Where all the maxims of eternal truth,
With which the living God inform'd my youth,
When with the lewd Egyptian I adore
Vain idols, deities that ne'er before
In Israel's land had fix'd their dire abodes,
Beastly divinities, and droves of gods;
Osiris, Apis, powers that chew the cud,
And dog Anubis, flatterer for his food ?
When in the woody hills' forbidden shade
I carv'd the marble, and invok'd its aid:
When in the fens to snakes and fies, with zeal
Unworthy human thought, I prostrate fell;
To shrubs and plants my vile devotion paid,
And set the bearded leek to which I pray'd;
When to all beings sacred rites were giv'n,
Forgot the Arbiter of earth and Heav'n?

Through these sad shades, this chaos in my soul,
Some seeds of light at length began to roll :
The rising motion of an infant ray

[day. Shot glimmering through the cloud, and promis'd And now one moment able to reflect, I found the King abandon’d to neglect, Seen without awe, and serv’d without respect. I found my subjects amicably join To lessen their defects, by citing mine. The priest with pity pray'd for David's race, And left his text to dwell on my disgrace. The father, whilst he warn’d his erring son The sad examples which he ought to shun, Describ’d, and only nam'd not Solomon. Each bard, each sire, did to his pupil sing, A wise child better than a foolish king.'

Into myself my reason's eye I turn’d, And, as I much reflected, much I mourn'd.

}

A mighty king I am, an earthly god,
Nations obey my word, and wait my nod!
I raise or sink, imprison or set free,
And life or death depends on my decree.
Fond the idea, and the thought is vain;
O’er Judah's king ten thousand tyrants reign.
Legions of lust, and various powers of ill
Insult the master's tributary will,
And he, from whom the nations should receive
Justice and freedom, lies himself a slave,
Tortur'd by cruel change of wild desires,
Lash'd by mad rage, and scorch'd by brutal fires.

O Reason! once again to thee I call,
Accept my sorrow, and retrieve my fall.
Wisdom, thou say'st,from Heaven receiv'd her birth,
Her beams transmitted to the subject earth:
Yet this great empress of the human soul
Does only with imagin'd pow'r control,
If restless passion by rebellious sway,
Compels the weak usurper to obey.

O troubled, weak, and coward, as thou art, Without thy poor advice the labouring heart To worse extremes with swifter steps would run, Not sav'd by virtue, yet by vice undone.

Oft have I said, the praise of doing well Is to the ear as ointment to the smell : Now if some Aies perchance, however small, Into the alabaster urn should fall, The odours of the sweets inclos'd would die, And stench corrupt (sad change!) their place supply: So the least faults, if mix'd with fairest deed, Of future ill become the fatal seed; Into the balm of purest virtue cast, Annoy all life with one contagious blast.

Lost Solomon ! pursue this thought no more, Of thy past errors recollect the store; And silent weep, that while the deathless Muse Shall sing the just, shall o'er their head diffuse Perfumes with lavish hand, she shall proclaim Thy crimes alone, and, to thy evil fame Impartial, scatter damps and poisons on thy name. Awaking therefore, as who long had dream'd, Much of my women and their gods asham'd, From this abyss of exemplary vice Resolv’d, as time might aid my thought, to rise, Again I bid the mournful goddess write The fond pursuit of fugitive delight; Bid her exalt her melancholy wing, And rais'd from earth, and sav'd from passion, sing Of human hope by cross event destroy'd, Of useless wealth and greatness unenjoy'd; Of lust and love, with their fantastic train, Their wishes, smiles, and looks, deceitful all, and

POWER.

BOOK III.

TEXTS CHIEFLY ALLUDED TO IN THIS BOOK.

OR ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, Eccles. chap. xü. ver. 6.

The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose, chap. i. ver. 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 circuits, ver. 6.

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again, ver. 7.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it, chap. xii. ver. 7.

Now, when Solomon had made an end of pray. ing, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices ; and the glory of the Lord filled the house, 2 Cbron. chap vii. ver.1. Vol. XV.

н

36

TEXTS CHIEFLY ALLUDED TO IN THIS BOOK.

By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down ; yea, we wept when we remembered Zion, &c. Psal. cxxxvii, ver. 1.

I said of laughter, “ It is mad: and of mirth, What doth it?' Eccles. chap. i. ver. 2.

-No man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end, chap. ii. ver. 11.

-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, ver. 14.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man, chap. xii. ver. 13,