Attend, O man, nor leave my fide, And safety shall thy footsteps guide ; Such truths I'll teach, fuch fecrets how, As none but favour'd mortals know.

She faid and ftrait we march'd along
To join AMBITION's active throng :
Crouds urg'd on crouds with eager pace,
And happy he, who led the race.
Axes and daggers lay unseen
In ambuscade along the green;
While vapours shed delusive light,
And bubbles mock'd the distant fight.

We faw a fhining mountain rise,
Whose tow'ring fummit reach'd the skies :
The flopes were steep, and form'd of glass,
Painful and hazardous to pass :

Courtiers and statesmen led the way;
The faithlefs paths their steps betray;
This moment feen aloft to foar,
The next to fall and rife no more.

"Twas

'Twas here AMBITION kept her court, A phantom of gigantic port;

The fav'rite that sustain'd her throne,
Was FALSHOOD, by her vizard known ;
Next stood DISTRUST, with frequent figh,
Disorder'd look, and squinting eye;
While meagre ENVY claim'd a place,
And JEALOUSY with jaundic'd face.

But where is HAPPINESS? I cry'd. My guardian turn'd, and thus reply'd :

Mortal, by folly still beguil'd,
Thou haft not yet outstrip'd the child
Thou, who haft twenty winters feen,
(I hardly think thee past fifteen)
To ask if HAPPINESS can dwell
With every dirty imp of hell!

;

Go to the school-boy, he fhall preach,
What twenty winters cannot teach:
He'll tell thee from his weekly theme,
That thy pursuit is all a dream :
That blifs ambitious views difowns,
And, felf-dependent, laughs at thrones ;

Prefers

Prefers the fhades and lowly feats,
Whither fair innocence retreats:
So the coy lily of the vale

Shuns eminence, and loves the dale.

I blush'd; and now we crofs'd the plain, To find the money-getting train; Those filent, fnug, commercial bands, With bufy looks, and dirty hands. Amidst these thoughtful crouds the old Plac'd all their HAPPINESS in gold. And furely, if there's blifs below, These hoary heads the fecret know.

We journey'd with the plodding crew, When foon a temple rofe to view: A gothic pile! with mofs o'er-grown ; Strong were the walls, and built with ftone. Without, a thousand maftiffs wait:

A thousand bolts fecure the

gate. We fought admiffion long in vain ; For here all favours fell for gain : The greedy porter yields to gold; His fee receiv'd, the gates unfold.

Affem

Affembled nations here we found,

And view'd the cringing herds around,
Who daily facrific'd to WEALTH,

Their honour, confcience, peace and health.
I saw no charms, that cou'd engage ;
The GOD appear'd like fordid age,
With hooked nofe, and famifh'd jaws,
But ferpents' eyes, and harpies' claws :
Behind food FEAR, that restless spright,
Which haunts the watches of the night;
And viper CARE, that ftings fo deep,
Whose deadly venom murders fleep.

We haften'd now to PLEASURE's bow'rs, Where the gay tribes fat crown'd with flow'rs: Here BEAUTY every charm display'd, And love enflam'd the yielding maid; Delicious WINE our tafte employs, His crimson bowl exalts our joys: I felt its gen'rous pow'r, and thought The pearl was found, that long I fought. Determin'd here to fix my home,

I blefs'd the change, nor with'd to roam :

The SERAPH disapprov'd my stay,
Spread her fair plumes, and wing'd away.

Alas! whene'er we talk of blifs,. How prone is man to judge amifs! See, a long train of ills confpires To fcourge our uncontroul'd defires. Like fummer fwarms DISEASES Croud; Each bears a crutch, or each a fhrowd: FEVER! that thirsty fury, came, With inextinguishable flame; CONSUMPTION, fworn ally of DEATH! Creep'd flowly on with panting breath ; Gour roar'd, and fhew'd his throbbing feet; And DROPSY took the drunkard's feat; STONE brought his tott'ring racks; and near Sat PALSY fhaking in her chair.» 20..

A mangled youth, beneath a fhade,
A melancholy fcene display'd:
His nofelefs face, and loathfome ftains,
Proclaim'd the poifon in his veins
He rais'd hi eyes, he fmote his breaft,
Ho wept aloud, and thus addrefs'd.

For