This of all vice does moft debafe the mind;
Gold is itself th' alloy to human-kind.

Ch, happy times! when no fuch thing as coin
E'er tempted friends to part or foes to join!
Cattle or corn, among thofe harmless men,
Was all their wealth, the gold and filver then :
Corn was too bulky to corrupt a tribe,

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60

And bellowing herds would have betray'd the bribe.
Ev'n traffic now is intercourse of ill,
And ev'ry wind brings a new mischief ftill.

By trade we flourish in our leaves and fruit,
But av'rice and excefs devour the root.

65

Thus far the Muse unwillingly has been Fix'd on the dull lefs happy forts of fin;

70

But now, more pleas'd, fhe views the diff'rent ways
Of luxury, and all its charms furveys.
Dear Luxury! thou foft but fure deceit!
Rife of the mean, and ruin of the great!
Thou fure prefage of ill-approaching fates,

The bane of empires and the change of states!
Armies in vain refift thy mighty pow'r;

75

Not the worst conduct would confound them more.

Thus Rome herself, while o'er the world fhe flew,
And did by virtue all that world fubdue,"
Was by her own victorious arms opprest,

And catch'd infection from the conquer'd Eaft; 80
Whence all thofe vices came, which foon devour
The beft foundations of renown and pow'r.

The proudest kings fubmit to Beauty's fway;
Beauty itself, a greater prince than they,

Lies fometimes languishing, with all its pride, 140
By a belov'd tho' fickle lover's fide. -

I mean to flight the foft enchanting charm,
But, oh! my head and heart are both too warm.

145

I dote on woman-kind with all their faults;
Love turns my fatire into softeft thoughts:
Of all that paffion which our peace defiroys,
Instead of mischiefs I describe the joys.
But short will be his reign, (I fear too fhort)
And prefent cares fhall be my future sport.
Then Love's bright torch put out, his arrows broke,
Loofe from kind chains, and from th' engaging yoke,
To all fond thoughts I'll fing fuch counter-charms,
The fair fhall liften in their lovers' arms.

Now the enthufiaftic fit is fpent,

I feel my weaknefs, and too late repent.
As they who walk in dreams oft' climb too high
For fenfe to follow with a waking eye,
And in fuch wild attempts are blindly bold,
Which afterwards they tremble to behold;
So I review thefe fallies of my pen,
And modeft reafon is return'd again;
My confidence I curfe, my fate accuse,
Scarce hold from cenfuring the facred Mufc.

No wretched poet of the railing pit,
No critic curs'd with the wrong fide of wit,

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155

160

165

This of all vice does moft debafe the mind;
Gold is itself th' alloy to human-kind.

Ch, happy times! when no fuch thing as coin
E'er tempted friends to part or foes to join!
Cattle or corn, among thofe harmless men,
Was all their wealth, the gold and filver then :
Corn was too bulky to corrupt a tribe,

55

60

And bellowing herds would have betray'd the bribe.
Ev'n traffic now is intercourfe of ill,

And ev'ry wind brings a new mischief still.
By trade we flourish in our leaves and fruit,
But av'rice and excefs devour the root.

Thus far the Mufe unwillingly has been
Fix'd on the dull lefs happy forts of fin;

65

70

But now, more pleas'd, fhe views the diff'rent ways
Of luxury, and all its charms furveys.
Dear Luxury! thou foft but fure deceit!
Rife of the mean, and ruin of the great!

Thou fure prefage of ill-approaching fates,

The bane of empires and the change of states!
Armies in vain refift thy mighty pow'r;

75

Not the worst conduct would confound them more.

Thus Rome herfelf, while o'er the world fhe flew,

And did by virtue all that world fubdue,

Was by her own victorious arms opprest,

ד

And catch'd infection from the conquer'd East; 80
Whence all thofe vices came, which foon devour
The beft foundations of renown and pow'r.

But, oh! what need have we abroad to roam,
Who feel too much the fad effects at home
Of wild excefs? which we fo plainly find
Decays the body and impairs the mind.

But yet grave fops must not prefume from hence
To flight the facred pleasures of the sense.
Our appetites are Nature's laws, and giv'n
Under the broad authentic feal of Heav'n.
Let pedants wrangle, and let bigots fight,
To put restraint on innocent delight,
But Heav'n and Nature's always in the right:
They would not draw poor wretched mortals in,
Or give defires that shall be doom'd for fin.
Yet that in height of harmless joy we may
Laft to old age, and never lofe a day,
Amidft our pleasures we ourselves should fpare,
And manage all with temperance and care.
The gods forbid but we fometimes may steep
Our joys in wine, and lull our cares asleep;
It raises nature, ripens feeds of worth,
As moift'ning pictures calls the colours forth;
But if the varnish we too oft' apply,

Alas! like colours, we grow faint, and die.
Hold, hold, impetuous Mufe! I would restrain
Her over-eager heat, but all in vain;

Abandon'd to delights, the longs to rove;

I check'd her here, and now the flies to love;

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105

Shews me fome rural nymph, by shepherd chas'd,

Soon overtaken, and as foon embrac'd:

The grafs by her, as she by him, is preft;

For fhame, my Mufe! let fancy guess the rest:
At fuch a point fancy can never ftay,

The dear delights, the very act of love.

This is his lowest sphere, his country scene,
Where Love is humble, and his fare but mean;
Yet fpringing up without the help of art,
Leaves a fincerer relish in the heart,
More healthfully, tho' not fo finely fed,

120

And better thrives than where more nicely bred.
But 't is in courts where moft he makes a fhow,
And, high-enthron'd, governs the world below: 125
For tho' in hiftories learn'd Ignorance
Attributes all to cunning or to chance,
Love will in thofe disguises often smile,

And knows the cause was kindness all the while.
What ftory, place, or perfon, cannot prove
The boundless influence of mighty Love?
Where'er the fun can vigorous heat inspire
Both fexes glow, and languish with defire.
The weary'd swain, fast in the arms of Sleep,
Love can awake, and often fighing keep;
And bufy gown-men, by fond love disguis'd,
Will leifure find to make themfelves despis'd.

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