Where favage nature in one common lies,
By homely cots poffefs'd; all fqualid, wild, Un And defpicably poor, they range the field,
And feel their fhare of hunger, care, and pain, #f
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 frefheft viands; fragrant fruits Enjoy'd with trembling, and in danger fought. But where th' appointed limits of a law Fences the general fafety of the world, No greater quiet reigns; for wanton man, In giddy frolick easily leaps o'er
His own invented bounds; hence rapine, fraud, Revenge, and luft, and all the hideous train Of nameless ills, diftort the meagre mind To endless shapes of woe. Here misers mourn 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; prophetick tears And infant cries prelude his future woes; And all is one continu'd scene of grief, "Till the fad fable curtain falls in death.
But that laft act shall in one moment clofe Of doubt and darkness; pain fhall crack the ftrings Of life decayed; no lefs the foul convuls'd, Trembles in anxious cares, and fhuddering stands, ⠀ i Afraid to leap into the opening gulph
Of future fate, till all the banks of clay Fall from beneath his feet: in vain he grasps 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 stretch its rays Afkance my paths, in deepeft darkness veil'd) Is funk into his focket; inly there
It burns à dismal 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 rising shade Sit hov'ring o'er all nature's various face. Mufick fhall cease, and inftruments of joy Shall fail that fullen hour; nor can the mind Attend their founds, when fancies swim in death, Confus'd and crush'd with cares: for long shall seem 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 fhapeless rout
Of wild imagination dance and play Before his eyes obfcure; till all in death
Shall vanish, and the prisoner, 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 hoft 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 deftin'd body, wait.
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 fhort precepts from a faithful heart.
"What tho❞ the gods a Neftor's age deny! "Let management a longer life supply,`
"And learn, at leaft, to live, before you die. "A little tract, well till'd, more profit yields "Than realms of wild, uncultivated fields. " "Tis not from length of years our pleasures flow, "Nor to the gods alone our blifs we owe. "Our happiness, and pain depend on us : "Man's his own good, or evil genius. "Great ills by art we lighten, or remove, "And art our meaneft pleasures may improve: "Mach to ourselves is due, tho' much to Jove. "Think not, young prince, your elevated state, "Birth, honours, or the empty name of great, "Can fix your joys; they're ill fecur'd, unless "You know yourself to form your happiness, "Which in the shepherd's humble hut is found, "While palaces with difcord ftill refound. "Fortune to industry is ever kind,
"And, tho' by the blind vulgar painted blind, “Is still more equal than the crowd suppose, "Who judge of happiness by outward shows; "She fmiles on all conditions, each may be "A man of pleasure in his own degree.
"Yet few with art their happiness pursue, "Tho' all mankind have happiness in view, "And ev'ry fenfe feems made by nature's skill "For giving pleasure and avoiding ill.
"Nature our common mother has been kind, "And for a race of joy her fons defign'd, "Who long to reach the goal, yet lazy, lag behind, "Or wholly blind, or doubtful how t' advance, "They leave the work of industry to chance. "And of thofe few who with more active strife "Purfue this great, important end of life, "Some, too impatient, know not how to wait "Or aim at things beyond their human state: "Thefe laft thro' too much delicacy fall, "And by refining rob themselves of all.
"Shun then, Achilles, shun the faults of fuch, "Who ftill propofe too little, or too much. "Stretch not your hopes too far, nor yet defpair, "But above all, of indolence beware.
"Attend to what you do, or life will seem "But a mere vifion, or fantastick dream, "Pass'd in ideas of delight, at best; "While real pleasure's loft in doubtful reff. "In short, learn when, and how to bear; in vain. "He pleasure seeks, who is afraid of pain; "Pleasure's a serious thing, and cheaply bought "By labour, patience, management, and thought, "But you, afpiring youth, by nature seem "Addicted to an oppofite extreme;
Impetuous, and reftlefs, foon inflam'd,
"And, like a generous courfer, hardly tam'd;
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