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 deserves her song. Youth is fair virtue's season, virtue then
Requires the pruner's hand; the sequent stage, It barely vegetates; nor long the space Ere robb'd of warmth its arid trunk display 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 fpring! Yet hapless state of man! his earliest youth Cozens itself; his age defrauds mankind.
Nor deem it strange that rolling years abrade The focial biafs. Life's extenfive page What does it but unfold repeated proofs Of gold's omnipotence? With patriots, friends, Sick'ning beneath its ray, enervate some, 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 fhed.
But who shall fave by tame profaic strain
That glowing breaft, where wit with youth confpires To sweeten luxury? The fearful mufe
Shall yet proceed, tho' by the fainteft gleam Of hope infpir'd, to warn the train fhe loves.
'N fome dark season, when the misty show'r Obfcures the fun, and faddens all the sky; When linnets drop the wing, nor grove nor ftream Invites thee forth, to fport thy drooping mufe; Seize the dull hour, nor with regret affign To worldly prudence. She nor nice nor coy Accepts the tribute of a joyless day;
She fmiles well-pleas'd, when wit and mirth recede, And not a grace, and not a muse will hear. Then, from majestic MARO's aweful strain, Or tow'ring HOMER, let thine eye defcend To trace, with patient industry, the page.. Of income and expence. And oh ! ́beware, Thy breaft, felf-flatt'ring, place no courtly fmile, No golden promife of your faithlefs muse, Nor latent mine which fortune's hand may fhew, Amid thy solid store. The firen's fong Wrecks not the lift'ning failor, half fo fure. See by what avenues, what devious paths,
The foot of want, detefted, fteals along, And bars each fatal pafs. Some few short hours
Of punctual care, the refuse of thy year
On frugal schemes 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, fyftems, 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 fway, amid the wreck
Their union fhou'd furvive; with Roman warmth, By facred hofpitable laws endear'd,
Shou'd each idea recollect its friend.
Here then we fix; on this perennial base
Erect thy fafety, and defy the storm.
Let foft profufion's fair idea join
Her hand with poverty; nor here defift,
'Till, o'er the groupe that forms their various train
Thou fing loud hymenéals. Let the pride Of outward fhew in lafting leagues combine With fhame thread-bare; the gay vermilion face Of rash intemp❜rance, be difcreetly pair'd With fallow hunger; the licentious joy,
With mean dependence; ev'n the dear delight Of sculpture, paint, intaglio's, books, and coins, Thy breaft, fagacious prudence! fhall connect With filth and beggary; nor disdain to link With black infolvency. Thy foul alarm'd Shall fhun the firen's voice; nor boldly dare To bid the foft enchantress share thy breast, With fuch a train of horrid fiends conjoin'd.
Nor think, ye fordid race! ye groveling minds! I frame the fong for you! for you, the muse Cou❜d other rules impart. The friendly strain For gentler bofoms plan'd, to yours wou'd prove The juice of lurid aconite, exceed
Whatever COLCHOS bore; and in your breast Compaffion, love, and friendship all destroy! It greatly shall avail, if e'er thy ftores Increase apace, by periodic days Of annual payment, or thy patron's boon, The lean reward of grofs unbounded praise! It much avails, to feize the present hour, And, undeliberating, call around
Thy hungry creditors; their horrid rage When once appeas'd, the small remaining store
Shall rise in weight tenfold, in luftre rise,
As gold improv❜d by many a fierce assay. 'Tis thus the frugal husbandman directs His narrow ftream, if o'er its wonted banks By fudden rains impell'd, it proudly swell; His timely hand thro' better tracks conveys The quick-decreasing tide; ere borne along Or thro' the wild morafs, or cultur'd field, Or bladed grass mature, or barren fands, It flow destructive, or it flow in vain ! But happiest he who fanctifies expence By prefent pay! who fubjects not his fame To tradesmen's varlets, nor bequeaths his name, His honour'd name, to deck the vulgar page Of base mechanic, fordid, unfincere! There haply, while thy mufe fublimely foars Beyond this earthly sphere, in heav'n's abodes, And dreams of nectar and ambrofial sweets, Thy growing debt steals unregarded o'er The punctual record; till nor РHOEBUS felf- Nor fage MINERVA's art can aught avail To foothe the ruthlefs dun's detested rage. Frantic and fell, with many a curfe profane He loads the gentle mufe; then hurls thee down To want, remorse, captivity and shame.
Each public place, the glitt'ring haunts of men, With horror fly. Why loiter near thy bane?- Why fondly linger on a hoftile fhore Difarm'd, defenceless? why require to tread The precipice? or why alas to breathe
« 前へ次へ » |