He just had got his pinions free A ferpent girdled round he wore, The tail within the mouth, before; By which our almanacks are clear As amber boxes made a show For heads of canes an age ago. His veft, for day, and night, was py'd ; And Spring's new months his train adorn; Known by the Gods, as near he draws, They make him umpire of the cause. O'er a low trunk his arm he laid, Where fince his hours a dial made ; Then leaning heard the nice debate, And thus pronounc'd the words of Fate. Since body from the parent Earth, Where ever fince the Seafons wheel, 'Tis well, faid Jove, and for consent Let doubt and knowledge rack his mind, Let error act, opinion speak, And want afflict, and sickness break, And anger burn, dejection chill, And joy distract, and forrow kill. 'Till arm'd by Care, and taught to mow, Comes hurrying on before his day, The foul flies fooner back to me, An Imitation of fome French VERSES. R ELENTLESS Time! deftroying Pow'r, Whom stone and brafs obey, Who giv❜ft to ev'ry flying hour To work fome new decay; Unheard, unheeded, and unfeen, Thy fecret faps prevail, And ruin man, a nice machine, By nature form'd to fail. My My change arrives; the change I meet, Before I thought it nigh. My spring, my years of pleasure fleet, In age I fearch, and only find A poor unfruitful gain, My ignorance cou'd once beguile, And fancy'd joys inspire; My errors cherish'd hope to smile On newly-born defire. But now experience fhews, the bliss And ardour of the thought. My youth met Fortune fair array'd, In all her pomp she fhone, And might, perhaps, have well effay'd, To make her gifts my own : But when I saw the bleffings fhow'r I left the chace, and own'd the Pow'r I pafs'd the glories which adorn The fplendid courts of kings, And while the perfons mov'd my scorn, I rose to scorn the things. My manhood felt a vig'rous fire By love encreas'd the more; But years with coming years confpire To break the chains I wore. |