But ere felf-flattery foothe the vivid breast
With dreams of fortune near ally'd to fame,
Reflect how few, who charm'd the lift'ning ear
Of fatrap or of king, her fmiles enjoy'd!
Confider well, what meagre alms repay'd
The great Mæonian, fire of tuneful fong,
And prototype of all that foar'd fublime,
And left dull cares below; what griefs impell'd
The modeft bard of learn'd ELIZA's reign
To fwell with tears his MULLA's parent stream,
And mourn aloud the pang" to ride, to run,
To spend, to give, to want, to be undone.”
Why fhou'd I tell of COWLEY'S penfive mufe
Belov'd in vain? too copious is my theme!
Which of your boasted race might hope reward
Like loyal BUTLER, when the lib'ral CHARLES,
The judge of wit, perus'd the sprightly page
Triumphant o'er his foes? Believe not hope,
The poet's parafite; but learn alone
To fpare the fcanty boon the fates decree.
Poet and rich! 'tis folecism extreme!
'Tis heighten'd contradiction! in his frame,
In ev'ry nerve and fibre of his foul,
The latent feeds and principles of want
Has nature wove; and fate confirm'd the clue.
Nor
yet defpair to fhun the ruder gripe
Of penury; with nice precifion learn
A dollar's value. Foremost in the page
That marks th' expence of each revolving year,
Place inattention. When the luft of praise,
Or honour's falfe idea, tempts thy foul
To flight frugality, affure thine heart
That danger's near. This perishable coin
Is no vain ore. It is thy liberty,
It fetters mifers, but it must alone
The world, the cit-like world.
Bids thee beware; thy little craft essay;
Nor, pidling with a tea-spoon's flender form,
See with foup-ladles devils gourmandize.
Economy! thou good old-aunt! whofe mien
Furrow'd with age and care the wife adore,
The wits contemn! referving ftill thy ftores
To chear thy friends at laft! why with the cit,
Or booklefs churl, with each ignoble name,
Each earthly nature, deign't thou to refide?
And fhunning all, who by thy favours crown'd
Might glad the world, to feek fome vulgar mind
Infpiring pride, and felfifh fhapes of ill?
Why with the old, infirm, and impotent,
And childless, love to dwell, yet leave the breast
Of youth, unwarn'd, unguided, uninform'd?
Of youth, to whom thy monitory voice
Were doubly kind? for fure to youthful eyes,
(How fhort foe'er it prove) the road of life
Appears protracted; fair on either fide
The loves, the graces play, on fortune's child
Profufely fmiling; well might youth effay
The frugal plan, the lucrative employ,
Source of their favour all the livelong day.
But fate affents not. Age alone contracts
His meagre palm, to clench the tempting bane
Of all his peace, the glitt'ring feeds of care!
O that the mufe's voice might pierce the ear
Of gen'rous youth! for youth deferves her fong.
Youth is fair virtue's season, virtue then
Requires the pruner's hand; the fequent stage,
It barely vegetates; nor long the space
Ere robb'd of warmth its arid trunk difplay
Fell winter's total reign. O lovely fource
Of gen'rous foibles, youth! when op'ning minds
Are honeft as the light, lucid as air,
As foft'ring breezes kind, as linnets gay,
Tender as buds, and lavish as the spring!
Yet hapless ftate of man! his earliest youth
Cozens itself; his age defrauds mankind.
Nor deem it ftrange that rolling years abrade
The focial biafs. Life's extensive page
What does it but unfold repeated proofs
Of gold's omnipotence? With patriots, friends,
Sick'ning beneath its ray, enervate fome,
And others dead, whofe putrid name exhales
A noisome scent, the bulky volume teems.
With kinfmen, brothers, fons, moist'ning the shroud,
Or honouring the grave, with fpecious grief
Of short duration; foon in fortune's beams
-Alert, and wond'ring at the tears they shed.
But who shall fave by tame profaic strain
eeten luxury? The fearful mufe
wet proceed, tho' by the fainteft gleam
pe infpir'd, to warn the train fhe loves.
some dark season, when the mifty show'r ofcures the fun, and faddens all the sky; linnets drop the wing, nor grove nor ftream es thee forth, to fport thy drooping mufe; the dull hour, nor with regret affign worldly prudence. She nor nice nor coy pts the tribute of a joylefs day;
imiles well-pleas'd, when wit and mirth recede, not a grace, and not a mufe will hear. , from majestic MARO's aweful strain, w'ring HOMER, let thine
race, with patient induftry, the page
ncome and expence. And oh! beware,
breast, self-flatt'ring, place no courtly smile,
golden promife of your faithlefs muse,
latent mine which fortune's hand may fhew,
d thy folid ftore. The firen's fong
cks not the lift'ning failor, half fo fure.
by what avenues, what devious paths,
foot of want, detefted, fteals along,
1 bars each fatal pass. Some few fhort hours
unctual care, the refufe of thy year
On frugal fchemes employ'd, fhall give the muse
To fing intrepid many a chearful day.
But if too foon before the tepid gales
Thy refolution melt; and ardent vows
In wary hours preferr'd or dye forgot,
Or feem the forc'd effect of hazy skies;
Then, ere furprize, by whofe impetuous rage
The maffy fort, with which thy gentler breast
I not compare, is won, the fong proceeds.
Know too by nature's undiminish'd law,
Throughout her realms obey'd, the various parts
Of deep creation, atoms, systems, all!
Attract and are attracted; nor prevails the law
Alone in matter; foul alike with foul
Afpires to join; nor yet in fouls alone,
In each idea it imbibes, is found
The kind propenfity. And when they meet,
And grow familiar, various tho' their tribe,
Their tempers various, vow perpetual faith :
That, fhou'd the world's disjointed frame once more
To chaos yield the sway, amid the wreck
Their union fhou'd furvive; with Roman warmth,
By facred hospitable laws endear'd,
Shou'd each idea recollect its friend.
Here then we fix; on this perennial base
Erect thy fafety, and defy the ftorm.
Let foft profufion's fair idea join
Her hand with poverty; nor here defift,
"Till, o'er the groupe that forms their various train
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