And all her love of God a groundless claim, 785 A dread she would not, yet is forc'd to feel; That in her heart the Christian she reveres, And while she seems to scorn him, only fears. As smiths and joiners perfect a design'; I ow'd a trifle, and have paid the debt; As once absurd in all discerning eyes. Sobriety, perhaps, may now be found Where once intoxication press'd the ground: The subtle and injurious may be just, 700 795 800 205 And he grown chaste that was the slave of lust ;- 810 Arts once esteem'd may be with shame dismiss'd; Charity may relax the miser's fist; The gamester may have cast his cards away, Forgot to curse and only kneel to pray. It has indeed been told me, (with what weight, 815 How credibly, 'tis hard for me to state,) Reviv'd are hast'ning into fresh repute, And gods and goddesses, discarded long Like useless lumber, or a stroller's song, 820 Are bringing into vogue their heathen train, That certain feasts are instituted now, Where Venus hears the lovers' tender vow; That all Olympus through the country roves, 825 To consecrate our few remaining groves; The praise of names for ages obsolete; That having prov'd the weakness, it should seem 830 To bring the passions under sober sway, And give the moral springs their proper play, They mean to try what may at last be done, By stout substantial gods of wood and stone, 835 840 Divest the rougher sex of female airs, And teach the softer not to copy theirs : The change shall please, nor shall it matter aught Who works the wonder, if it be but wrought. 846 'Tis time, however, if the case stand thus, For us plain folks, and all who side with us, To build our altar, confident and bold, And say as stern Elijah said of old, 850 The strife now stands upon a fair award, If Israel's Lord be God, then serve the Lord If he be silent, faith is all a whim, Digression is so much in modern use, Thought is so rare, and fancy so profuse, 855 Some never seem so wide of their intent, 860 865 May prove, though much beside the rules of art Best for the publick, and my wisest part. 870 And first, let no man charge me, that I mean To clothe in sable ev'ry social scene, And give good company a face severe, As if they met around a father's bier; For tell some men, that pleasure all their bent, 875 880 And while it shows the land the soul desires, 885 The language of the land she seeks inspires. Of all that was absurd, profane, impure; 890 While all the happy man possess'd before, 895 900 Once take the shell beneath his just command, In gentle sounds it seem'd as it complain'd 905 Till tun'd at length to some immortal song, It sounds Jehovah's name, and pours his praise along. RETIREMENT. –studiis florens ignobilis otî. VIRG. Georg. Lib. 4. HACKNEY'D in business, wearied at that oar Which thousands, once fast chain'd to, quit no more But which, when life at ebb runs weak and low, All wish, or seem to wish, they could forego; The statesman, lawyer, merchant, man of trade, 5 Pants for the refuge of some rural shade, And add a smile to what was sweet before, 10 He may possess the joys he thinks he sees, Lay his old age upon the lap of ease, Improve the remnant of his wasted span, And, having liv'd a trifler, die a man. Thus Conscience pleads her cause within the breast, For Heav'n's high purposes, and not his own, |