The PICTURE of HUMAN LIFE.

Tranflated from the GREEK of CEBES the THEBAN.

By Mr. T. SCOTT.

Et vite monftrata via eft.

HOR.

'HILE Saturn's fane with folemn step we trod, And view'd the votive honours of the God,

A pictur'd tablet, o'er the portal rais'd,

Attach'd our eye: in wonder lost, we gaz’d.

The pencil there fome strange device had wrought, 5
And fables, all its own, disguis'd the thought.

Nor camp
Whose moral mock'd our labour to divine,
Was a wall'd court, where rose another bound,
And, higher ftill, a third ftill lefs'ning ground.
The nether area open'd, at a gate

it feem'd, nor city: the defign,

Where a vast crowd impatient feem'd to wait.

10

This temple was probably in the city of Thebes, for Cebes was a Theban.

▸ Devout offerings, for the most part in discharge of vows.

Within,

Within, a group of female figures ftood,
In motley dress, a sparkling multitude.
Without, in ftation at the porch, was feen
A venerable form, in act and mien

Like fome great teacher who with urgent tongue,
Authoritative, warn'd the rufhing throng.
From doubt to doubt we wander'd; when appear'd
A fire, who thus the hard folution clear'd.

Strangers, that allegoric fcene, I guess,
Conquers your skill, our home-born wits no lefs.
A foreigner, long fince, whofe nobler mind
Learning's best culture to strong genius join'd,

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20

Here liv'd, convers'd, and fhew'd th' admiring age 25 Another Samian or Elean fage.

He rear'd this dome to Saturn's aweful name,

And gave that portrait to eternal fame.

He reason'd much, high argument he chose,

High as his theme his great conceptions rofe.

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Such wisdom flowing from a mouth but young
I heard astonish'd, and enjoy'd it long:
Him oft I heard this moral piece expound,
With nervous eloquence and fenfe profound.
Father, if leifure with thy will confpire,
Yield, yield that comment to our warm defire.

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Free

e

Free to bestow, I warn you firft, beware:
Danger impends, which fummons all your care.

Wife, virtuous, bleft, whose heart our precepts gain,

Abandon'd, blind, and wretched, who difdain. 40 For know, our purpos'd theme resembles best

The fam'd Enigma of the Theban pest:

Th' interpreter a plighted crown enjoy'd,
The stupid perish'd, by the Sphinx destroy'd.
Count Folly as a Sphinx to all mankind,
Her problem, How is Good and Ill defin'd?
Misjudging here, by Folly's law we die,
Not inftant victims of her cruelty;

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From day to day our reasoning part she wounds, Devours its ftrength, its nobleft pow'rs confounds: 50 Awakes the lafh of Punishment, and tears

d

The mind with pangs

which guilty life prepares.
With oppofite effect, where thoughtful skill
Difcerns the boundaries of Good and Ill,
Folly muft perish; and th' illumin'd breaft
To Virtue fav'd, is like th' immortals blest.
Give audience, then, with no unheeding ear.
O bafte, no heedlefs auditors ftand here,

The Cafelian and Salmafian editions read

inftead of πικροί bitter.

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πονηροι wicked,

Vide ver. 186.

With strong defire, in dread fufpence we wait,
So great the bleffing, and the bane fo great.
Instant, he rais'd his oratorial hand,
And faid (our eye he guided with a wand)
Behold life's pencil'd scene, the natal gate,

The numbers thronging into mortal state.

60

Which danger's path, and which to fafety bears, 65 That ancient, Genius of mankind, declares.

See him aloft, benevolent he bends,

One hand is pointing, one a roll extends
Reason's imperial code; by heav'n imprest
In living letters on the human breast.
Oppos'd to him, Delufion plies her part,

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With skin of borrow'd fnow, and blush of art,

With hypocritic fawn, and eyes askance

Whence foft infection steals in every glance.

Her faithless hand presents a crystal bowl,
Whose pois'nous draught intoxicates the foul.
Error and ignorance infus'd, compofe

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The fatal beverage which her fraud bestows.

Is that the hard condition of our birth?

Must all drink error who appear on earth?

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All; yet in fome their measure drowns the mind,

Others but taste, lefs erring and lefs blind.

Th' Opinions, and Defires, and Pleasures rife
Behind the gate, thick-glitt'ring on our eyes;
Thick as bright atoms in the folar ray,
Diverse their drap'ry and profusely gay.

These tempting forms, each like a mistress drest,
Our early steps with pow'rful charms arrest:
Soon as we enter life, with various art

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Of dalliance they affail th' unguarded heart.

90

All promise joy, we rush to their embrace;
To blifs or ruin here begins our race.
Happy, thrice happy, who intrust their youth
To right Opinions, and ascend to Truth:

Whom Wisdom tutors, whom the Virtues hail,
And with their own substantial feast regale.
The reft are harlots: by their flatt'ries won,
In chase of empty fciences we run:
Or Fortune's vanities purfue, and stray
With fenfual Pleafure in more dang'rous way.
See the mad rounds their giddy followers tread,
Delufion's cup ftrong working in their head.
Fast as one shoal of fools have delug'd through,
Succeeding fhoals the bufy farce renew.

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100

Who on that globe stands ftretching to her flight? 105 Wild feems her afpect, and bereav'd of fight.

• The first court, or the fenfual life.

Fortune,