The text is edited from a facsimile of the 1749 edition.
| Let Observation with extensive View, | ||
| Survey Mankind, from China to Peru; | ||
| Remark each anxious Toil, each eager Strife, | ||
| And watch the busy Scenes of crouded Life; | ||
| Then say how Hope and Fear, Desire and Hate, | ||
| O’er spread with Snares the clouded Maze of Fate, | ||
| Where wav’ring Man, betray’d by vent’rous Pride, | ||
| To tread the dreary Paths without a Guide; | ||
| As treach’rous Phantoms in the Mist delude, | ||
| Shuns fancied Ills, or chases airy Good. | ||
| How rarely Reason guides the stubborn Choice, | ||
| Rules the bold Hand, or prompts the suppliant Voice, | ||
| How Nations sink, by darling Schemes oppres’d, | ||
| When Vengeance listens to the Fool’s Request. | ||
| Fate wings with ev’ry Wish th’ afflictive Dart, | ||
| Each Gift of Nature, and each Grace of Art, | ||
| With fatal Heat impetuous Courage glows, | ||
| With fatal Sweetness Elocution flows, | ||
| Impeachment stops the Speaker’s pow’rful Breath, | ||
| And restless Fire precipitates on Death. | ||
| But scarce observ’d the Knowing and the Bold, | ||
| Fall in the gen’ral Massacre of Gold; | ||
| Wide-wasting Pest! that rages unconfin’d, | ||
| And crouds with Crimes the Records of Mankind, | ||
| For Gold his Sword the Hireling Ruffian draws, | ||
| For Gold the hireling Judge distorts the Laws; | ||
| Wealth heap’d on Wealth, nor Truth nor Safety buys, | ||
| The Dangers gather as the Treasures rise. | ||
| Let Hist’ry tell where rival Kings command, | ||
| And dubious Title shakes the madded Land, | ||
| When Statutes glean the Refuse of the Sword, | ||
| How much more safe the Vassal than the Lord, | ||
| Low sculks the Hind beneath the Rage of Pow’r, | ||
| And leaves the bonny Traytor in the Tow’r, | ||
| Untouch’d his Cottage, and his Slumbers sound, | ||
| Tho’ Confiscation’s Vulturs clang around. | ||
| The needy Traveller, serene and gay, | ||
| Walks the wild Heath, and sings his Toil away. | ||
| Does Envy seize thee? crush th’ upbraiding Joy, | ||
| Encrease his Riches and his Peace destroy, | ||
| New Fears in dire Vicissitude invade, | ||
| The rustling Brake alarms, and quiv’ring Shade, | ||
| Nor Light nor Darkness bring his Pain Relief, | ||
| One shews the Plunder, and one hides the Thief. | ||
| Yet still the gen’ral Cry the Skies assails | ||
| And Gain and Grandeur load the tainted Gales; | ||
| Few know the toiling Statesman’s Fear or Care, | ||
| Th’ insidious Rival and the gaping Heir. | ||
| Once more, Democritus, arise on Earth, | ||
| With chearful Wisdom and instructive Mirth, | ||
| See motley Life in modern Trappings dress’d, | ||
| And feed with varied Fools th’ eternal Jest: | ||
| Thou who couldst laugh where Want enchain’d Caprice, | ||
| Toil crush’d Conceit, and Man was of a Piece; | ||
| Where Wealth unlov’d without a Mourner dy’d; | ||
| And scarce a Sycophant was fed by Pride; | ||
| Where ne’er was known the Form of mock Debate, | ||
| Or seen a new-made Mayor’s unwieldy State; | ||
| Where change of Fav’rites made no Change of Laws, | ||
| And Senates heard before they judg’d a Cause; | ||
| How wouldst thou shake at Britain’s modish Tribe, | ||
| Dart the quick Taunt, and edge the piercing Gibe? | ||
| Attentive Truth and Nature to descry, | ||
| And pierce each Scene with Philosophic Eye. | ||
| To thee were solemn Toys or empty Shew, | ||
| The Robes of Pleasure and the Veils of Woe: | ||
| All aid the Farce, and all thy Mirth maintain, | ||
| Whose Joys are causeless, or whose Griefs are vain. | ||
| Such was the Scorn that fill’d the Sage’s Mind, | ||
| Renew’d at ev’ry Glance on Humankind; | ||
| How just that Scorn ere yet thy Voice declare, | ||
| Search every State, and canvass ev’ry Pray’r. | ||
| Unnumber’d Suppliants croud Preferment’s Gate, | ||
| Athirst for Wealth, and burning to be great; | ||
| Delusive Fortune hears th’ incessant Call, | ||
| They mount, they shine, evaporate, and fall. | ||
| On ev’ry Stage the Foes of Peace attend, | ||
| Hate dogs their Flight, and Insult mocks their End. | ||
| Love ends with Hope, the sinking Statesman’s Door | ||
| Pours in the Morning Worshiper no more; | ||
| For growing Names the weekly Scribbler lies, | ||
| To growing Wealth the Dedicator flies, | ||
| From every Room descends the painted Face, | ||
| That hung the bright Palladium of the Place, | ||
| And smoak’d in Kitchens, or in Auctions sold, | ||
| To better Features yields the Frame of Gold; | ||
| For now no more we trace in ev’ry Line | ||
| Heroic Worth, Benevolence Divine: | ||
| The Form distorted justifies the Fall, | ||
| And Detestation rids th’ indignant Wall. | ||
| But will not Britain hear the last Appeal, | ||
| Sign her Foes Doom, or guard her Fav’rites Zeal; | ||
| Through Freedom’s Sons no more Remonstrance rings, | ||
| Degrading Nobles and controuling Kings; | ||
| Our supple Tribes repress their Patriot Throats, | ||
| And ask no Questions but the Price of Votes; | ||
| With Weekly Libels and Septennial Ale, | ||
| Their Wish is full to riot and to rail. | ||
| In full-blown Dignity, see Wolsey stand, | ||
| Law in his Voice, and Fortune in his Hand: | ||
| To him the Church, the Realm, their Pow’rs consign, | ||
| Thro’ him the Rays of regal Bounty shine, | ||
| Turn’d by his Nod the Stream of Honour flows, | ||
| His Smile alone Security bestows: | ||
| Still to new Heights his restless Wishes tow’r, | ||
| Claim leads to Claim, and Pow’r advances Pow’r; | ||
| Till Conquest unresisted ceas’d to please, | ||
| And Rights submitted, left him none to seize. | ||
| At length his Sov’reign frowns — the Train of State | ||
| Mark the keen Glance, and watch the Sign to hate. | ||
| Where-e’er he turns he meets a Stranger’s Eye, | ||
| His Suppliants scorn him, and his Followers fly; | ||
| Now drops at once the Pride of aweful State, | ||
| The golden Canopy, the glitt’ring Plate, | ||
| The regal Palace, the luxurious Board, | ||
| The liv’ried Army, and the menial Lord. | ||
| With Age, with Cares, with Maladies oppress’d, | ||
| He seeks the Refuge of Monastic Rest. | ||
| Grief aids Disease, remember’d Folly stings, | ||
| And his last Sighs reproach the Faith of Kings. | ||
| Speak thou, whose Thoughts at humble Peace repine, | ||
| Shall Wolsey’s Wealth, with Wolsey’s End be thine? | ||
| Or liv’st thou now, with safer Pride content, | ||
| The richest Landlord on the Banks of Trent? | ||
| For why did Wolsey by the Steps of Fate, | ||
| On weak Foundations raise th’ enormous Weight | ||
| Why but to sink beneath Misfortune’s Blow, | ||
| With louder Ruin to the Gulphs below? | ||
| What gave great Villiers to th’ Assassin’s Knife, | ||
| And fixed Disease on Harley’s closing life? | ||
| What murder’d Wentworth, and what exil’d Hyde, | ||
| By Kings protected and to Kings ally’d? | ||
| What but their Wish indulg’d in Courts to shine, | ||
| And Pow’r too great to keep or to resign? | ||
| When first the College Rolls receive his Name, | ||
| The young Enthusiast quits his Ease for Fame; | ||
| Resistless burns the fever of Renown, | ||
| Caught from the strong Contagion of the Gown; | ||
| O’er Bodley’s Dome his future Labours spread, | ||
| And Bacon’s Mansion trembles o’er his Head; | ||
| Are these thy Views? proceed, illustrious Youth, | ||
| And Virtue guard thee to the Throne of Truth, | ||
| Yet should thy Soul indulge the gen’rous Heat, | ||
| Till captive Science yields her last Retreat; | ||
| Should Reason guide thee with her brightest Ray, | ||
| And pour on misty Doubt resistless Day; | ||
| Should no false Kindness lure to loose Delight, | ||
| Nor Praise relax, nor Difficulty fright; | ||
| Should tempting Novelty thy Cell refrain, | ||
| And Sloth’s bland Opiates shed their Fumes in vain; | ||
| Should Beauty blunt on Fops her fatal Dart, | ||
| Nor claim the triumph of a letter’d Heart; | ||
| Should no Disease thy torpid Veins invade, | ||
| Nor Melancholy’s Phantoms haunt thy Shade; | ||
| Yet hope not Life from Grief or Danger free, | ||
| Nor think the Doom of Man revers’d for thee: | ||
| Deign on the passing World to turn thine Eyes, | ||
| And pause awhile from Learning to be wise; | ||
| There mark what Ills the Scholar’s Life assail, | ||
| Toil, Envy, Want, the Garret, and the Jail. | ||
| See Nations slowly wise, and meanly just, | ||
| To buried Merit raise the tardy Bust. | ||
| If Dreams yet flatter, once again attend, | ||
| Hear Lydiat’s Life, and Galileo’s End. | ||
| Nor deem, when Learning her lost Prize bestows | ||
| The glitt’ring Eminence exempt from Foes; | ||
| See when the Vulgar ’scap’d despis’d or aw’d, | ||
| Rebellion’s vengeful Talons seize on Laud. | ||
| From meaner Minds, tho’ smaller Fines content | ||
| The plunder’d Palace or sequester’d Rent; | ||
| Mark’d out by dangerous Parts he meets the Shock, | ||
| And fatal Learning leads him to the Block: | ||
| Around his Tomb let Art and Genius weep, | ||
| But hear his Death, ye Blockheads, hear and sleep. | ||
| The festal Blazes, the triumphal Show, | ||
| The ravish’d Standard, and the captive Foe, | ||
| The Senate’s Thanks, the Gazette’s pompous Tale, | ||
| With Force resistless o’er the Brave prevail. | ||
| Such Bribes the rapid Greek o’er Asia whirl’d, | ||
| For such the steady Romans shook the World; | ||
| For such in distant Lands the Britons shine, | ||
| And stain with Blood the Danube or the Rhine; | ||
| This Pow’r has Praise, that Virtue scarce can warm, | ||
| Till Fame supplies the universal Charm. | ||
| Yet Reason frowns on War’s unequal Game, | ||
| Where wasted Nations raise a single Name, | ||
| And mortgag’d States their Grandsires Wreaths regret | ||
| From Age to Age in everlasting Debt; | ||
| Wreaths which at last the dear-bought Right convey | ||
| To rust on Medals, or on Stones decay. | ||
| On what Foundation stands the Warrior’s Pride? | ||
| How just his Hopes let Swedish Charles decide; | ||
| A Frame of Adamant, a Soul of Fire, | ||
| No Dangers fright him, and no Labours tire; | ||
| O’er Love, o’er Force, extends his wide Domain, | ||
| Unconquer’d Lord of Pleasure and of Pain; | ||
| No Joys to him pacific Scepters yield, | ||
| War sounds the Trump, he rushes to the Field; | ||
| Behold surrounding Kings their Pow’r combine, | ||
| And One capitulate, and One resign; | ||
| Peace courts his Hand, but spread her Charms in vain; | ||
| “Think Nothing gain’d, he cries, till nought remain, | ||
| “On Moscow’s Walls till Gothic Standards fly, | ||
| “And all is Mine beneath the Polar Sky.” | ||
| The March begins in Military State, | ||
| And Nations on his Eye suspended wait; | ||
| Stern Famine guards the solitary Coast, | ||
| And Winter barricades the Realms of Frost; | ||
| He comes, nor Want nor Cold his Course delay;— | ||
| Hide, blushing Glory, hide Pultowa’s Day: | ||
| The vanquish’d Hero leaves his broken Bands, | ||
| And shews his Miseries in distant Lands; | ||
| Condemn’d a needy Supplicant to wait, | ||
| While Ladies interpose, and Slaves debate. | ||
| But did not Chance at length her Error mend? | ||
| Did no subverted Empire mark his End? | ||
| Did rival Monarchs give the fatal Wound? | ||
| Or hostile Millions press him to the Ground? | ||
| His Fall was destin’d to a barren Strand, | ||
| A petty Fortress, and a dubious Hand; | ||
| He left the Name, at which the World grew pale, | ||
| To point a Moral, or adorn a Tale. | ||
| All Times their Scenes of pompous Woes afford, | ||
| From Persia’s Tyrant to Bavaria’s Lord. | ||
| In gay Hostility, and barb’rous Pride, | ||
| With half Mankind embattled at his Side, | ||
| Great Xerxes comes to seize the certain Prey, | ||
| And starves exhausted Regions in his Way; | ||
| Attendant Flatt’ry counts his Myriads o’er, | ||
| Till counted Myriads sooth his Pride no more; | ||
| Fresh Praise is try’d till Madness fires his Mind, | ||
| The Waves he lashes, and enchains the Wind; | ||
| New Pow’rs are claim’d, new Pow’rs are still bestowed, | ||
| Till rude Resistance lops the spreading God; | ||
| The daring Greeks deride the Martial Shew, | ||
| And heap their Vallies with the gaudy Foe; | ||
| Th’ insulted Sea with humbler Thoughts he gains, | ||
| A single Skiff to speed his Flight remains; | ||
| Th’ incumber’d Oar scarce leaves the dreaded Coast | ||
| Through purple Billows and a floating Host. | ||
| The bold Bavarian, in a luckless Hour, | ||
| Tries the dread Summits of Cesarean Pow’r, | ||
| With unexpected Legions bursts away, | ||
| And sees defenceless Realms receive his Sway; | ||
| Short Sway! fair Austria spreads her mournful Charms, | ||
| The Queen, the Beauty, sets the World in Arms; | ||
| From Hill to Hill the Beacons rousing Blaze | ||
| Spreads wide the Hope of Plunder and of Praise; | ||
| The fierce Croatian, and the wild Hussar, | ||
| And all the Sons of Ravage croud the War; | ||
| The baffled Prince in Honour’s flatt’ring Bloom | ||
| Of hasty Greatness finds the fatal Doom, | ||
| His foes Derision, and his Subjects Blame, | ||
| And steals to Death from Anguish and from Shame. | ||
| Enlarge my Life with Multitude of Days, | ||
| In Health, in Sickness, thus the Suppliant prays; | ||
| Hides from himself his State, and shuns to know, | ||
| That Life protracted is protracted Woe. | ||
| Time hovers o’er, impatient to destroy, | ||
| And shuts up all the Passages of Joy: | ||
| In vain their Gifts the bounteous Seasons pour, | ||
| The Fruit autumnal, and the Vernal Flow’r, | ||
| With listless Eyes the Dotard views the Store, | ||
| He views, and wonders that they please no more; | ||
| Now pall the tastless Meats, and joyless Wines, | ||
| And Luxury with Sighs her Slave resigns. | ||
| Approach, ye Minstrels, try the soothing Strain, | ||
| And yield the tuneful Lenitives of Pain: | ||
| No Sounds alas would touch th’ impervious Ear, | ||
| Though dancing Mountains witness’d Orpheus near; | ||
| Nor Lute nor Lyre his feeble Pow’rs attend, | ||
| Nor sweeter Musick of a virtuous Friend, | ||
| But everlasting Dictates croud his Tongue, | ||
| Perversely grave, or positively wrong. | ||
| The still returning Tale, and ling’ring Jest, | ||
| Perplex the fawning Niece and pamper’d Guest, | ||
| While growing Hopes scarce awe the gath’ring Sneer, | ||
| And scarce a Legacy can bribe to hear; | ||
| The watchful Guests still hint the last Offence, | ||
| The Daughter’s Petulance, the Son’s Expence, | ||
| Improve his heady Rage with treach’rous Skill, | ||
| And mould his Passions till they make his Will. | ||
| Unnumber’d Maladies each Joint invade, | ||
| Lay Siege to Life and press the dire Blockade; | ||
| But unextinguish’d Av’rice still remains, | ||
| And dreaded Losses aggravate his Pains; | ||
| He turns, with anxious Heart and cripled Hands, | ||
| His Bonds of Debt, and Mortgages of Lands; | ||
| Or views his Coffers with suspicious Eyes, | ||
| Unlocks his Gold, and counts it till he dies. | ||
| But grant, the Virtues of a temp’rate Prime | ||
| Bless with an Age exempt from Scorn or Crime; | ||
| An Age that melts in unperceiv’d Decay, | ||
| And glides in modest Innocence away; | ||
| Whose peaceful Day Benevolence endears, | ||
| Whose Night congratulating Conscience cheers; | ||
| The gen’ral Fav’rite as the gen’ral Friend: | ||
| Such Age there is, and who could wish its end? | ||
| Yet ev’n on this her Load Misfortune flings, | ||
| To press the weary Minutes flagging Wings: | ||
| New Sorrow rises as the Day returns, | ||
| A Sister sickens, or a Daughter mourns. | ||
| Now Kindred Merit fills the sable Bier, | ||
| Now lacerated Friendship claims a Tear. | ||
| Year chases Year, Decay pursues Decay, | ||
| Still drops some Joy from with’ring Life away; | ||
| New Forms arise, and diff’rent Views engage, | ||
| Superfluous lags the Vet’ran on the Stage, | ||
| Till pitying Nature signs the last Release, | ||
| And bids afflicted Worth retire to Peace. | ||
| But few there are whom Hours like these await, | ||
| Who set unclouded in the Gulphs of fate. | ||
| From Lydia’s monarch should the Search descend, | ||
| By Solon caution’d to regard his End, | ||
| In Life’s last Scene what Prodigies surprise, | ||
| Fears of the Brave, and Follies of the Wise? | ||
| From Marlb’rough’s Eyes the Streams of Dotage flow, | ||
| And Swift expires a Driv’ler and a Show. | ||
| The teeming Mother, anxious for her Race, | ||
| Begs for each Birth the Fortune of a Face: | ||
| Yet Vane could tell what Ills from Beauty spring; | ||
| And Sedley curs’d the Form that pleas’d a King. | ||
| Ye Nymphs of rosy Lips and radiant Eyes, | ||
| Whom Pleasure keeps too busy to be wise, | ||
| Whom Joys with soft Varieties invite | ||
| By Day the Frolick, and the Dance by Night, | ||
| Who frown with Vanity, who smile with Art, | ||
| And ask the latest Fashion of the Heart, | ||
| What Care, what Rules your heedless Charms shall save, | ||
| Each Nymph your Rival, and each Youth your Slave? | ||
| An envious Breast with certain Mischief glows, | ||
| And Slaves, the Maxim tells, are always Foes. | ||
| Against your Fame with Fondness Hate combines, | ||
| The Rival batters, and the Lover mines. | ||
| With distant Voice neglected Virtue calls, | ||
| Less heard, and less the faint Remonstrance falls; | ||
| Tir’d with Contempt, she quits the slipp’ry Reign, | ||
| And Pride and Prudence take her Seat in vain. | ||
| In croud at once, where none the Pass defend, | ||
| The harmless Freedom, and the private Friend. | ||
| The Guardians yield, by Force superior ply’d; | ||
| By Int’rest, Prudence; and by Flatt’ry, Pride. | ||
| Here Beauty falls betray’d, despis’d, distress’d, | ||
| And hissing Infamy proclaims the rest. | ||
| Where then shall Hope and Fear their Objects find? | ||
| Must dull Suspence corrupt the stagnant Mind? | ||
| Must helpless Man, in Ignorance sedate, | ||
| Swim darkling down the Current of his Fate? | ||
| Must no Dislike alarm, no Wishes rise, | ||
| No Cries attempt the Mercies of the Skies? | ||
| Enquirer, cease, Petitions yet remain, | ||
| Which Heav’n may hear, nor deem Religion vain. | ||
| Still raise for Good the supplicating Voice, | ||
| But leave to Heav’n the Measure and the Choice. | ||
| Safe in his Pow’r, whose Eyes discern afar | ||
| The secret Ambush of a specious Pray’r. | ||
| Implore his Aid, in his Decisions rest, | ||
| Secure whate’er he gives, he gives the best. | ||
| Yet with the Sense of sacred Presence prest, | ||
| When strong Devotion fills thy glowing Breast, | ||
| Pour forth thy Fervours for a healthful Mind, | ||
| Obedient Passions, and a Will resign’d; | ||
| For Love, which scarce collective Man can fill; | ||
| For Patience sov’reign o’er transmuted Ill; | ||
| For Faith, that panting for a happier Seat, | ||
| Thinks Death kind Nature’s Signal of Retreat: | ||
| These Goods for Man the Laws of Heav’n ordain, | ||
| These Goods he grants, who grants the Pow’r to gain; | ||
| With these celestial Wisdom calms the Mind, | ||
| And makes the Happiness she does not find. |