But turn'd the Tube upon his Faults to look;
Forgot his Youth, spent in his Country's Caufe,
His Care of Right, his Rev'rence to the Laws:
But could with Joy his Years of Folly trace,
Broken and old in BATHSHEBA's Embrace;
Could follow Him, where-e'er He ftray'd from Good,
And cite his fad Example; whilft I trod

Paths open to Deceit; and track'd with Blood.
Soon docile to the fecret Arts of Ill,

With Smiles I could betray, with Temper kill:
Soon in a Brother could a Rival view;
Watch all his Acts, and all his Ways purfue.

In vain for Life He to the Altar fled:

Ambition and Revenge have certain Speed.

Ev'n there, My Soul, ev'n there He should have fell; But that my Intereft did my Rage conceal.

Doubling my Crime, I promise, and deceive;

Purpose to flay, whilft fwearing to forgive.

Treaties, Perfwafions, Sighs, and Tears are vain:
With a mean Lie curs'd Vengeance I fuftain;
Joyn Fraud to Force, and Policy to Pow'r;
"Till of the deftin'd Fugitive fecure,

In folemn State to Parricide I rife;

And, as GOD lives, this Day my Brother dies.

Be

Quæ tamen hinc lacrymæ, quantus dolor! Ut libet

atrum

Delere ex animo fcelus! Ut prætexere vellem
Nominibus falfis fraternæ opprobria cædis,

Alteriufque onerare immani crimine famam!
Nequicquam heu! gladium fi dextra aliena cruentum
Egerit, imperium Regis dextra illa fecuta eft :
Omne meum eft; facinus, quod lacryma multa perenni
Ufque fluens curfu vix tandem abftergere poffit:
Hinc folùm, hinc folitam fperat mens confcia pacem,
Fletibus affiduis, longoque exercita lucu.-

Corde adeo trepidante, parum facunda, neque artem Oftentans, noftrum veraci carmine Mufa

Opprobrium explicuit, fidâque ingrata tabellâ
Defcribens actæ ætatis veftigia, pandit

Quàm fpes vana hominum, quàm vanæ pectora curæ
Exagitant; primoque à vitæ carcere feram

Ad metam,quàm nigrum iter eft,quàmq; undiq;acerbum!
Nugarum immensâ hac ferie jam pene peractâ,
Tædia longa querens vitæ, mihi mortis in umbrâ
Polliceor requiem optatam blandofque receffus :
Huc metus haud penetrant terrorque; nec atra doloris

Tan

Be Witness to my Tears, Celestial Muse! In vain I would forget, in vain excuse Fraternal Blood by my Direction spilt;

In vain on JOA B's Head transfer the Guilt: O The Deed was acted by the Subject's Hand;

The Sword was pointed by the King's Commandɔ797-d Mine was the Murder: it was Mine alone; 50

Years of Contrition must the Crime attone:

Nor can my guilty Soul expect Relief,

But from a long Sincerity of Grief.

With an imperfect Hand, and trembling Heart,
Her Love of Truth fuperior to her Art,
Already the reflecting Mufe has trac'd

The mournful Figures of my Action paft:
The penfive Goddess has already taught,
How vain is Hope, and how vexatious Thought;
From growing Childhood to declining Age,
How tedious ev'ry Step, how gloomy ev'ry Stage.
This Course of Vanity almoft compleat,

Tir'd in the Field of Life, I hope Retreat

i

In the ftill Shades of Death: for Dread and Pain,
And Grief will find their Shafts elanc'd in vain,

Tangunt tela Virum placidâ jam pace fepulchri
Compofitum, & mortis recubantem mollius ulnis.

Cur trepidas, Ratio? quidnam eft Mors ifta? nihilne Præter torpentem concreti fanguinis æstum, Interclufa animæ fpiracula, membra vigore Orbata, & pofita anguftæ spatia ultima vitæ? Fumus ut accenfo glomerari vifus ab igne Se furfum rapit, & tenues vanefcit in auras; Ut celerem per inane fugam volitantia carpunt Nubila, præcipitique abeunt disperdita vento: Sic Hominum fubito pede lubrica labitur ætas; Vitæ fic vapor emicat, in vacuumque recedit Aera; fic fpatiis inftans propioribus ortum Occafus juxta infequitur, cunafque fepulchrum.

Que Timidi horrorem, quæ vota medetur Avari, Mors finem adducit, quem non procul abfore cuncti Novimus: hinc animo fatalia tempora forti Profpiciens, lethum contemne, nec infcia flecti Naturæ jura incufes; quin munera vitæ, Non aliâ data lege, hilaris lætufque reponas.

His Sapiens dictis, fecum diverfa volutans,

Refpon

And their Points broke, retorted from the Head,
Safe in the Grave, and free among the Dead.

Yet tell Me, frighted Reafon! what is Death?
Blood only stopp'd, and interrupted Breath?
The utmoft Limit of a narrow Span,

And End of Motion which with Life began?
As Smoke that rifes from the kindling Fires
Is feen this Moment, and the next expires:
As empty Clouds by rifing Winds are toft,
Their fleeting Forms scarce fooner found than loft:
So vanishes our State: fo pafs our Days:
So Life but opens now, and now decays:
The Cradle and the Tomb, alas! fo nigh;
To live is scarce diftinguish'd from to dye.

Cure of the Mifer's Wish, and Coward's Fear, Death only fhews Us, what We knew was near, With Courage therefore view the pointed Hour; Dread not Death's Anger; but expect his Pow'r; Nor Nature's Law with fruitless Sorrow mourn; But dye, O Mortal Man! for Thou waft born.

Cautious thro' Doubt; by Want of Courage, Wise,