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TEXTS CHIEFLY ALLUDED TO IN BOOK I.

"The words of the Preacher the Son of David King "of Jerufalem." Ecclefiaftes, chap. i. ver. 1. "Vanity of vanities, fays the Preacher, vanity of

"vanities, all is vanity." Ver. 2.

"I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am "come to great estate, and have gotten more wif"dom than all they that have been before me in "Jerufalem: yea my heart had great experience of "wisdom and knowledge." Ver. 16.

"He fpake of trees, from the cedar-tree that is in "Lebanon, even unto the hyffop that springeth out "of the wall: he spake alfo of beasts, and of fowl, "and of creeping things, and of fishes.” 1 Kings, chap. iv. ver. 33.

"I know, that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for

"ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing "taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should "fear before him." Ecclefiaftes, chap. iii. ver. 14. "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: "alfo he hath fet the world in their heart, so that no "man can find out the work that God maketh from "the beginning to the end." Ver. 11.

"For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that "increaseth knowledge, increaseth forrow." Chap.i.

ver. 18.

"And further, by thefe, my fon, be admonished: of "making many books there is no end: and much "study is a weariness of the flesh." Chap. xii. ver. 12.

KNOW.

KNOWLEDGE:

THE FIRST BOOK.

THE ARGUMENT.

Solomon, feeking happinefs from knowledge, convenes the learned men of his kingdom; requires them to explain to him the various operations and effects of Nature; difcourfes of vegetables, animals, and man; proposes some questions concerning the origin and fituation of the habitable earth; proceeds to examine the fyftem of the vifible heaven; doubts if there may not be a plurality of worlds; inquires into the nature of Spirits and Angels; and wishes to be more fully informed as to the attributes of the Supreme Being. He is imperfectly answered by the Rabbins and Doctors; blames his own curiofity; and concludes, that, as to Human Science, All is Vanity.

E Sons of men, with juft regard attend,

YE

Obferve the Preacher, and believe the Friend, Whofe ferious Mufe infpires him to explain, That all we act, and all we think, is vain; That, in this pilgrimage of feventy years, O'er rocks of perils, and through vales of tears,

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5.

Deftin'd

Deftin'd to march, our doubtful steps we tend,
Tir'd with the toil, yet fearful of its end:
That from the womb we take our fatal shares
Of follies, paffions, labours, tumults, cares;
And, at approach of death, fhall only know
The truth, which from these penfive numbers flow,
That we pursue false joy, and suffer real woe.

Happiness, object of that waking dream,
Which we call life, mistaking: fugitive theme
Of my pursuing verse, ideal fhade,
Notional good, by fancy only made,
And by tradition nurs'd, fallacious fire,
Whofe dancing beams mislead our fond defire,
Cause of our care, and error of our mind;
Oh! hadft thou ever been by Heaven defign'd
To Adam, and his mortal race; the boon
Entire had been referv'd for Solomon:
On me the partial lot had been bestow'd,
And in my cup the golden draught had flow'd.
But O! ere yet original man was made,
Ere the foundations of this earth were laid,
It was, opponent to our search, ordain'd

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That joy, ftill fought, should never be attain❜d.
This fad experience cites me to reveal,

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And what I dictate is from what I feel.

Born, as I was, great David's favourite fon, Dear to my people, on the Hebrew throne, Sublime my court, with Ophir's treasures bleft, My name extended to the fartheft east,

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My

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My body cloth'd with every outward grace,

Strength in my limbs, and beauty in my face,
My fhining thought with fruitful notions crown'd,
Quick my invention, and my judgment found:
Arife (I commun'd with myself), arise ;
Think, to be happy; to be great, be wife:
Content of spirit must from science flow,

For 'tis a godlike attribute to know.

I faid; and fent my edict through the land:
Around my throne the letter'd rabbins stand;
Hiftoric leaves revolve, long volumes fpread,
The old difcourfing as the younger read:
Attent I heard, propos'd my doubts, and faid:
The vegetable world, each plant and tree,
Its feed, its name, its nature, its degree,
I am allow'd, as Fame reports, to know,
From the fair cedar on the craggy brow
Of Lebanon nodding fupremely tall,
To creeping mofs and hyffop on the wall:
Yet, juft and confcious to myself, I find
A thousand doubts oppose the searching mind.

I know not why the beach delights the glade
With boughs extended, and a rounder shade;
Whilft towering firs in conic forms arife,

And with a pointed fpear divide the skies:
Nor why again the changing oak fhould fhed
The yearly honour of his ftately head;
Whilft the diftinguish'd yew is ever seen,
Unchang'd his branch, and permanent his green.
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Wanting

Wanting the fun, why does the caltha fade?
Why does the cyprefs flourish in the fhade?
The fig and date, why love they to remain
In middle station, and an even plain ;
While in the lower marsh the gourd is found,
And while the hill with olive-fhade is crown'd?
Why does one climate and one foil endue
The blufhing poppy with a crimson hue,
Yet leave the lily pale, and tinge the violet blue?
Why does the fond carnation love to shoot
A various colour from one parent root;
While the fantastic tulip strives to break
In twofold beauty, and a parted ftreak?
The twining jasmine and the blushing rofe
"With lavish grace their morning fcents disclose:
The fielling tuberose and jonquil declare
The ftronger impulfe of an evening air.
Whence has the tree (refolve me) or the flower
A various inftinct, or a different power?

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Why should one earth, one clime, one ftream, one breath, Raise this to ftrength, and ficken that to death?

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Whence does it happen, that the plant, which well We name the fenfitive, fhould move and feel? Whence know her leaves to answer her command, And with quick horror fly the neighbouring hand? Along the funny bank, or watery mead, Ten thousand ftalks the various bloffoms spread: Peaceful and lowly in their native soil,

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They neither know to spin, nor care to toil;

Yet

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