Atra, fevera Cohors, quibus anxia Vita laborat,
Ingens ipfa Malum, & mater foecunda Malorum.

Ufque adeo vexatur adhuc, blandumque levamen Venatu affiduo fruftra mens anxia quærit; Sperat adhuc, multi poft tædia longa laboris, Poft tot follicitos requiefcere fuaviter annos; Vana voluptatis fimulacra attingere poffe Exoptat; vitâque aliud dictante magiftrâ, Quod nufquam eft avidè petit, & fibi fomnia fingit Lætitiæ, miferis fine fine exercita curis.

Felix, qui vallem lacrymarum umbrafque doloris Extremas fuperans, tandem veftigia fixit; Qui longi attingens cursûs fpatia ultima, durum Depofuit pondus, placidâque in morte quievit; Quem fculpti vultus atque æra incifa fatentur Jam vitam comitumque agmen fuperâffe Malorum. Hic felix magis, & natus melioribus aftris, Qui fpatium peragit brevius, premiturque minori Pondere; quem vitam jam primùm haurire recentem Una dies, haustamque effundere proxima cernit. Ille autem longè ante alios felicior omnes,

Can fright, can alter, or can chain the Will;
Their Ills all built on Life, that fundamental Ill.

O fatal Search! in which the lab'ring Mind,
Still prefs'd with Weight of Woe, still hopes to find
A Shadow of Delight, a Dream of Peace,

From Years of Pain, one Moment of Release;
Hoping at least She may Her felf deceive,
Against Experience willing to believe,
Defirous to rejoice, condemn'd to grieve.

Happy the Mortal Man, who now at last
Has thro' this doleful Vale of Mis'ry paft;
Who to his deftin'd Stage has carry'd on
The tedious Load, and laid his Burden down;
Whom the cut Brafs, or wounded Marble shows
Victor o'er Life, and all Her Train of Woes.
He happyer yet, who privileg'd by Fate
To shorter Labor, and a lighter Weight,
Receiv'd but Yesterday the Gift of Breath,
Order'd To-morrow to return to Death.
But O! beyond Description happyeft He,
Who ne'er muft roll on Life's tumultuous Sea;

Who

Qui vixdum matris penitus formatus in alvo
Occidit ante diem; qui nunquam è carcere vitæ
Profiluit; neque prima etiam certaminis intrans
Tædia, (præcipuo fatorum munere) folis
Nefcivit lucem, & varios fub fole labores.

"Parce gravis nimium Cenfor! cur tam afpera tradis "Dogmata? cur adeo vitæ genus omne feveris "Legibus includas? quid Fafces, Splendor, Opefque? "Nonne Opibus pax alma datur; non Purpùra Reges, Victorefque beat Decus immortale superbos?

Tota, inquam, fimiles fubit undique vita procellas, Sollicito jactata metu trepidoque tumultu.

"Ergone per terras nufquam Pax ridet; & omnis "Scena venenati patitur contagia luctûs?

Nulla ufquam, Pax nulla --- age, confcia Mufa, dolores Pande nimis veros; fublimius exere vocem Mæsta fonaturam: fed vos procul ite, Profani, Dum plecro graviore canam, sociandaque magnis Verba loquar chordis, vulgi minus auribus apta. "O mentes Hominum illufas! Formidine mortis,

Who with blefs'd Freedom from the gen'ral Doom
Exempt, muft never force the teeming Womb,
Nor fee the Sun, nor fink into the Tomb.

Who breaths, must suffer; and who thinks, must mourn;
And He alone is blefs'd, who ne'er was born.

"Yet in thy turn, Thou frowning Preacher, hear : "Are not these general Maxims too fevere? "Say: cannot Pow'r fecure it's Owner's Blifs;

"And is not Wealth the potent Sire of Peace?

Are Victors bless'd with Fame, or Kings with Ease?

I tell Thee, Life is but one common Care; And Man was born to fuffer, and to fear.

"But is no Rank, no Station, no Degree "From this contagious Taint of Sorrow free?

None, Mortal, None; Yet in a bolder Strain
Let Me this melancholy Truth maintain :
But hence, Ye Worldly, and Prophane, retire:
For I adapt my Voice, and raise my Lyre
To Notions not by Vulgar Ear receiv'd:
Ye ftill muft covet Life, and be deceiv'd:

Affiduis fitietis adhuc extendere votis

Sæcula, & optatam vitæ captabitis umbram,
Sperantes fupereffe diu, famâque perenni
Partem aliquam fævo ereptam fervare fepulchro :
Utque olim memorum gratâ sub mente nepotum
Spiretis, celfas nitidafque parabitis ædes,
Grandiaque ingenti condetis fcripta labore.
Spes vanæ ! labor effufus! labentibus annis
Ipfæ ædes fato vigilataque pagina cedent.
O moniti toties! & adhuc res mira videtur,
Prætereunte ævo vafti membra omnia mundi
In fedes migrare alias, aliafque figuras,

Et revoluta novis nova nomina ducere formis?

Quid tandem pacis Sapientis nomen inane,
Quid Procerum dat honos? quid purpura Judicis, alti
Quid Regum tituli? En Regem fub pondere vafto
Sudantem imperii! fævo nunc auctus honore,

Surgit ad ingentes populi pro pace labores;
Nunc ruit infelix malefanæ victima plebi.

Agmen