VIII. The fparkling gems, and ore in mines below, Though form'd within the womb of Night, Bright as their fire they shine, with native rays of light. IX.. When thou doft raise thy venerable head, Thy Negro beauties then delight; Thou doft thy fimiles impartially bestow, And know'ft no difference here below: Though Light diftinction makes, thou giv'ft equality. XI. Thou, Darknefs, art the lover's kind retreat, Thou doft infpire them with thy shade, Giv'ft vigour to the youth, and warm'ft the yielding maid. XII. Calm as the blefs'd above the Anchorites dwell, Their minds with heavenly joys are fill'd; In caves of Night, the oracles of old Did all their mysteries unfold: Darkness did first Religion grace, Gave terrors to the God, and reverence to the place. XIV. When the Almighty did on Horeb stand, XV. When he appear'd arm'd in his power and might, When terrible with majefty, In tempefts he gave laws, and clad himself in thee. XVI. Ere the foundation of the earth was laid, Or brighter firmament was made; Ere matter, time, or place, was known, Thou, Monarch Darknefs, fwayd'ft thefe fpacious realms alone. XVII. But, now the Moon (though gay with borrow'd light) Invades thy fcanty lot of Night: By rebel fubjects thou 'rt betray'd, The anarchy of Stars depofe their Monarch Shade. XVIII. Yet fading Light its empire muft refign, And Nature's power fubmit to thine: An universal ruin fhall erect thy throne, And Fate confirm thy kingdom evermore thy own. HUMAN HUMAN LIFE. SUPPOSED TO BE SPOKEN BY AN EPICURE. In Imitation of the Second Chapter of the WISDOM of SOLOMON. To the Lord H UNS DON. A PINDARI C O D E. T WHEN will penurious Heaven no more allow ? Is it for this he lord of all appears, And his great Maker's image bears? To toil beneath a wretched state, Opprefs'd with miferies and fate; Beneath his painful burthen groan, And in this beaten road of life drudge on! Amidft our labours, we poffefs No kind allays of happiness: No foftening joys can call our own, Whilft Death an eafy conqueft gains, And the infatiate Grave in endless triumph reigns. Nor wretched to ourselves alone, Our mothers' labours introduce our own. In cries and tears our infancy we waste, 4 Those fad prophetic tears, that flow By instinct of our future woe; And ev'n our dawn of life with forrows over-caft. Each his laborious part must have, Act o'er this farce of life, then drop beneath the stage. From our first drawing vital breath, We all are posting on to the dark goal of death. That know not whence they come, nor where they go. Here we 're detain'd a while, and then Become originals again : Time fhall a man to his first felf restore, And make him intire nothing, all he was before. No part of us, no remnant, shall furvive! And yet we impudently fay, we live : And only come to be, as we had never been. III. Say, learned Sage, thou that art mighty wise ! Unriddle me these mysteries : What is the foul, the vital heat, That our mean frame does animate? What What is our breath, the breath of man, That buoys his nature up, and does ev'n life sustain ? Is it not air, an empty fume, A fire that does itfelf confume; A warmth that in a heart is bred, A lambent flame with heat and motion fed ? Extinguish that, the whole is gone, This boafted fcene of life is done: Away the phantom takes its flight, Damn'd to a loathfome grave, and an eternal night. The foul, th' immortal part we boast, In one confuming minute 's loft; To its first fource it must repair, Refolves into its native clay: For duft and afhes are its fecond birth, And that incorporates too with its great parent Earth. Nor fhall our names our memories furvive, In vain we dear-bought honours leave, To make our ashes gay, and furnish out a grave. For thee our stock of youth we waste, 6 Το |