4

Refpondet tandem, dubius metuenfque futuri:
Si mecum evolvam fpatium omne, quod ufque peregit
Lapforum fine fine volubilis ordo dierum,

Ex quo profiluit de carcere Tempus, ad horam
Quâ primùm incepi matris concrescere in alvo,
Aut Nil prorfus eram, aut memet faltem ipfe latebam.
Rurfufne in Nihilum fatorum lege revertar,

Hâc artus fugiente Animâ: penitufne jacebo
Perditus, anguftâque æternùm condar in urnâ?
Particulæ, hoc corpus quæ compofuere, caducos
Illapfæ in cineres, nunquamne in prifca coibunt
Fædera: fed rerum confusâ mole folutæ,
Incipient membra in diverfa aliafque figuras
Ire, nec agnofcent veteris veftigia formæ?
An Vox illa, Homini vitæ quæ infundere fenfum
Dignata est, prohibet redivivo accendier igne?
Nulla femel labentem Animam, Vis nulla catenis
Eripiet tenebrarum, & carcere noctis opaco?

Oceani in fluctus, quoties redit Hesperus, igne
Præcipiti pronum video defcendere Solem;
Nec longum, & radiis îfdem fimilique vigore

Urget

To fuch Advice the Reas'ner ftill replies.
Yet measuring all the long continu'd Space,
Ev'ry fucceffive Day's repeated Race,

Since Time first started from his priftin Goal,
'Till He had reach'd that Hour, wherein my Soul
Joyn'd to my Body fwell'd the Womb; I was,
(At least I think fo) Nothing: muft I pass
Again to Nothing, when this vital Breath
Ceafing, configns Me c'er to Reft, and Death?
Muft the whole Man, amazing Thought! return
To the cold Marble, or contracted Urn?
And never shall thofe Particles agree,

That were in Life this Individual He?

But fever'd, muft They join the general Mass,
Thro' other Forms, and Shapes ordain'd to pass;
Nor Thought nor Image kept of what He was?
Does the great Word that gave him Sense, ordain,
That Life shall never wake that Senfe again?

And will no Pow'r his finking Spirits fave

[Grave?

From the dark Caves of Death, and Chambers of the

Each Evening I behold the fetting Sun

With down-ward Speed into the Ocean run:

Yet the fame Light (pass but fome fleeting Hours)

Urget iter folitum, rutilique Infigne diei
Purpureum referens, illæfo ardore refulget.
Inftabiles video ventos fine lege vagari,
Incertamque agitare fugam; nunc flamine molli
Leniter aspirant, rapido nunc turbine fervent,
Perpetuumque tenent, vario licet impete, curfum.
Fontibus occultis fefe erumpentia primùm

Flumina, mox prona immenfum glomerantur in æquor:
Hæc fugiens abit unda, fupervenit altera, & amnes
Fluctibus affiduis lapfuque feruntur eodem:

Usque novæ funduntur opes, venâque perenni
Copia inexhauftis fæcunda evolvitur urnis.
Ergo Hominem premet æternùm lex afpera, cui Sol,
Cui Fluvii, Ventique leves parere recufant?

Ut Flos mane novo decus explicat omne, diei
Delicia fragiles; & primo vefpere marcet;
Nos itidem ---- Eois ut concitus Eurus ab oris
Æquora fumma fugâ verrit, tacitoque recumbit
Littore; ut in ftipulis volitans crepitantibus ignis;
Ut faxum in præceps declivi à monte volutum
Se rapit; ut fudum jaculata per æthera flamma;

Exerts his Vigor, and renews his Pow'rs;
Starts the bright Race again: His conftant Flame
Rifes and fets, returning ftill the Same:

I mark the various Fury of the Winds:

These neither Seafons guide, nor Order binds:
They now dilate, and now contract their Force:
Various their Speed, but endless is their Course.
From the firft Fountain and beginning Ouze,

Down to the Sea each Brook, and Torrent flows:
Tho' fundry Drops or leave, or fwell the Stream;
The Whole ftill runs, with equal Pace, the Same :
Still other Waves fupply the rifing Urns;
And the eternal Floud no Want of Water mourns.
Why then muft Man obey the fad Decree,
Which fubjects neither Sun, nor Wind, nor Sea?

A Flow'r, that does with opening Morn arise,
And flourishing the Day, at Evening dyes;
A Winged Eastern Blast, just skimming o'er

The Ocean's Brow, and finking on the Shore;

A Fire, whofe Flames thro' crackling Stubble fly;
A Meteor shooting from the Summer Sky;
A Bowl a-down the bending Mountain roll'd;

A Bubble breaking, and a Fable told;

A

Sic, fic Vita fugit: quin bullula rupta brevisque
Fabula, & umbra levis ventofaque fomnia velox
Ætatis referunt iter -- Hei mihi, ficcine Vita
Tranfit, & æternum Mors fefe extendet in ævum?

Se certè anguftis nimium hæc Sententia claudit
Finibus: aut unde humanæ eft illa infita menti
Spes, unde ille Timor, forfne altera & altera fedes
Præmiaque & pænæ, luctufque & gaudia reftent?
Relliquiæne Hominis redivivæ vincula fomni
Excutiant? letho pateat nova Janua vitæ?
Cum Sponfi lacrymofa oculos comprefferit Uxor,
Fæmineo funus gemitu planetuque fecuta;
Num dormit, paulùm affueto fugiente vigore,
At letho haud penitus devictum, exfangue Cadaver:
Dumque artus, vitæ jam functos munere, carpet
Ignis edax, vermesve, aut tempora lenta; vigebit
Ufque eadem vivax Anima, & data gaudia læto
Guftabit fenfu, horrefcetque affecta dolore?
Illane, fi pulchrè fe gefferit, infcia labis,

Dum focium amplecti dignata eft corpus amico
Fædere, fulgentem ad patriam fedefque beatas,
Regnaque perpetuâ surget ridentia pace?

Nofq;Hominem extinctum lacrymis dum flemus ineptis,