Next flood Miftruft, with frequent figh,
Disorder'd look, and fquinting eye;
While meagre Envy claim'd a place,
And Jealoufy with jaundic'd face.

• But where is Happiness?' I cry'd.
My guardian turn'd, and thus reply'd.
Mortal, by Folly ftill beguil'd,
Thou haft not yet out-ftripp'd the child;
Thou, who hast twenty winters feen,
⚫ (I hardly think thee past fifteen)
• To afk if Happiness can dwell
• With ev'ry dirty imp of hell!
Go to the school-boy, he shall preach
• What twenty winters cannot teach ;
He'll tell thee, from his weekly theme,
• That thy pursuit is all a dream;
• That blifs ambitious views difowns,
And felf-dependent, laughs at thrones;
Prefers the fhades, and lowly feats,
Whither fair Innocence retreats :
So the coy lily of the vale,

Shuns eminence, and loves the dale.'

I blush'd; and now we cross'd the plain,
To find the money-getting train;
Thofe filent, fnug, commercial bands,
With bufy looks, and dirty hands.
Amidst these thoughtful crowds, the old
Plac'd all their happinefs in gold:
And furely if there's blifs below,
These hoary heads the fecret know.

We journey'd with the plodding crew,
When foon a temple rose to view ;
A Gothick pile! with mofs o'er-grown ;
Strong were the walls, and built with ftone.
Without a thousand mastiffs wait;

A thousand bolts fecure the gate.
2 R 2

We

We fought admiffion long in vain ;

For here all favours fell for gain:

The greedy porter yields to gold,
His fee receiv'd, the gates unfold.
Affembled nations here we found,

And view'd the cringing herds around,
Who daily facrific'd to Wealth,

1.

Their honour, confcience, peace, and health.
I saw no charms that could engage;
The god appear'd like fordid age,
With hooked nofe, and famifh'd jaws,
But ferpent's eyes, and harpy's claws!
Behind flood Fear, that reftlefs fprite,
Which haunts the watches of the night;
And viper Care, that ftings fo deep,
Whofe deadly venom murders fleep.

We haften now to Pleasure's bow'rs;
Where the gay tribes fat crown'd with flow'rs :
Here Beauty ev'ry charm display'd,
And Love inflam'd the yielding maid;
Delicious wine our tafte employs,
His crimson bowl exalts our joys.
I felt it's gen'rous pow'r, and thought
The pearl was found, that long I fought.
Determin'd here to fix my home,

I blefs'd the change, nor wifh'd to roam:
The feraph difapprov'd my stay,
Spread her fair plumes, and wing'd away.
Alas! whene'er we talk of bliss,
How prone is man to judge amiss! '
See, a long train of ills confpires
To fcourge our uncontroul'd defires.
Like fummer fwarms difeafes croud,
Each bears a crutch, or each a shroud:
Fever! that thirsty fury, came,
With inextinguishable flame;

Confumption

Confumption, fworn ally of Death!
Crept flowly on with panting breath;

Gout roar'd, and fhew'd his throbbing feet,
And Dropfy took the drunkard's feat:
Stone brought his tott'ring racks; and near
Sat Palfy, fhaking in her chair.

A mangled youth, beneath a fhade,
A melancholy scene display'd:

His nofelefs face, and loathfome stains,
Proclaim'd the poifon in his veins ;
He rais'd his eyes, he fmote his breast,
He wept aloud, and thus addrefs'd.

Forbear the harlot's false embrace,
Tho' lewdnefs wear an angel's face:
Be wife, by my experience taught;
I die, alas! for want of thought!"
As he who travels Lybia's plains,
Where the fierce lion lawless reigns,
Is feiz'd with fear and wild difmay,
When the grim foe obftructs his way;
My foul was pierc'd with equal fright,
My tott'ring limbs oppos'd my flight:
I call'd on Virtue, but in vain ;
Her abfence quicken'd ev'ry pain.
At length the flighted angel heard;
The dear refulgent form appear'd.

Prefumptuous youth!' fhe faid, and frown'd; (My heart-ftrings flutter'd at the found ;)

• Who turns to me reluctant ears,
• Shall shed repeated floods of tears.

• These rivers fhall for ever laft;
• There's no retracting what is past:
• Nor think avenging ills to fhun;
Play a falfe card, and you're undone.
Of Pleasure's gilded baits beware,
Nor tempt the Syren's fatal fnare:

Forego this curs'd, detefted place,
• Abhor the ftrumpet, and her race.
Had you thofe fofter paths purfu'd,
Perdition, ftrippling, had enfu'd;
Yes, fly you ftand upon it's brink;:
To-morrow is too late to think.

Indeed, unwelcome truths I tell,
• But mark my facred lesson well:
With me whoever lives at ftrife,
• Lofes his better friend for life;
With me who lives in friendship's ties,
Finds all that's fought for by the wife.
Folly exclaims, and well the may,

• Because I take her mask away ;、

If once I bring her to the fun,

• The painted harlot is undone.

But prize, my child, oh! prize my rules,
And leave Deception to her fools.

• Ambition deals in tinsel toys,
• Her traffick gewgaws, fleeting joys!
• An errant juggler in disguise,

• Who holds false opticks to your eyes.
• But, ah! how quick the shadows pass!
Tho' the bright vifions thro' her glass
• Charm at a distance; yet, when near,
The bafelefs fabricks difappear..

Nor riches boaft intrinfick worth ;.
• Their charms, at best, fuperior earth:
Thefe oft the heav'n-born mind enslave,

• And make an honest man a knave.
"Wealth cures my wants!" the mifer cries:
Be not deceiv'd, the mifer lyes;

One want he has, with all his store,

• That worst of wants-the want of more.

"Take Pleafure, Wealth, and Pomp away, "And where is Happiness?" you say.

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• 'Tis

'Tis here--and may be yours-for, know, I'm all that's happiness below.

• To Vice I leave tumultuous joys;
Mine is the fill and fofter voice,
That whispers peace when ftorms invade,
And mufick thro' the midnight fhade.

Come, then, be mine in ev'ry part,
• Nor give me less than all your heart;
When troubles difcompofe your breaft,
I'll enter there a chearful gueft:

My converse shall your cares beguile,
The little world within shall smile;
And then it scarce imports a jot,

• Whether the great world frowns or not.
• And when the clofing fcenes prevail,
When wealth, ftate, pleasure, all fhall fail;
All that a foolish world admires,

• Or Paffion craves, or Pride infpires:
At that important hour of need,
• Virtue fhall prove a friend indeed!

My hands fhall fmooth thy dying bed,
• My arms fuftain thy drooping head:
And when the painful ftruggle's o'er,'
•And that vain thing, the world, no more;
I'll bear my fav'rite fon away,
To rapture, and eternal day.'

FRIENDSHIP.

VISION VI.

RIENDSHIP! thou foft propitious pow'r!

Sweet regent of the social hour!

Sublime thy joys, nor understood,
But by the virtuous and the good!

Cabal