Of wisdom's privilege, and th' obdurate breaft,
Stubborn in anguish ; idle wisdom all,
Weak forcery to charm a real pain;
Diftafing crowds and business, thus he feeks
Diverfion in himself, but with deep thoughts
He kindles doubt; and while he strives to blow
The afhes off, revives the brand of care.

Hence far remov'd, a diff'rent noify race
In cities full and frequent take their feat,
Where honour's crufh'd, and gratitude, opprefs'd
With fwelling hopes of gain, that raise within
A tempeft, and, driv'n onward by fuccefs, '.
Can find no bounds. For creatures of a day
Stretch their wide cares to ages; full increase
Starves the penurious foul, while empty found
Fills the ambitious; that shall ever fhrink,
Pining with endless cares, whilft this shall fwell
To tympany enormous. Bright in arms
Here fhines the hero, out he fiercely leads
A martial throng, his inftruments of rage,
To fill the world with death, and thin mankind.
Ambition drives, and round the world he roams,
Marking his way with blood; the dreadful noife
Begets a fame; and all the breath he leaves
Is spent in his false praise, and vainly bloats
The tyrant's foul; while high his kingdoms rise

In fleeting pomp, hov'ring their gaudy wings

Around the fervile globe, that tamely bends

Beneath

Beneath his haughty reign; and all his flaves
Under his yoke fhall groan, and scarce shall groan
Without a crime. Here torturing engines roar
With human voice disguis'd; earth, water, fire,
Are made (dire elements of cruelty!)
Subfervient to his luft, and power to kill :
Yet fhall the herd endure, nor dare to break
United their imaginary chain;

While their great monarch chills with equal fears,
No lefs a flave than they. Each rumour shakes
The haughty purple, dark and cloudy cares
Involve the aweful throne, that stands erect,
Balanc'd on the wild people's temper'd rage,
And fortify'd with dangerous arts of power.
But death fhall fhift thofe fcenes of mifery;
Then doubtful titles kindle up new wars,
And urge on ling'ring fate; the enfigns blaze
About the camp, and drums and trumpets found,
Prepare a folemn way to griezly war;

Javelins and bearded spears in ghaftly ranks
Erect their shining heads, and round the field
A harvest's seen of formidable death;

Then joins the horrid fhock, whofe bellowing burst
Torments the shatter'd air, and drowns the groans
Of men below that roll in certain death.

These are the mortal sports, the tragic plays
By man himself embroil'd; the dire debate
Makes the wafte defart feem ferene and mild,

Where favage nature in one common lies,
By homely cots poffefs'd; all fqualid, wild,
And despicably poor, they range the field,
And feel their fhare of hunger, care, and pain,
Cheated by flying prey; and now they tear
Their panting flesh; and now with nails unclean
They tug their fhaggy beards; and deeply quaff
Of human woe, even when they rudely fip
The flowing ftream, or chew the favory pulp
Of nature's freiheit viands; fragrant fruits
Enjoy'd with trembling, and in danger fought.
But where th' appointed limits of a law
Fences the general safety of the world,
No greater quiet reigns; for wanton man,
In giddy frolic, easily leaps o'er

His own invented bounds; hence rapine, fraud,
Revenge, and luft, and all the hideous train

Of nameless ills, distort the meagre mind

Here mifers mourn

To endless shapes of woe.
Departed gold, and their defrauded heirs
Dire perjuries complain; the blended loads
Of punishment and crime deform the world,
And give no reft to man; with pangs and throes
He enters on the ftage; prophetic tears

And infant cries prelude his future woes;
And all is one continu'd fcene of grief,
'Till the fad fable curtain falls in death.

But

But that laft act shall in one moment clofe

Of doubt and darkness; pain shall crack the strings
Of life decay'd; no lefs the foul convuls'd,
Trembles in anxious cares, and fhuddering stands,
Afraid to leap into the opening gulf

Of future fate, till all the banks of clay
Fall from beneath his feet: in vain he grafps
The shatter'd reeds that cheat his easy wish.
Reason is now no more; that narrow lamp
(Which with its fickly fires would fhoot its beams
To distances unknown, and ftretch its rays
Afkance my paths, in deepest darkness veil'd)
Is funk into his focket; inly there

It burns a difmal light; th' expiring flame
Is choak'd in fumes, and parts in various doubt.
Then the gay glories of the living world

Shall caft their empty varnish, and retire
Out of his feeble view; and rifing fhade
Sit hov'ring o'er all nature's various face.
Mufic fhall cease, and instruments of joy
Shall fail that fullen hour; nor can the mind

Attend their founds, when fancies fwim in death,
Confus'd and crush'd with cares: for long fhal feem
The dreary road, and melancholy dark,

That leads he knows not where. Here empty space
Gapes horrible, and threatens to abforb

All being: yonder footy demons glare,
And dolorous fpectres grin; the shapeless rout

Of wild imagination dance and play
Before his eyes obscure: till all in death
Shall vanish, and the prifoner, now enlarg'd,
Regains the flaming borders of the sky.

He ended. Peals of thunder rend the heavens,
And Chaos, from the bottom turn'd, resounds
The mighty clangor: All the heavenly host
Approve the high decree, and loud they fing
Eternal juftice; while the guilty troops,
Sad with their doom, but fad without despair,
Fall fluttering down to Lethe's lake, and there
For penance, and the destin'd body, wait.

XXXXX

CHIRON to ACHILLES.

A POE M.

By SIR HILDEBRAND JACOB, Bart.

Res eft fevera voluptas.

LD CHIRON to his pupil thus began,

When he beheld him rip'ning into man. "Accomplish'd youth; well worthy of my pains, "You now are free, and guide yourself the reins "Yet hear, Achilles, hear, before we part, "A few short precepts from a faithful heart.

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