Youth does a thousand pleasures bring,
Which from decrepit age will fly.
The flow'rs that flourish in the fpring,
In Winter's cold embraces die.

IV.

Now Love, that everlasting boy! invites
To revel while you may in foft delights:
Now the kind nymph yields all her charms,
Nor yields in vain to youthful arms.

Slowly the promises at night to meet,

But eagerly prevents the hour with swifter feet:

To gloomy groves and obfcure fhades the flies,

50

55

Would more unwillingly depart,

There veils the bright confeffion of her eyes:
Unwillingly fhe stays,

And in feft fighs conveys

60

The whispers of her heart.

Still the invites and ftill denies,

And vows fhe 'll leave you if you're rude,
Then from her ravifher the flies,

65

But flies to be purfu'd:

If from his fight she does herself convey,
With a feign'd laugh the will herself betray,
And cunningly inftru& him in the way.

69

STANZAS

IN IMITATION OF

HORACE, LIB. II ODE XIV.

Ebeu fugaces, Pofbume, Pofibume,
Labuntur anni, &c.

I.

An! no, 't is all in vain, believe me 'tis,
This pious artifice:

Not all these pray'rs and alms can buy

One moment tow'rd eternity.

Eternity! that boundless race

Which Time himself can never run,

(Swift as he flies with an unwearied pace)

Which, when ten thousand thousand years are done,

Is ftill the fame, and ftill to be begun.

Fix'd are thofe limits which prefcribe

A fhort extent to the most lafting breath;
And tho' thou couldft for facrifice lay down

10

Millions of other lives to fave thy own,

T'were fruitless all; not all would bribe One fupernumerary gafp from Death.

15

In vain's thy inexhausted store
Of wealth, in vain thy pow'r;
Thy honours, titles, all must fail,
Where piety itself can nought avall.

The rich, the great, the innocent, and just,
Must all be huddled to the grave

With the most vile and ignominious slave,
And undiftinguish'd lie in duft.

In vain the fearful flies alarms,

20

In vain he is fecure from wounds of arms,

23

In vain avoids the faithlets feas,

And is confin'd to home and ease,

Bounding his knowledge to extend his days:
In vain are all thofe arts we try,
All our evafions and regret to die;
From the contagion of mortality
No clime is pure, no air is free;
And no retreat

Is fo obfcure as to be hid from Fate.

III.

30

35

Thou must, alas! thou must, my Friend,
(The very hour thou now doft fpend
In ftudying to avoid brings on thy end)
Thou must forego the dearest joys of life,
Leave the warm bofom of thy tender wife,
And all the much-lov'd offspring of her womb, 40
To moulder in the cold embraces of a tomb.
All must be left, and all be loft;

Thy houfe, whofe ftately structure fo much coft,
Shall not afford

Room for the flinking carcass of its lord.

45

Of all thy pleafant gardens, grots, and bow'rs,
Thy coftly fruits, thy far-fetch'd plants and flow'rs,

Nought fhalt thou fave,

Or but a sprig of rosemary shalt have,

To wither with thee in the grave:

50

Which thou haft taken so much pains to get :

All thy hid ftores he shall unfold,

And fet at large thy captive gold.

That precious wine, condemn'd by thee

To vaults and prifons, fhall again be free;

60

Bury'd alive tho' now it lies,

Again shall rife,

Again its sparkling furface show,

And free as element profufely flow.

With fuch high food he shall set forth his feafts, 65

That Cardinals fhall wish to be his guests,

And pamper'd prelates fee

Themfelves outdone in luxury.

68

M

PRIAM'S

LAMENTATION AND PETITION

TO

ACHILLES

FOR THE BODY OF HIS SON HECTOR.

Franflated from the Greek of Homer, 'Iniá♪. w.

Beginning at this line,

*Ως ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη πρὸς μακρὸν, "Ολυμπον
Ερμείας

The Argument Introdutorg.

HECTOR'S body, (after he was flain) remained ftill in the poffeffion of Achilles, for which Priam made great lamentation. Jupiter had pity on him, and fent Iris to comfort him, and direct him after what manner he should go to Achilles' tent, and how he fhould there ranfom the hody of his fon. Prian, accordingly orders his chariot to be got ready, and, preparing rich prafents for Achilles, fets forward to the Grecian camp, accompanied by nobody but his herald Idæus. Mer cury, at Jupiter's command, meets him by the way, in the figure of a young Grecian, and, after bemoaning his misfortunes, undertakes to drive his chariot, unobferved, through the guards, and to the door of Achilles' tent; which having performed, he difcovered himself a god, and giving him a thort inftruction how to move Achilles te compaffion, fiew up to heaven.

So fpake the god, and heav'nward took his flight;
When Priam from his chariot did alight,
Leaving Idus there, alone he went,

With folenin pace into Achilles' tent.

Icedleis he pafs'd thro' various rooms of ftate, 5 Matil approaching where the hero fat;