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Oft have I faid; the praise of doing well
Is to the ear, as ointment to the smell.
Now, if fome flies perchance, however fmall,
Into the alabafter urn fhou'd fall;

The odours of the fweets inclosed, would die ;
And french corrupt (fad change!) their place supply.
So the leaft faults, if mixed with fairest deed,
Of future ill become the fatal feed:

Into the balm of pureft virtue caft,
Annoy all life with one contagious blaft.

Loft Solomon! purfue this thought no more:
Of thy paft errors recollect the store:

And filent weep, that while the deathless Muse
Shall fing the juft, fhall o'er their heads diffuse.
Perfumes with lavish hand; fhe fhall proclaim
Thy crimes alone; and to thy evil fame
Impartial, fcatter damps and poisons on thy name.

Awaking therefore, as who long had dream'd,
Much of my women, and their Gods afham'd;
From this abyss of exemplary vice

Refolved, as time might aid my thought, to rife;
Again I bid the mournful Goddess write
The fond pursuit of fugitive delight:

Bid her exalt her melancholy wing,

And, raised from earth, and fav'd from paffion, fing
Of human hope by crofs event deftroy'd,
Of ufelefs wealth, and greatnefs unenjoy'd,
Of luft and love, with their fantastic train,

Their wishes, fmiles, and looks deceitful, all and vain.

TEXTS

TE

X

T

S

CHIEFLY ALLUDED TO IN THE THIRD BOOK.

Or ever the filver cord be loofed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Ecclefiaftes, chap. xii. vers. 6.

The fum arifeth, and the fun goeth down, and haffeth to his place where he arofe. Ecclefiaftes, chap. I. verf. 5.

The wind goeth towards the fouth, and turneth about unto the north. It whirleth about continually; and the wind returneth again, according to his circuit. Verf. 6.

All the rivers run into the fea: yet the fea is not full. Unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. Verf. 7.

Then fhall the duft return to the earth, as it was : and the spirt fhall return unto God who gave it. Ecclefiaftes, chap. xii. vers. 7.

VOL. II.

F

Now

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from Heaven, and confumed the burnt-offering, and the facrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the houfe. II. Chronicles, chap. vii. verf. 1.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we fat down; yea we wept, when we remembered Sion, &c. Pfalm cxxxvii. verf. 1.

I faid of laughter, it is mad; and of mirth, what doth it? Ecclefiaftes, chap. ii. verfe 2.

No man can find out the work that God maketh, from the beginning to the end. Ecclefiaftes,

chap. iii. verf. 11.

Whatfoever God doth, it fhall be for ever; nothing

can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. Verf. 14.

Let us hear the conclufion of the whole matter; Fear God and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclefiaftes, chap. xii. Verf. 13.

POWER:

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THE

ARGUMENT.

Solomon confiders man through the feveral stages and conditions of life; and concludes in general, that we are all miferable. He reflects more particularly upon the trouble and uncertainty of greatnefs and power; gives fome inftances thereof from Adam down to himself; and ftill concludes that all is Vanity. He reafons again upon life, death, and a future being; finds human wifdom too imperfect to refolve his doubts; has recourfe to religion; is informed by an Angel, what shall happen to himself, his family, and his kingdom, 'till the redemption of Ifrael: and, upon the whole, refolves to fubmit his enquiries and anxieties to the will of his Creator.

COME

OME then, my foul: I call thee by that name, Thou busy thing, from whence I know I am: For, knowing what I am, I know thou art; Since that must needs exift, which can impart.

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But how cam'ft thou to be, or whence thy fpring?
For various of thee priests and poets fing.
Hear'ft thou fubmiffive: but a lowly birth,
Some feparate particles of finer earth,
A plain effect which nature must beget,
As motion orders, and as atoms meet;
Companion of the body's good or ill;

From force of inftinct more than choice of will
Confcious of fear or valour, joy or pain,

As the wild courfes of the blood ordain;
Who as degrees of heat and cold prevail,
In youth doft flourish, and with age shalt fail;
'Till mingled with thy partner's latest breath
Thou fly'ft diffolv'd in air, and loft in death.
Or if thy great exiftence would aspire
To caufes more fublime; of heavenly fire
Wer't thou a fpark ftruck off, a feparate ray,
Ordain'd to mingle with terrestrial clay?
With it condemn'd for certain years to dwell,
To grieve its frailties, and its pains to feel;
To teach it good and ill, difgrace or fame;
Pale it with rage, or redden it with shame:
To guide its actions with informing care,
In peace to judge, to conquer in the war;
Render it agile, witty, valiant, fage,
As fits the various course of human age;
"Till, as the earthly part decays and falls,
The captive breaks her prifon's mouldering walls;

Hovers

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