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Which in the fhepherd's humble hut is found, While palaces with difcord ftill resound. • Fortune to industry is ever kind,

And tho' by the blind vulgar painted blind,
Is ftill more equal than the crowd fuppofe,
Who judge of happinefs by outward fhows;
• She smiles on all conditions, each may be
• A man of pleasure in his own degree.

⚫ Yet few with art their happiness purfue,
Tho' all mankind have happiness in view;
And ev'ry fenfe feems made by Nature's skill
For giving pleasure and avoiding ill.

Nature, our common mother, has been kind, • And for a race of joy her fons defign'd,

• Who long to reach the goal, yet lazy lag behind;
• Or wholly blind, or doubtful how t' advance,

They leave the work of industry to chance.
• And of those few who with more active strife
• Pursue this great, important end of life,

Some, too impatient, know not how to wait,
• Or aim at things beyond their human state:
Thefe laft, through too much delicacy fall,
And by refining rob themselves of all.

Shun, then, Achilles, fhun the faults of fuch,

• Who ftill propofe too little, or too much.
• Stretch not your hopes too far, nor yet despair;
But, above all, of indolence beware.

• Attend to what you do, or life will feem
But a mere vifion, or fantastick dream,

• Pafs'd in ideas of delight at best';

• While real pleasure's loft in doubtful reft., 1615
In fhort, learn when and how to bear; in vain
He pleasure seeks, who is afraid of pain:.:
• Pleasure's a serious thing, and cheaply bought,
By labour, patience, management, and thought.

}

• But

But you, afpiring youth, by nature seem ◄ Addicted to an oppofite extreme;

Impetuous, and reftlefs, foon inflam'd,
And, like a generous courfer, hardly tam'd;
In all things violent: but, O! disdain,
Brave prince, to let ufurping paffion reign;
• In one rash moment facrificing more
Than years of fad repentance may restore.

As Thracian winds the Euxine fea moleft,
So wrath, and envy, from the human breast
⚫ Drive Halcyon peace, and banish kindly reft.
And no fecurity for joy is found,

But in a mind that's tractable and found.

6

Suppress the firft emotions of your ire,

And fmother in it's birth the kindling fire..
Ere anger yet poffeffes all your foul,

-Ere yet your bafom heaves, and eyeballs roll,
• Think on the ufeful precepts I have taught,
• And meet the rifing heat with wholefome thought.
Or feek the facred Mufes with your lyre,

• Who with sweet peace to lonely shades retire;
Gods, and the fons of gods, the heroes fing,
While hills and vallies with their praises ring;
Thefe learn to imitate, and those adore,
And fweetly to yourself, yourself restore;
Mufick, and verfe, and folitude, controul
Impetuous fury, and compofe the foul.

For this I early taught you how to fing,
And form'd your fingers to the trembling ftring;
For 'tis not all sweet Pleasure's path to fhow,
The art of confolation man fhould know:
Our joys are short, and broken; and in vain
To conftant blifs would human race attain.
Be oft contented to be free from pain.
There is a deity ordain'd by Fate,
To damp our joys immoderately great,
3 H

< That

• That none on earth from forrow fhould be free, and all » But e'en our bleffings tafte of mifery."

• If Fortune gives, what rarely we obtain,
An equal share of pleafare and of pain,
Our portion is o'erpaid: the reft you'll find
But fond ideas of the wanton mind;

• Which now vain scenes of godlike pleasure shows, And now creates imaginary woes.

When fad, your ills examine and compare;
Judge of your own by what another's are.
• Confider greater wretches, and the fates
Of mighty heroes, and of mighty ftates:
• Thus real evils in their proper light

Appear, the falfe thus vanish out of fight.
Nor aim at pleafures difficult to gain;
Chufe rather what you may with ease obtain.
Who fcorns to trifle, is by pride abus❜d:
I pity him who ne'er can be amus'd;
But flighting pleafures moderate and fmall,
• Muft live in rapture, or not live at all.
Great pleasures ftill are near ally'd to pain:
Who quits the peaceful fhore and ploughs the main,~
Big waves and mighty tempests must sustain. 16:10
• Let not fuch fond ambition to be blefs'd, om
The humbler pleasures in your power moleft;
Yet cherith Hope, for without Hope there's none:~ A
Tafte Hope, but be not fed with that alone,pontá

27.10

T

Some their whole lives in expectation (pend, A* As life were not begun, or ne'er would end Fondly from day to day themfelves deceive,30 * Not living, but intending ftill to live;w and a • While they neglect the joys they might poffels, non W ⚫ For empty dreams of fature happiness. The ne Let Nature in your pleafures be your guide, mź

• Nor fuffer Art her genuine charms to hidegu siin of

T

Her

• Her beauties with unwearied eyes we fee; • The truth of beauty is fimplicity.

Live not by imitation, fervile ftate! • Nor on the fashion for your pleasures wait. Man, otherwife fo felfish or fo proud, • Submits his tafte to the fantaftick crowd, • And lives not for himself; do you pursue • Your own defires, and to yourself be true. As bees extract their sweets from ev'ry flow'r; So you your joys from all things in your pow'r, . With industry and management produce:

The meaneft trifles are fometimes of use.

'Yet know well what you do, and when 'tis done, • Nor at all hours to every pleasure run;

• But mix with art your pleasures and your toils; • For pleasures have their feasons and their foils.

Thus, when the earliest dawn of eastern light Proclaims the finish'd empire of the night, • Hafte to the field, Achilles, nor disdain • To chace the foaming monster o'er the plain, • Or teach the untam'd steed to feel the rein; • Or let your car and arms your nerves prepare,

• Or for Olympick games or future war:

‹ Then, whether arts or glory fire your mind,

• Will thoughts more generous rife, or more refin'd; Aurora to the Mufes ftill is kind.

At noon, a fimple, fhort repaft be made;

A shorter flumber in the cooling shade:
What's gay and light th' unbended mind employs,
Or fports, or past delights, or future joys..
But when the evining-ftar begins to rife,
When Phoebus' fainting fteeds forfake the skies,
Still chearful at the well-fpread board be found,
Amidft-bright friends, and with fresh garlands crown'd,
While wine, and Thais, with her voice and lyre,

⚫ Banifh old forrows, and new joys infpire.
3 H2

}

• Thus,'

1

4

Thus, when from toils of empire you are free,
Nor camp nor council claim your liberty,
The morn to labour and the Mufes give,
At noon with temperance and quiet live;

• Ceres' and Bacchus' gifts at ev'ning prove,

Divide the night with Somnus and with Love.
Thus, thus, Pelides, drive your cares away,
Nor fear the evil, till the evil day.

• What tho' on Simois' or Scamander's fhore,

Far off from home the Greeks your death deplore?

No matter where, or when, it once must be,

And nothing can revoke the firm decree.

'Tho' Thetis' fon, tho' third from mighty Jove,

• Eternal monarch of the realms above;

Nor Jove, nor Thetis, can your days recal,
Or for an hour defer your deftin'd fall.

Meanwhile a loofer rein to pleasure give;
Time flies in hafte, be you in hafte to live:
Seize on the precious minutes as they fleet;
Your life, however short, will be compleat,
• If at the fatal moment you can fay,

"I've liv'd, and made the most of ev'ry day!" One precept more I fain would recommend, And then old Chiron's tedious leffons end.

Learn, gen'rous prince, what's little underflood, The godlike happiness of doing good.

How glorious to defend, and to bestow!

• From nobler springs can human pleasure flow?

A folid good, which nothing can destroy;

The best prerogative the great enjoy.

For this, remember, monarchs first were made;
For this, young prince, be lov'd, and be obey'd:
At once, yourself and mighty nations blefs,
• And make humanity your happiness.

But now Aurora ufhers in the day,

And fond, expecting Peleus, chides your stay.

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