Now with the loofer Syrian dance and fing, Charm'd by their eyes, their manners I acquire, At Dagon's fhrine I kindle impious flame. 900 905 And ferve her god, whose person I caress. Where the high majefty of David's throne, Where, my deluded fenfe, was Reason flown, Where all the maxims of eternal truth, With which the living GOD inform'd my youth; 910 When with the lewd Egyptian I adore Vain idols, deities that ne'er before In Ifrael's land had fix'd their dire abodes, 915 920 Through these fad fhades, this chaos in my foul, 925 Some feeds of light at length began to roll. The The rifing motion of an infant ray Shot glimmering through the cloud, and promis'd day. I found the King abandon'd to neglect, To leffen their defects by citing mine. Into myself my Reason's eye I turn'd; 930} 930 935 } 940 -945 O'er Judah's King ten thousand tyrants reign; Legions of luft, and various powers of ill, Infult the master's tributary will : 950 And he, from whom the nations fhould receive Juftice and freedom, lies himself a flave, Tortur'd by cruel change of wild defires, Lafh'd by mad rage, and scorch'd by brutal fires. 956 Wisdom, Wisdom, thou fay'ft, from Heaven receiv'd her birth, O troubled, weak, and coward, as thou art; 960 Without thy poor advice, the labouring heart To worse extremes with swifter steps would run, 965 Not fav'd by virtue, yet by vice undone. Oft' have I faid, the praise of doing well The odours of the fweets inclos'd would die, 970 And stench corrupt (fad change!) their place fupply. So the leaft faults, if mix'd with fairest deed, Of future ill become the fatal feed; Into the balm of pureft virtue cast, 975 Loft Solomon! pursue this thought no more; Of thy paft errors recollect the store; And filent weep, that, while the deathless Mufe 980 } 985 From this abyfs of exemplary vice Resolv'd, as time might aid my thought, to rife; The fond purfuit of fugitive delight; Bid her exalt her melancholy wing, And, rais'd from earth, and fav'd from paffion, fing Of human hope by cross event destroy'd, Of useless wealth and greatness unenjoy'd, Of luft and love, with their fantastic train, 990 Their wishes, fmiles, and looks, deceitful all, and vain. TEXTS CHIEFLY ALLUDED TO IN BOOK III. "Or ever the filver cord be loofed, or the golden bow! "be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, "or the wheel broken at the ciftern." Eccl. xii. 6. "The fun arifeth, and the fun goeth down, and hafteth "to his place where he arose," Ch. i. 5. "The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about "unto the north. It whirleth about continually; "and the wind returneth again, according to his cir"cuit." Ver. 6. "All the rivers run into the fea: yet the fea is not full. "Unto the place from whence the rivers come, thi "ther they return again." Ver. 7. "Then fhall the duft return to the earth, as it was: and "the fpirit fhall return unto GOD who gave it." Ch. xii. 7. "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." 2 Chron. vii. 1. 46 By the rivers of Babylon, there we fat down; yea we wept, when we remembered Sion," &c. Pfalm cxxxvii. 1. "I faid of laughter, it is mad; and of mirth, what "doth it?" Ecc ef. ii. 2. "No man can find out the work that God maketh, "from the beginning to the end." Ch. iii. 11. "Whatsoever GOD doeth, it fhall be for ever; nothing 66 can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and GOD "doeth it, that men fhould fear before him." Ver. 14. "Let us hear the conclufion of the whole matter; fear "GOD, and keep his commandments; for this is the "whole duty of man.” Ch. xii. 13. |