We call him cruel; years to moments shrink, Leave to thy foes thefe errors, and thefe ills; 140 145 We waste, not use our time; we breathe, not live. Time wafted is exiftence, us'd is life. And bare existence, man, to live ordain'd, Wrings, and oppreffes with enormous weight. To keep his fpeed, nor ever wait for man; 150 155 Life's cares are comforts; fuch by heaven defign'd; 160 The foul is on a rack; the rack of rest, Here Here then, the riddle, mark'd above, unfolds; 165 Then time turns torment, when man turns a fool. We rave, we wrestle, with Great Nature's Plan; We thwart the Deity; and 'tis decreed, Who thwart his will, fhall contradi& their own. Hence our unnatural quarrels with ourselves; Our thoughts at enmity; our bosom-broil; We push Time from us, and we wish him back; Lavish of luftrums, and yet fond of life; 170 Life we think long, and fhort; Death feek, and fhun: Body and foul, like peevish man and wife, United jar, and yet are loth to part. Oh the dark days of vanity! while here, 175 How tattelefs! and how terrible, when gone! If time paft, And fimiles an angel, or a fury frowns. what can please? That which the Deity to please ordain'd, 189 Time us'd. The man who confecrates his hours 185 At once he draws the sting of life and death; Our error's caufe and cure are feen: See next 190 Haft 195 Haft thou ne'er heard of Time's omnipotence? For, or araif, what wonders he can do! And will: To ftand blank neuter he difdains. Not on those terms was Time (heaven's ftranger!) fent On his important embafly to man. Lorenzo! no: On the long-deftin'd hour, From everlasting ages growing ripe, That memorable hour of wondrous birth, Was Time cut off, and caft beneath the fkies; 200 205 210 Hours, days, and months, and years, his children, play, Like numerous wings around him, as he flies: Or, rather, as unequal plumes, they fhape His ample pinions, fwift as darted flame, In his immutability to neft, 215 When worlds, that count his circles now, unhing'd 220 Know't 230 Know ft thou, or what thou doft, or what is done? 225 As Solomon, more sumptuous to the fight! Favonius breathe ftill fofter, or be chid; 235 24.0 And other worlds fend odours, fauce, and fong, And robes, and notions, fram'd in foreign looms! O ye Lorenzos of our age! who deem 245 Not made for feeble man! who call aloud For change of follies, and relays of joy, 250 To drag your patient through the tedious length Wit's oracles! fay, dreamers of gay dreams! How How will you weather an eternal night, Where fuch expedients fail? 255 O treacherous Confcience! while fhe feems to fleep On rofe and myrtle, lull'd with fyren fong; While the feems, nodding o'er her charge, to drop And give us up to licence, unrecall'd, 260 Unmark'd ;-fee, from behind her fecret ftand, And her dread diary with horror fills. Not the grofs A alone employs her pen; She reconnoitres Fancy's airy band, 265 A watchful foe! the formidable spy, Liftening, o'erhears the whifpers of our camp: As all-rapacious ufurers conceal Their doomfday-book from all-confuming heirs ; Unnoted, notes each moment mifapply'd; 270 In leaves more durable than leaves of brafs 275 280 Such is her flumber; and her vengeance fuch For flighted counfel; fuch thy future peace! But |