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If all, united, thy ambition call,

From ancient story, learn to fcorn them all.

There, in the rich, the honour'd, fam'd, and great,
See the falfe fcale of Happiness complete!

In hearts of Kings, or arms of Queens who lay,
How happy! thofe to ruin, these betray.
Mark by what wretched steps their glory grows,
From dirt and fea-weed as proud Venice rofe;
In each how guilt and greatness equal ran,
And all that rais'd the Hero, funk the Man :
Now Europe's laurels on their brows behold,
But ftain'd with blood, or ill exchang'd for gold:
Then fee them broke with toils, or funk in ease,
Or infamous for plunder'd provinces.

fhade.

O! wealth ill-fated! which no act of fame
E'er taught to fhine, or fanctify'd from fhame!
What greater blifs attends their close of life?
Some greedy minion, or imperious wife,
The trophy'd arches, story'd halls invade,
And haunt their flumbers in the pompous
Alas! not dazzled with their noon-tide ray,
Compute the morn and evening to the day;
The whole amount of that enormous fame,
A Tale, that blends their glory with their shame!
Know then this truth (enough for Man to know)
"Virtue alone is happinefs below."

The only point where human bliss stands ftill,
And taftes the good without the fall to ill;

285

290

295

300

305

310

Where

Where only Merit conftant pay receives,

Is bleft in what it takes, and what it gives;
The joy unequal'd, if its end it gain,

315

And if it lofe, attended with no pain:
Without fatiety, though e'er so bless'd,

And but more relish'd as the more distress'd:

The broadeft mirth unfeeling Folly wears,

Lefs pleasing far than Virtue's very tears:

320

Good, from each object, from each place acquir'd,
For ever exercis'd, yet never tir'd;

Never elated, while one man's opprefs'd;

Never dejected, while another's bleft;

And where no wants, no wishes can remain,

325

Since but to wish more Virtue, is to gain.

See the fole blifs Heaven could on all bestow!
Which who but feels can tafte, but thinks can know :
Yet poor with fortune, and with learning blind,
The bad must mifs, the good, untaught, will find: 330
Slave to no fect, who takes no private road,

But looks through Nature, up to Nature's God:
Purfues that Chain which links th' immense design,
Joins heaven and earth, and mortal and divine;

Sees,

VARIATION.

After ver. 316. in the MS.

Ev'n while it feems unequal to dispose,

And chequers all the good Man's joys with woes,
'Tis but to teach him to fupport each state.

With patience this, with moderation that;
And raife his bafe on that one folid joy,

Which confcience gives, and nothing can destroy:
VOL. II.

335

Sees, that no Being any blifs can know,

But touches fome above, and fome below;
Learns, from this union of the rifing Whole,
The first, laft purpose of the human foul;

And knows where Faith, Law, Morals, all began,
All end, in LOVE OF GOD, and LOVE OF MAN. 340
For him alone, Hope leads from goal to goal,
And opens ftill, and opens on his foul;
Till lengthen'd on to FAITH, and unconfin'd,
It pours the blifs that fills up all the mind.
He fees, why Nature plants in Man alone

345

Hope of known blifs, and Faith in bliss unknown:

(Nature, whofe dictates to no other kind

Are given in vain, but what they seek they find)
Wife is her prefent; fhe connects in this

His greatest Virtue with his greatest Bliss;
At once his own bright profpect to be bleft,

350

And strongest motive to affift the reft.

Self-love thus pufh'd to focial, to divine,

Gives thee to make thy neighbour's blessing thine.
Is this too little for the boundless heart?

355

Extend it, let thy enemies have part:

Grafp the whole worlds of Reason, Life, and Sense,
In one close fyftem of Benevolence :

Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree,

And height of Bliss but height of Charity.

God loves from Whole to Parts: but human foul
Muft rife from Individual to the Whole.
Self-love but ferves the virtuous mind to wake,

As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake;

360

The

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The centre mov'd, a circle ftrait fucceeds,
Another ftill, and still another spreads;
Friend, parent, neighbour, firft it will embrace;
His country next; and next all human race;
Wide and more wide, th' o'erflowings of the mind
Take every creature in, of every kind;

Earth fmiles around, with boundless bounty bleft,
And Heaven beholds its image in his breast.

370

Come then, my Friend! my Genius! come along; Oh mafter of the poet, and the fong!

And while the Mufe now ftoops, or now afcends, 375
To Man's low paffions, or their glorious ends,
Teach me, like thee, in various Nature wife,
To fall with dignity, with temper rise;
Form'd by thy converfe, happily to fteer,
From grave to gay, from lively to fevere;
Correct with spirit, eloquent with ease,

380

Intent to reason, or polite to please.

Oh! while along the ftream of Time thy name
Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame;

385

When

Say, fhall my little bark attendant fail,
Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale?

VARIATION.

Ver. 373. Come then, my Friend! &c.] In the MS. thus, And now transported o'er fo vaft a plain,

While the wing'd courfer flies with all her rein, While heaven-ward now her mounting wing the feels, Now fcatter'd fools fly trembling from her heels, Wilt thou, my St. John! keep her courfe in fight, Confine her fury, and affifther flight?

390

When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose,
Whose fons shall blush their fathers were thy foes,
Shall then this verfe to future age pretend
Thou wert my guide, philofopher, and friend?
That, urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art,
From founds to things, from fancy to the heart;
For Wit's falfe mirror held up Nature's light;
Shew'd erring Pride, WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT;
That REASON, PASSION, anfwer one great aim; 395
That true SELF-LOVE and SOCIAL are the fame;
That VIRTUE only makes our Blifs below;

And all our knowledge is, OURSELVES TO KNOW.

VARIATION.

Ver. 397. That Virtue only, &c.] In the MS. thus,
That just to find a God is all we can,
And all the Study of Mankind is Man.

THE

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