire. Nor fhall the pile of hope his mercy rear'd By vain philofophy be e'er deftroy'd: Eternity, by all or with'd or fear'd,

Shall be by all or fuffer'd or enjoy'd!

NOTE. In a book of French verfes, intitledOuvres du Philofophe de Sans Souci, and lately reprinted at Berlin by authority, under the title. of Poefies Diverses, may be found an Epiftle to Marthal Keith, written profeffedly against the immortality of the foul. By way of specimen of the whole, take the following lines: De l'avenir, cher Keith, jugeons par le paffé: Comme avant que je fuffe il n'avoit point penfe; De même,après ma mort, quand toutes mes parties Par la corruption feront anéanties, Non, rien n'eit plus certain, foyons en convaincu. Par un même deftin il ne penfera plus! It is to this Epistle that the latter part of the Elegy alludes.

102. Elegy to a young Nobleman leaving the Univerfity. Mason. ERE yet, ingenuous youth, thy fteps retire [vale, From Cam's fmooth margin, and the peaceful Where

Where Science call'd thee to her ftudious quire,
And met thee mufing in her cloisters pale;
Olet thy friend (and may he boaft the name!)
Breathe from his artless reed one parting lay:
A ay like this thy early virtues claim,

And this let voluntary friendship pay.
Yet know, the time arrives, the dang`rous time,
When all thofe virtues, op'ning now so fair,
Tanted to the world's tempeftuous clime,
Mat earn each paffion's boift'rous breath to

bear;

There, if ambition, peftilent and pale,

Ovary fhould taint their vernal glow;
Idelf-intereft, with her chilling gale, [blow;
Should bhit th' unfolding bloffoms ere they
Ific hues, by art or fashion spread,

Ther genuine fimple colouring thould supply;
Omy with them thefe laureate honours fade,
And with them (if it can) my friendship die!
Then do not blame, if, tho' thyself inspire,
Castious I ftrike the panegyric ftring;
The de fall oft purfues a meteor fire,
And, vamly vent rous, foars on waxen wing:
Tony awake at friendship's voice,

The poet's bofom pours the fervent strain,
Tetion blames the hafty choice,
And et invokes oblivion's aid in vain.
Cal we the fhade of Pope from that bleft bow'r,
Where thron'd he fits with many a tuneful fage;
Ak, dhe te er bemoans that hapless hour
When St. John's name illumin'd glory's page.
Ak, if the wretch, who dar'd his mem'ry stain;
A&. f his country's, his religion's foe,
Defer'd the meed that Marlbro' fail'd to gain;
The deathlets meed he only could bestow:
The bard will tell thee, the misguided praise
Cloe is the celestial funthine of his break;
Een now, repentant of his erring lays,

He heaves a figh amid the realms of rest.
If Pope thro' friendship fail'd, indignant view,
Yet pity, Dryden-hark, whene'er he fings,
How adulation drops her courtly dew

On titled rhymers and inglorious kings!
Se from the depths of his exhaustless mine,
Es glittring ftores the tuneful spendthrift

throws:

Where fear or int'reft bids, behold they shine;
Nowgrace a Cromwell's, now a Charles's brows.
Bart with too gen'rous or too mean a heart,
Dryden! in vain to thee thofe ftores were lent;
Tweetest numbers but a trifling art:
Thy trongest diction idly eloquent.
The Eagleft lyre, if truth directs its lays,
Wates a melody ne'er heard from thine:
Not to diguft with falfe or venal praise,

Be ftill thyfelf: that open path of truth,
Which led thee here, let manhood firm purfue;
Retain the fweet fimplicity of youth;

And all thy virtue dictates dare to do.
Still fcorn, with confcious pride, the mask of art,
On vice's front let fearful caution low'r;
And teach the diffident, difcreeter part

Of knaves that plot, and fools that fawn for
pow'r.

So, round thy brow when age's honours fpread, When death's cold hand unftrings thy Mafon's lyre,

Was Parnell's modeft fame, and may be mine. Go then, my friend, nor let thy candid breast Condemn me, if I check the plaufive ftring; Go to the wayward world; complete the reft; Be what the pureft mufe would with to fing.

When the green turf lies lightly on his head,
Thy worth fhall fome fuperior bard inspire:
He to the ampleft bounds of time's domain

On raptures plume fhall give thy name to fly; Fortruft, with rev'rence trust, this Sabine ftrain, 'The Mufe forbids the virtuous man to die."

$103. The Choice of Hercules: from the Greek of Prodicus. Bp. Lowth.

Now had the fon of Jove, mature, attain'd

Steps into life, and follows unreftrain'd [way.
The joyful prime; when youth, elate and gay,
Where paffion leads, or prudence points the
In the pure mind, at thofe ambiguous years,

Or vice, rank weed, firft ftrikes her pois'nous
Or haply virtue's op'ning bud appears [root;
By juft degrees, fair bloom of fairest fruit!
For, if on youth's untainted thought impreft,
The gen'rous purpose still shall warm the manly

breast.

As on a day, reflecting on his age

For highest deeds now ripe, Alcides fought
Retirement, nurfe of contemplation fage,
Step following ftep, and thought fucceeding
thought;

Mufing, with steady pace the youth pursued
His walk, and loft in meditation stray'd
Far in a lonely vale, with folitude

Converfing; while intent his mind survey'd »
The dubious path of life: before him lay, [way.
Here virtue's rough afcent,therepleafure'sflow'ry
Much did the view divide his wav'ring mind:
Now glow'd his breaft with gen'rous thirst of
Nowlove of eafetofofter thoughts inclin'd [fame;

When, lo! far off two female forms he spies:
Hisyielding foul,and quench'd the rifing flame:

Direct to him their steps they seem to bear;
Both large and tall, exceeding human size;

Both, far exceeding human beauty, fair. Graceful, yet each with different grace they move; This ftriking facred awe; that, fofterwinning love. The first in native dignity furpafs'd;

Artlefs and unadorn'd the pleas'd the more; Health o'er her looks a genuine luftre caft;

A vest more white than new-fallen fnow fhe Auguft the trod, yet modeft was her air; [wore: Serene her eye, yet darting heavenly fire; Still fhe drew near; and nearer ftill more fair, More mild, appear'd: yet fuch as might inspire Pleafure corrected with an awful fear; Mijetically weet, and amiably fevere.

The

The other dame feem'd even of fairer hue;

But bold her mien, unguarded rov'd her eye,
And her flush'd cheeks confefs'd at nearer view
The borrow'd blushes of an artful dye.
All foft and delicate, with airy swim
Lightly the danc'd along; her robe betray'd
Thro' the clear texture every tender limb,
Height'ningthe charms it only feem'dtofhade:
And as it flow'd adown, fo loofe and thin, [skin.
Her stature shew'd more tall,more fnowy white her
Oft with a smile the view'd herself afkance;

Even on her fhade a conscious look fhe threw
Then all around her caft a careless glance,
To mark what gazing eyes her beauty drew.
As they came near, before that other maid

Approaching decent, eagerly the prefs'd
With hafty ftep; nor of repulfe afraid, [drefs'd;
With freedom bland the wond'ring youth ad-
With winning fondnefs on his neck the hung;
Sweet as the honey-dew flow'd her enchanting
tongue:

"Dear Hercules, whence this unkind delay?
Dear youth, what doubts can thus diftract thy
Securely follow where I lead the way, [mind?
And range thro' wilds of pleasure unconfin'd.
With me retire from noife, and pain, and care,
Embath'd in blifs, and wrapt in endless eafe:
Rough is the road to fame, thro' blood and war;
Smooth is my way, and all my paths are peace.
With me retire, from toils and perils free,
Leave honour to the wretch! pleafures were made
for thee.

"Then will I grant thee all thy foul's defire;
All that may charm thine ear, and please thy
fight;

All that the thought can frame, or with require,
To fteep thy ravifh'd fenfes in delight:
The fumptuous feaft, enhanc'd with mufic's
Fittest to tune the melting foul to love, [found,
Rich odours, breathing choicett fweets around;
The fragrant bow'r,cool fountain, fhady grove;
Fresh flow'rs to ftrew thy couch, and crown thy
head:
[thy bed.
Joy shall attend thy steps, and ease shall fmooth

"These will I freely, conftantly fupply,

Pleasure's not earn'd with toil, nor mix'd with Far from thy reft repining want fhall fly, [woe; Nor labour bathe in fweat thy careful brow. Mature the copious harveft fhall be thine,

Let the laborious hind fubdue the foil; Leave the rafh foldier fpoils of war to win,

Won by the foldier thou fhalt fhare the fpoil: These fofter cares my beft allies employ, New pleafures to invent, to with, and to enjoy." Her winning voice the youth attentive caught: He gaz'd impatient on the fmiling maid; Still gaz'd, and liften'd; then her name be fought: "My name, fair youth, is Happiness," the faid. "Well can my friends this envied truth maintain; They fhare my blifs, they best can speak my " praife;

Thro' Slander call me Sloth (detraction vain
Heed not what Slander, vain detractor, fay
Slander,ftillprompt true merit to defame,[nam
To blot the brightest worth, and blast the fai
By this arriv'd the fair majestic Maid;

She all the while, with the fame modeft p
Compos'd advanc'd: "Know, Hercules," the
With manly tone, "thy birth of heavenly r
Thy tender age, that lov'd inftruction's voi
Promis'd thee generous, patient,brave,andw
When manhood fhould confirm thy glori
: Now expectation waits to fee thee rife.[cho
Rife, youth! exalt thyself and me; approve
Thy high defcent from heaven, and dare
worthy Jove.
[difgui

But what truth prompts, my tongue thall no
The steep afcent must be with toil fubdue
Watching and cares muft win the lofty prize
Propos'd by Heav'n-true blifs and real go
Honour rewards the brave and bold alone;

She fpurns the timorous, indolent, and baf
Danger and toil stand stern before her thron
who feeks her, muft the mighty coft fuftain,
Andguard (foJove commands) the facred pla
And pay the price of fame-labour, and ca

and pain.

Wouldst thou engage the gods peculiar care?
O Hercules, the immortal pow'rs adore!
With a pure heart, with facrifice, and pray'r
Attend their altars, and their aid implore.
Or,wouldst thou gain thycountry'sloud applauf
Lov'd as her father, as her god ador'd?
Be thou the bold afferter of her cause;

In peace, in war, purfue thy country's good;
Her voice in council, in the fight her fword
For her, bare thy bold breast, and pour thy g
nerous blood.

Wouldftthou,to quelltheproudandlift th'oppref
In arts of war and matchlefs ftrength excel?
Firft conquer thou thyself: to eafe, to reft,
To each foft thought of pleasure, bid farewe
The night alternate, due to fweet repofe,

In watches waste; in painful march, the day
Congeal'd amidst the rigorous winter's fnows,

Scorch'd by the fummer's thirst-inflaming ray Vigour fhall brace thine arm,refiftless inthefight.' Thy harden'd limbs fhall boaft fuperior might: "Hear'ft thou what monsters then thou mus engage? [prove?"

What dangers, gentle youth, the bids the (Abrupt fays Sloth)" Ill fit thy tender age

Tumult and wars, fit age for joy and love.
Turn, gentle youth, to me, to love, and joy!
To thefe I lead: no monsters here shall stay
Thine eafy courfe; no cares thy peace annoyi
I lead to bliss a nearer, fmoother way:
Turn gentle youth with me eternal pleasures
Short is my way, fair, eafy, fmooth, and plain:
reign."
[thine?"

What pleasures, vain mistaken wretch, are
(Virtue with fcorn replied)"who fleep'it in eafe
Infenfate;

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