Began: That human learning's furthest reach Parent of wicked, bane of honeft deeds, 685 690 695 700 705 710 My Prophets and my Sophifts finish'd here Their civil efforts of the verbal war : Not fo my Rabbins and Logicians yield; Retiring, ftill they combat: from the field Of open arms unwilling they depart, And foulk behind the fubterfuge of art. To fpeak one thing mix'd dialects they join, Divide the fimple, and the plain define; Fix fancy'd laws, and form imagin'd rules, Terms of their art, and jargon of their schools, Ill-grounded maxims, by falfe glofs enlarg'd, And captious fcience against reafon charg'd. Soon their crude notions with each other fought; The adverfe fect deny'd what this had taught; And he at length the ampleft triumph gain'd Who contradicted what the laft maintain'd. 715 720 O wretched impotence of human mind! 725 Why doft thou ftrive the conscious fhame to hide, By masks of eloquence and veils of pride? 730 With outward fmiles their flatt'ry I receiv'd, Own'd my fick mind by their discourse reliev'd; 735 [weigh'd. Light flew the knowing fcale, the doubtful heavy Forc'd by reflective reafon, I confefs That human fcience is uncertain guefs. 740 Alas! we grafp at clouds, and beat the air, Vexing that spirit we intend to clear. Can thought beyond the bounds of matter climb ? Or who fhall tell me what is space or time? In vain we lift up our prefumptuous eyes 745 To what our Maker to their ken denies : The fearcher follows faft, the object faster flies. Seduces only the bewilder'd mind To fruitless fearch of fomething yet behind. 750 How narrow limits were to Wisdom giv’n ? Earth fhe furveys; fhe thence would measure heav'n: Thro' mifts obfcure now wings her tedious way, 756 Now wanders, dazzled with too bright a day, And from the fummit of a pathlefs coaft Sees infinite, and in that fight is loft. Remember that the curs'd defire to know, 760 765 Which flaming fwords and angry cherubs guard. 767 BOOK II. Texts chiefly alluded to in this Book. I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure, Eccles. chap. ii. ver. 1. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards, ver. 4. I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits, ver. 5. I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees, ver. 6. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun, ver. 11. Igat me men-singers, and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts, ver. 8. I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine (yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom) and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life, ver. 3. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me: and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity, Eccles, chap. ii. ver. 15. Therefore I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me, chap. ii. ver. 17. Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour, so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour, chap. x. ver. 1. The memory of the just is blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rot, Prou. chap. x. ver.". PLEASURE. BOOK II. The Argument. solomon, again feeking happinefs, inquires if wealth and greatnefs can preduce it: begins with the magnificence of gardens and buildings; the luxury of mufic and feasting and proceeds to the hopes and defires of love. In two epifodes are fhewn the follies and troubles of that paffion. Solomon, fill difar pointed, falls under the temptations of libertinifm and idolatry recovers his thought; reafons aright; and concludes that, as to the purfuit of pleafure and fenfual delight, ALL IS VANITY AND VEXATION OF SPIRIT, RY then, O Man, the moments to deceive That from the womb attend thee to the graves For weary'd Nature find fome apter scheme; I commun'd thus: the pow'r of wealth I try'd, 10 15 20 25 |