Yet cannot wisdom ftamp our joys complete;
"Tis conscious virtue crowns the bleft retreat.
Who feels not that, the private path must shun;
And fly to public view t' escape his own;
In life's gay scenes uneafy thoughts fupprefs,
And lull each anxious care in dreams of peace.
'Midft foreign objects not employ'd to roam,
Thought, fadly active, ftill corrodes at home
A ferious moment breaks the falfe repose,
And guilt in all its naked horror shows.

He who would know retirement's joy refin'd,
The fair recefs muft feek with cheerful mind:
No Cynic's pride, no bigot's heated brain,
No fruftrate hope, nor love's fantastic pain,
With him muft enter the fequefter'd cell,
Who means with pleasing folitude to dwell;
But equal paffions let his bofom rule,
A judgment candid, and a temper cool,

Enlarg'd with knowledge, and in confcience clear,
Above life's empty hopes, and death's vain fear,
Such he must be who greatly lives alone;
Such Portio is, in crowded fcenes unknown.
For public life with every talent born,
Portio far off retires with decent fcorn;
Though without business, never unemploy'd,
And life, as more at leifure, more enjoy'd ;
For who like him can various science taste,
His mind fhall never want an endless feast.

To him each neighbour safe refers his claim,
The right he fettles, and abates the flame.
Nor arts nor worth to Patrius fue in vain,
Nor unreliev'd the injur'd e'er complain..
For him the hand unfeen, are pray'rs prefer'd,
And grateful vows in diftant temples heard;
Like nature's bleffings to no part confin'd,
His well-pois'd bounty reaches all mankind;
That infolence of wealth, the pomp of state
Which crowds the mansions of the vainly great,
Flies far the limits of his modest gate.

Juft what is elegantly ufeful's there;

Of aught beyond he scorns th' unworthy care;
Nor would, for all the trim that pride can show,
One fingle act of focial aid forego;

For this he labours to improve his ftore,].
For this he wishes to enlarge his pow'r ;
This is his life's great purpose, end, and aim :
Such true ambition is, and worthy fame.

How different Rapax spent his worthless hour!
With treasure indigent, a flaye with pow'r :
Large fums o'erlooking, ftill intent on more,
He wafted, not enjoy'd, his taftelefs store.
His growing greatnefs rais'd his hopes the high'r,
And fan'd his reftlefs pride's increafing fire.
'Twas thus amidst profperity he pin'd; ·

For what can fill the falfe ambitious mind?

}

With all the honours that his prince could give,
With all the wealth his av'rice could receive,
'Midft outward opulence, but inward care,
Reproach and want were all he left his heir.

'Tis true, the patriot well deferves his fame, And from his country juft applause may claim. But what avails it to the world befide,"

That Brutus bravely stab'd, or Curtius dy'd ? -
While Tully's merit, unconfin'd to place,
Diffuses bleffings down through all our race;
Remotest times his learned labours reach,
And Rome's great moralift ev'n now shall teach
Averse to public noise, ambition's strife,
And all the fplendid ills of bufy life,
Through latent paths, unmark'd by vulgar eye.
Are there who wish to pass unheeded by ?
Whom calm retirement's facred pleasures move,
The hour contemplative, or friend they love;
Yet not by spleen, or fuperftition led,
Forbear ambition's giddy heights to tread ;
Who not inglorious spend their peaceful day,
Whilft fcience, lovely ftar! directs their way?
Flows there not fomething good from fuch as these?
No useful product from the men of ease?
And fhall the Mufe no focial merit boast ?
Are all her vigils to the public loft?
Though noify pride may fcorn her filent toil,
Fair are the fruits which blefs her happy foil:

There

There every plant of useful produce grows,
There science sprang, and thence inftruction flows;
There true philofophy erects her school,

There plans her problem, and there forms her rule ;
There every feed of every art began,

And all that eafes life, and brightens man.

'Twas hence great Newton, mighty genius! foar'd,
And all creation's wond'rous range explor'd.
Far as th' Almighty ftretch'd his utmost line,"
He pierc'd in thought, and view'd the vaft defign.
Too long had darker ages fought in vain kenda
The secret scheme of nature to explain;
Too long had truth escap'd each fage's eye,
Or faintly fhone through vain philofophy.
Each fhapely offspring of her feeble thought,
A darker veil o'er genuine science brought;
Sill stubborn facts o'erthrew their fruitless toil;
For truth and fiction who shall reconcile
But Britain's fons a farer guide pursue;
Thread safe the maze, fince Newton gave the clue.
Where-e'er he turn'd true Science rear'd her head,
While far before her puzzled Ign'rance fled ::
From each bleft truth thefe noble ends he draws,
Ufe to mankind, and to their God applaufe.
Taught by his rules fecure the merchant rides,
When threat'ning seas roll high their dreadful tides;
And either India fpeeds her precious stores,
'Midst various dangers fafe to Britain's fhores.

Long

1

Long as thofe orbs he weigh'd fhall fhed their rays,
His truth shall guide us, and fhall laft his praife.
Yet if fo juft the fame, the ufe fo great,"
Systems to poife, and spheres to regulate;
To teach the fecret well-adapted force,

That fteers of countless orbs th' unvaried courfe
Far brighter honours wait the nobler part,
To balance manners, and conduct the heart.
Order without us, what imports it seen,
If all is reftlefs anarchy within ?

;

Fir'd by this thought great Afhley, gen'rous fage,
Plan'd in fweet leisure his inftructive page.

e

Not orbs he weighs, but marks, with happier kill,
The scope of actions and the poife of will:
In fair proportion here defcrib'd we trace
Each mental beauty, and each moral grace;
Each ufeful paffion taught, its tone defign'd,
In the nice concord of a well-tun'd mind.

Does mean felf-love contract each focial aim?
Here public transports fhall thy foul inflame.
Virtue and Deity fupremely fair,
Too oft delineated with looks fevere,
Refume their native fmiles and graces here:

* Anthony Ashley Cowper, third Earl of Shaftesbury."

f See the Characteristics, particularly the Enquiry concerning Virtue

and the Moralifts.

Sooth'à