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Some thro' oppofing crowds and threat'ning

war,

Seek power's bright throne, and fame's triumphant car.

Some bent on wealth, pursue with endless

pain,

Oppreffive, fordid, and difhoneft gain :

While others to foft indolence refign'd, Drown in corporeal fweets th' immortal mind. But, O great Father, thunder-ruling God! Who in thick darknefs mak'ft thy dread abode;

Thou, from whofe bounty all good gifts defcend,

Do thou from ignorance mankind defend..
The clouds of vice and folly O controul,
And fhed the beams of wisdom on the foul.
Thofe radiant beams, by whofe all piercing
flame

Thy juftice rules this univerfal frame.

That, honour'd with a portion of thy light,
We may effay thy goodness to requite,
With honorary fongs, and grateful lays,
And hymn thy glorious works with ceafelefs.
praise ;

The proper task of man: and sure to fing
Of nature's laws, and nature's mighty King,
Is blifs fupreme. Let gods with mortals join;
The fubject may tranfport a breast divine.

F1

Pythagoras's GOLDEN VERSES.

IRST to the gods thy humble homage pay,
The greatest this, and first of laws obey:
Perform

Perform thy vows, obferve thy plighted troth,.
And let religion bind thee to thy oath.
The heroes next demand thy just regard,
Renown'd on earth, and to the ftars pre-
ferr'd,

To light and endless life their virtue's fure
reward.

Due rites perform and honours to the dead,
To ev'ry wife, to ev'ry pious shade.
With lowly duty to thy parents bow,
And grace and favour to thy kindred fhow:
For what concerns the reft of human-kind,
Chufe out the man to virtue beft inclin'd:
Him to thy arms receive, him to thy bofom
bind.

Poffeft of fuch a friend, preferve him ftill;
Nor thwart his counfels with thy ftubborn will;
Pliant to all his admonitions prove,

And yield to all his offices of love:

Him, from thy heart, fo true, fo juftly dear,
Let no rafh word, nor light offences tear.
Bear all thou canft, ftill with his failings ftrive,
And to the utmoft ftill, and ftill forgive;
For ftrong neceffity alone explores,
The fecret vigour of our latent powers,
Roufes and urges on the lazy heart,
Force, to itself unknown before, t'exert.
By use thy ftronger appetites affuage,
Thy gluttony, thy floth, thy luft, thy rage:
From each dishonest act of fhame forbear:
Of others, and thyself, alike beware.
Let rev'rence of thyfelf thy thoughts con-
troul,

And guard the facred temple of thy foul.
Let juftice o'er thy word and deed prefide;
And reafon even thy meaneft actions guide ::

For

For know that death is man's appointed doom,

Know that the day of great account will come, When thy paft life fhall ftrictly be furvey'd, Each word, each deed be in the balance laid,

And all the good and all the ill most juftly be repaid.

For wealth, the perishing uncertain good, Ebbing and flowing, like the fickle flood, That knows no fure, no fix'd abiding place, But wand'ring, loves from hand to hand to pafs;

Revolve the getter's joy and lofer's pain, And think if it be worth thy while to gain. Of all those forrows that attend mankind, With patience bear the lot to thee affign'd; Nor think it chance, nor murmur at the load;

For know what man calls fortune is from God.

In what thou mayft from wifdom feek relief,
And let her healing hand affuage the grief;
Yet ftill whate'er the righteous doom or
dains,

What cause foever multiplies thy pains,
Let not thofe pains as ills be understood;
For God delights not to afflict the good.

The reas'ning art to various ends apply'd,
Is oft a fure, but oft an erring guide.
Thy judgment therefore found and cool pre-
ferve,

Nor lightly from thy refolution fwerve;
The dazzling pomp of words does oft deceive,
And sweet perfuafion wins the eafy to believe.

When

When fools and liars labour to perfuade, Be dumb, and let the bablers vainly plead.

This above all, this precept chiefly learn, This nearly does, and. first thyself concern; Let no example, let no foothing tongue, Prevail upon thee with a Syren's fong, To do thy foul's immortal effence wrong. Of good and ill by words or deeds expreft, Chufe for thyfelf, and always chufe the best.

Let wary thought each enterprize forerun,
And ponder on thy task before begun,
Left folly should the wretched work deface,
And mock thy fruitlefs labours with difgrace..
Fools huddle on and always are in hafte,
Act without thought, and thoughtless words
they waste.

But thou in all thou doft, with early cares
Strive to prevent at first a fate like theirs;
That forrow on the end may never wait.
Nor sharp repentance make thee wife too late.

Beware thy meddling hand in ought to try, That does beyond thy reach of knowledge ly;

But feek to know, and bend thy serious thought
To search the profitable knowledge out.
So joys on joys for ever fhall increase,
Wifdom fhall crown thy labours, and fhall
blefs

Thy life with pleasure, and thy end with peace.

Nor let the body want its part, but share A just proportion of thy tender care:

For

For health and welfare prudently provide, And let its lawful wants be all fupply'd. Let fober draughts refresh, and wholefome fare

Decaying nature's wafted force repair ;And fprightly exercife the duller fpirits chear.

In all things ftill which to this care belong, Obferve this rule, to guard thy foul from wrong.

By virtuous ufe thy life and manners frame, Manly and fimply pure, and free from blame.

Provoke not envy's deadly rage, but fly The glancing curfe of her malicious eye.

Seek not in needlefs luxury to waste Thy wealth and substance, with a spendthrift's hafte;

Yet flying thefe, be watchful, left thy mind,
Prone to extremes, an equal danger find,
And be to fordid avarice inclin'd.

Diftant alike from each, to neither lean,
But ever keep the happy GOLDEN MEAN.

Be careful ftill to guard thy foul from
wrong,

And let thy thought prevent thy hand and

tongue.

Let not the ftealing god of fleep furprize Nor creep in flumbers on thy weary eyes, E'er ev'ry action of the former day Strictly thou doft and righteously furvey.

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