But how unequal the Effects it brought?
The foft Ideas of the chearful Note,
Lightly receiv'd, were eafily forgot:
The folemn Violence of the graver Sound
Knew to ftrike deep, and leave a lafting Wound.
And now reflecting, I with Grief defcry
The fickly Luft of the fantastic Eye;
How the weak Organ is with Seeing cloy'd,
Flying e'er Night what it at Noon enjoy'd.
And now (unhappy Search of Thought!) I found
The fickle Ear foon glutted with the Sound,
Condemn'd eternal Changes to pursue,
Tir'd with the laft, and eager of the New.
I bad the Virgins and the Youth advance,
To temper Music with the sprightly Dance.
In Vain! too low the Mimic-Motions feem:
What takes our Heart, muft merit our Efteem.
Nature, I thought, perform'd too mean a Part,
Forming her Movements to the Rules of Art;
And vex'd I found, that the Musician's Hand
Had o'er the Dancer's Mind too great Command.
Indulfi Cyathis; rabies mera; clamor ineptus,
Vanaque lætitiæ raptìm fugientis Imago.
Credulus ah nimium! fperavi pocula mæstum
Poffe animum lenire, atrafque avertere Curas.
Poft Ludos fera jam nocte licentiùs actos
Incertus Sopor, interruptaque Somnia tnrbant;
Jamque ubi mane novo radiis victricibus alma
Difpulerat Ratio fimulacra fugacia noctis;
Quid facere & fari fuaferunt pocula, mecum
Volvi animo; quales & quo de fonte Lepores
Fluxerunt, reputans. Rifus, Jocus ille, folutos
Qui movit, læta circum plaudente corona,
Forfitan Ingenii nugis ab inanibus ortum
Duxerat, ambiguo lufu, vel imagine falsa,
Improbulifve lyræ numeris, cantuque protervo,
Cafta quibus metuat violari fordibus auris.
Forfitan heu! nimium lepidos movere cachinnos
Infelix Vitium, incauti levis Error Amici,
Quæque palàm fari Sapiens & Candidus ultrò
Parceret, & denfa velaret honeftius umbra.
Quinetiam infidis Cyathis conferta malorum Agmina cæca latent; hinc linguæ effufa Venena Præcipitis, vanis nunquam revocanda querelis.
I drank; I lik'd it not: 'twas Rage; 'twas Noife; An airy Scene of tranfitory Joys.
In vain I trufted, that the flowing Bowl
Would banish Sorrow, and enlarge the Soul.
To the late Revel, and protracted Feaft
Wild Dreams fucceeded, and disorder'd Reft;
And as at Dawn of Morn fair Reason's Light
Broke thro' the Fumes and Phantoms of the Night,
What had been faid, I ask'd my Soul, what done;
How flow'd our Mirth, and whence the Source begun.
Perhaps the Jeft that charm'd the sprightly Croud,
And made the Jovial Table laugh fo loud,
To fome falfe Notion ow'd it's poor Pretence,
To an ambiguous Word's perverted Senfe,
To a wild Sonnet, or a wanton Air,
Offence and Torture to the fober Ear.
Perhaps, alas! the pleafing Stream was brought
From this Man's Error, from another's Fault;
From Topics which Good-nature would forget,
And Prudence mention with the last Regret.
Add yet unnumber'd Ills, that lye unfeen In the pernicious Draught; the Word obfcene, Or harsh, which once elanc'd must ever fly
Sæpius incauto pronum devolvier ore
Refponfum torquetur atrox, fpargitque viciffim
Infanas lites, alienaque jurgia Siccis.
Adde etiam exhauftas vini quòd largior ufus Sanguinis attenuat vires, carpitque Salutem.
Ah miserum! rabies quem cæca atrique dolores Diverfis hinc inde malis involvere certant!
Heu! fperat Curarum haurire oblivia; nefcit
Intereà fævo confidere funditùs hauftu
Morborum omne genus; lentæ intolerabile pondus
Defidiæ, Errores Animi, Cerebrique natantis
Somnia, quæ paffu fequitur mors tarda filenti:
Nec videt innexis circùm cratera corollis
Lethiferofque Angues, atrafque latere Colubras.
Ecquid inexpertum reftat, quod pectoris ægri Mulceat infanos æftus, Curafque refolvat? Reftat Amor: propera, falientibus imbibe venis Spem lætam, blandofque accende Cupidinis ignes; Hanc tandem extremam ne parce adhibere medelam Liberiore animo, totafque exquirere vires.
Irrevocable? the too prompt Reply,
Seed of severe Distrust, and fierce Debate;
What We should shun, and what We ought to hate.
Add too the Blood impoverish'd, and the Course Of Health fupprefs'd by Wine's continu'd Force.
Unhappy Man! whom Sorrow thus and Rage
To diff'rent Ills alternately engage.
Who drinks, alas! but to forget; nor fees,
That melancholy Sloath, fevere Disease,
Mem'ry confus'd, and interrupted Thought,
Death's Harbingers, lye latent in the Draught:
And in the Flow'rs that wreath the sparkling Bowl,
Fell Adders hifs, and poys'nous Serpent roll.
Remains there Ought untry'd, that may remove Sickness of Mind, and heal the Bofom? --- Love, Love yet Remains: Indulge his genial Fire, Cherish fair Hope, folicit young Defire, And boldly bid thy anxious Soul explore This last great Remedy's Myfterious Pow'r.
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