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Where, next, his steps?

He measures back his way, 435

Conducted by the Virtues, to furvey

His first abode. The giddy crowd, below,
Wafting their wretched span in crime, they show;
How in the whirl of paffions they are toft,
And, fhipwreck'd on the lurking shelves, are loft: 440
Here fierce Ambition haling in her chain
The mighty, there a despicable train
Impure in Luft's inglorious fetter bound,
And flaves of Avarice rooting up the ground:
Thralls of Vain-glory, thralls of fwelling Pride,
Unnumber'd fools, unnumber'd plagues beside.
All-pow'rless they to burft the galling band,
To spring aloft, and reach yon happy land,
Entangled, impotent the way to find,

445

The clear inftruction blotted from their mind

450

Which the Good Genius gave; Guilt's gloomy fears

Becloud their funs and sadden all their years.

I ftand convinc'd, but yet perplex'd in thought Why to review a well-known fcene he's brought. Scene rudely known. Uncertain and confus'd, His judgment by illufions was abus'd.

455.

His evil was not evil, nor his good
Aught elfe but vanity misunderstood.
Confounding good and evil, like the throng,
His life, like theirs, was action always wrong.
Enlighten'd now in the true blifs of man,
He shapes his alter'd course by Wisdom's plan:
And, bleft himfelf, beholds with weeping eyes
The madding world an hofpital of fighs.

This retrofpection ended, where fucceeds

His courfe?

Where'er his wife volition leads.

Where'er it leads, fafety attends him ftill:
Not fafer, should he on Apollo's hill,

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Among the Nymphs, among the vocal Pow'rs,
Dwell in the Sanctum of Corycian bow'rs:
Honour'd by all, the friend of human kind,
Belov'd phyfician of the fin-fick mind;
Not Efculapius more, whose pow'r to save
Redeems his patient from the yawning grave.
But never more fball his old restless foes

Awake his fears, nor trouble his repofe?

460

465

470

475

Never. In righteous habitude inur'd,
From Paffion's baneful anarchy fecur'd,

In

1

In each enticing fcene, each inftant hard,
That fovereign antidote his mind will guard:

480

Like him, who, of fome virtuous drug poffeft,

Grafps the fell viper coil'd within her nest,
Hears her dire hiffings, fees her terrors rise,
And, unappall'd, deftruction's tooth defies.

Yon troops in motion from the mount explain,

485

Various to view; for there a goodly train,

With garlands crown'd, advance with comely pace,
Noble their port, and in each tranquil face

Joy Sparkles: others, a bare-headed throng,

Batter'd and gaf'd, drag their flow steps along, 490 Captives of fome ftrange female crew.

The crown'd,

Long feeking, fafe arriv'd at Wisdom's bound,
Exult in her imparted grace." The rest,
Those on whom Wisdom, unprevailing, prest
Her healing aid; rejected from her care,
In evil plight their wicked days they wear:

495

Those too, who Difficulty's hill had gain'd,

There bafely stopp'd, by daftard floth detain'd:

Apoftate now, in thorny wilds they rove,

Pursuing furies fcourge the caitiff drove ;

500

h Apoftates.

Sorrows

Sorrows which gnaw, remorseful Thoughts which tear,
Blindness of mind, and beart-oppreffing Fear,

With all the contumelious rout of Shame,
And every ill, and every hateful name.

505

Relaps'd to Lewdness, and her fenfual Queen,
Unblushing at themselves, but drunk with fpleen,
Wisdom's high worth their canker'd tongues dispraise,
Revile her children, and blafpheme her ways.
Deluded wretches, (thus their madness cries)

Dull mopes, weak dupes of philofophic lies,
Uncomforted, unjoyous, and unblest,
Loft from the pleasures here at large poffeft.
What pleasures boaft they?

510

Pleasures of the ftews,

Pleasures which Riot's frantic bowls infufe.
These high fruition their grofs fouls repute,
And man's chief good to fink into a brute.
But who that lovely bevy, blithe and gay,
So fmoothly gliding down the hilly way ?
1 Those are th' Opinions, who have guided right
The unexperienc'd to the plain of light:
Returning, new adventurers to bring,

The bleffings of the last arriv'd they fing.

515

520

i The distinction between Opinion and Knowledge.

Why ingrefs yielded to their favour'd ward
Among the Virtues, to themselves debarr'd?
Opinion's foot is never never found

Where Knowledge dwells, 'tis interdicted ground,
At Wisdom's gate th' Opinions must refign
Their charge, those limits their employ confine.
Thus trading barks, skill'd in the watʼry road,

To diftant climes convey their precious load,

525

530

Then turn their prow, light bounding o'er the main,

And with new traffic ftore their keels again.

Thus far is clear. But yet untold remains
What the good Genius to the crowd ordains,
Just on the verge of life.

* He bids them hold

A spirit with erected courage bold.

Never (he calls) on Fortune's faith rely,

Nor grasp her dubious gifts as property.

Let not her smile transport, her frown difmay,

535

Nor praise, nor blame, nor wonder at her fway 540
Which reason never guides: 'tis fortune ftill,
Capricious chance and arbitrary will,

Bad bankers, vain of treasure not their own,
With foolish rapture hug the trufted loan:

* The inftructions of the Genius.

Impatient,

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