With frequent paufe, from thee fhall feek relief,
Nor close her ftrain, 'till dawns the noify day.

Without thy aid, to happier tasteful art,
No deep instructive science could prevail :
For only where thou doft prefide,

Can wit's inventive pow'rs be tried :
And reafon's better task would fail,
Did not thy haunts the serious theme impart.
The critic, that with plodding head
Toils o'er the learning of the dead;

The cloister'd hermit that explores,

By midnight lamp, religion's ftores;
Each fage that marks, with thoughtful gaze,
The lunar orb, or planet's maze;

And every bard, that ftrays along

The fylvan fhade, intent on facred fong;

Shall all to thee those various praises give,
Which, through thy friendly aid, themselves receive:
For though thou mayft from glory's feats rétire,

Where loud applause proclaims the honour'd name; Yet doth thy modest wisdom still inspire

Each nobler work that fwells the voice of Fame.

WH

b

And view'd the votive honours of the God,

A pictur'd tablet, o'er the portal rais'd,

Attach'd our eye: in wonder loft, we gaz'd.

The pencil there some strange device had wrought, 5
And fables, all its own, disguis'd the thought.
Nor camp it seem'd, nor city: the defign,
Whose moral mock'd our labour to divine,
Was a wall'd court, where rose another bound,
And, higher ftill, a third still less'ning ground.
The nether area open'd, at a gate

Where a vaft crowd impatient feem'd to wait.

a

10

This temple was probably in the city of Thebes, for Cebes was a Theban.

Devout cfferings, for the maft part in difcharge of vows.

Within,

Within, a group of female figures ftood,
In motley drefs, a sparkling multitude.
Without, in station at the porch, was seen
A venerable form, in act and mien

Like fome great teacher who with urgent tongue,
Authoritative, warn'd the rufhing throng.
From doubt to doubt we wander'd; when appear'd
A fire, who thus the hard folution clear'd.

Strangers, that allegoric scene, I guess,
Conquers your skill, our home-born wits no lefs.
A foreigner, long fince, whose nobler mind
Learning's best culture to strong genius join'd,

15

20

Here liv'd, convers'd, and fhew'd th' admiring age 25 Another Samian or Elean fage.

He rear'd this dome to Saturn's aweful name,

And

gave that portrait to eternal fame.

He reafon'd much, high argument he chose,

High as his theme his great conceptions rose:
Such wisdom flowing from a mouth but young
I heard astonish'd, and enjoy'd it long :
Him oft I heard this moral piece expound,
With nervous eloquence and fenfe profound.
Father, if leifure with thy will confpire,
Field, yield that comment to our warm defire.

30

35

Free

Free to bestow, I warn you firft, beware:
Danger impends, which fummons all your care.

Wife, virtuous, bleft, whose heart our precepts gain,

с

Abandon'd, blind, and wretched, who disdain.

40

For know, our purpos'd theme resembles best
The fam'd Enigma of the Theban pest:

Th' interpreter a plighted crown enjoy'd,
The stupid perish'd, by the Sphinx destroy'd.
Count Folly as a Sphinx to all mankind,

Her problem, How is Good and Ill defin'd?
Misjudging here, by Folly's law we die,
Not inftant victims of her cruelty;

45

From day to day our reasoning part she wounds, Devours its ftrength, its noblest pow'rs confounds: 50 Awakes the lafh of Punishment, and tears

The mind with pangs which guilty life prepares.

With opposite effect, where thoughtful skill
Difcerns the boundaries of Good and Ill,

Folly must perish; and th' illumin'd breast
To Virtue fav'd, is like th' immortals bleft.

55

Give audience, then, with no unheeding ear.

O hafte, no heedlefs auditors ftand here,

• The Caselian and Salmafian editions read rovnpot wicked, inftead of inpos bitter.

Vide ver. 186.

With strong defire, in dread fufpence we wait,
So great the blessing, and the bane fo great.
Inftant, he rais'd his oratorial hand,
And faid (our eye he guided with a wand)
Behold life's pencil'd scene, the natal gate,
The numbers thronging into mortal state.

60

Which danger's path, and which to fafety bears, 65 That ancient, Genius of mankind, declares.

See him aloft, benevolent he bends,

One hand is pointing, one a roll extends
Reason's imperial code; by heav'n imprest
In living letters on the human breast.
Oppos'd to him, Delufion plies her part,

With skin of borrow'd fnow, and blush of art,

With hypocritic fawn, and eyes askance

Whence foft infection fteals in every glance.

Her faithless hand presents a crystal bowl,
Whose pois'nous draught intoxicates the foul.
Error and ignorance infus'd, compofe
The fatal beverage which her fraud bestows.

70

75

Is that the hard condition of our birth?
Muft all drink error who appear on earth?

80

All; yet

in fome their measure drowns the mind,

Others but taste, lefs erring and less blind.