Go! and pretend your Family is young ;
Nor own your Fathers have been Fools so long.
What can ennoble Sots, or Slaves, or Cowards ?

205 Alas! not all the Blood of all the HOWARDS.

Look next on Greatness, say where Greatness lies! “ Where, but among the Heroes, and the Wise?" Heroes are much the same, the Point's agreed, From Macedonia's Mad-men to the Swede : 210 The whole ftrange Purpose of their Lives, to find, Or make, an Enemy of all Mankind : Not one looks backward, onward ftill he goes, Yet ne'er looks forward, further than his Nose. No less alike the Politic and Wife,

215 All Ay Now Things, with circumspective Eyes : Men in their loose unguarded Hours they take, Nor that themselves are wise, but others weak. But grant, that those can conquer, these can cheat, 'Tis Phrase absurd, to call a Villain great.

220 Who wickedly is wise, or madly brave, Is but the more a Fool, the more a Knave. Who noble Ends, by noble Means obtains, Or failing, smiles in Exile, or in Chains ; Like good Aurelius let him reigngor bleed, 225 Like Socrates, that Man is great indeed.

What's Fame? That fancy'd Life in others Breathi! A Thing beyond us, ev'n before our Death. Just what you bear you have, and what's unknown, The same (my Lord) is Tully's, as your own. 230 All that we feel of it, begins and ends In the same Circle, of our Foes or Friends ; To all beside, as much an empty Shade, An Eugene living, as a Casar dead. Alike, or when or where, they shone or shine, Or on the Rubicon, or on the Rhine. A Wit's a Feather, and a Chief a Rod; An honeft Man's the noblest Work of God: Fame, but from Death a Villain's Name can save, As Justice tears his Body from the Grave; 240 When what t' Oblivion better were resign'd, Is hung on high, to poison half Mankind. All Fame is foreign, but of true Desert, Plays round the Head, but comes not to the Heart.

One

235

One self-approving Hour whole Years out-weighs 245
*Of stupid Starers, and of loud Huzza's;
And more true Joy, Marcellus exil'd feels,
Than Cæfar with a Senate at his Heels.

In Parts superior what Advantage lies ?
Tell, (for you can) what is it to be wise ?

250 'Tis but to know, how little can be known, To see all other's Faults, and feel our own ; Condemn'd in Business, or in Arts, to drudge Without a Second, or without a Judge: Truths would you teach, or save a finking Land: 255 All fear, none aid you, and few understand. Painful Preheminence! yourself to view, Above Life's Weakness, and it's Comforts too.

Bring then these Blessings to a strict Account, Make fair Deductions, fee to what they mount ! 260 How much of other each is sure to cost ! How each for other oft is wholly loft! How inconsistent greater Goods with these! How sometimes Life is risqu’d, and always Ease ! Think, and if still the Things thy Envy call, 265 Say, would'At thou be the Man to whom they fall? To figh for Ribbans, if thou art fo filly, Mark how they grace Lord Umbra, or Sis Billy, Is yellow Dirt the Passion of thy Life? Look but on Gripus, or on Gripus' Wife. 270 If Parts allure thee, think how Bacon hin'd;, The wiseft, brighteft, meanest of Mankind : Or ravish'd with the Whistling of a Name, See Cromwell, damn'd to everlasting Fame ! If all, united, thy Ambition call, From ancient Story learn to scorn them all. There, in the rich, the honour'd, fam’d, and great, See the falle Scale of Happiness compleat ! In Hearts of Kings, or Arms of Queens who lay, (How happy!) those to ruin, these betray ; 280 Mark by what wretched Steps their Glory grows, From Dirt, and Sea-weed, as proud Venice rose; In each, how Guilt and Greatness equal ran, And all that rais'd the Hero, funk the Man, Now Europe's Lawrels on their Brows behold, 185 But staind for Blood, or ill exchang'd for Gold :

Then

275

Then see them broke with Toils, or loft in Eafe,
Or infamous for plunder'd Provinces.
On Wealth, ill fated! which no Act of Fame
E'er taught to fhine, or fanctify'd from Shame!

290
What greater Bliss attends their Close of Life?
Some greedy Minion, or imperious Wife;
The trophy'd Arches, ftory'd Halls invade,
And haunt their Slumbers in the pompous Shade.
Alas! not dazled with their noon-tide Ray, 295
Compute the Morn and Evening to the Day:
The whole Amount of that enormous Fame,
A Tale ! that blends their Glory with their Shame!

Know then this Truth, (enough for Man to know) VIRTUE alone is Happiness below:

300 The only Point where human Bliss ftands ftill, And tastes the Good, without the Fall to III; Where only Merit conftant Pay receives, Is bless'd in what it takes, and what it gives : The Joy unequal'd, if its End it gain,

305 And if it lose, attended with no Pain : Without Satiety, tho' e'er so blessid, And but more relish'd as the more distress’d : The broadeft Mirth, unfeeling Folly wears, Less pleasing far than Virtue's very Tears. 310 Good, from each Object, from each Place acquir'd, For ever exercis'd, yet never tir'd ; Never elated, while one Man's oppressid, Never dejected, while another's bless'd ; And where no Wants, no Wishes can remain, 315 Since but to with more Virtue, is to gain.

See! the sole Bliss Heav’n can on all bestow, Which, who but feels can tafte ; but thinks can know ? Yet poor with Fortune, and with Learning blind, The Bad muft miss, the Good untaught will find ; 320 Slave to no Sect, who takes no private Road, But looks thro' Nature, up to Nature's GOD; Pursues that Chain which links th’immense Design, Joins Heav'n and Earth, and mortal, and divine ; Sees, that no Being any Bliss can know,

325 But touches some above, and tome below; Learns, from this Union of the rising Whole, The first, laft Purpose of the human Soul ;

And

And knows where Faith, Law, Morals, all began,
All end in Love of God, and Love of Man. 330

For him alone, Hope leads from Gole to Gole,
And opens fill, and opens on his Soul,
Till lengthen'd on to Faith, and unconfin'd,
It

pours the Fliss that fills up all the Mind.
He sees, why Nature plants in Man alone

335
Hope of known Bliss, and Faith in Bliss unknown :
(Nature, whose Dictates to no other Kind
Are giv’n in vain, but what they seek they find)
Wife is the Present; she connects in this
His greatest Virtue, with his greatest Bliss; 340
At once, his own bright Profpect to be blest,
And strongest Motive to assist the rest.

Self-Love thus push'd to Social, to divine,
Gives theę to make thy Neighbour's Blessing thine :
Is this too little for the boundless Heart ?

355
Extend it, let thine Enemies have Part:
Grasp the whole Worlds of Reason, Life, and Sense,
In one close System of Benevolence.
Happier, as kinder, in whaté'er Degree,
And Height of Bliss, but Height of CHARITY. 350

God loves from Whole to Parts ; but human Soul
Muft rise from Individuals to the Whole.
Self-Love but serves the virtuous Mind to wake ;
As the small Pebble stirs the peaceful Lake;
The Centre mov’d, a Circle strait succeeds, 355
Another still, and still another spreads ?
Friend, Parent, Neighbour, first it will embrace,
His Country next, and next, all human Race ;
Wide, and more wide, th' O’erflowings of the Mind
Take ev'ry Creature in, of ev'ry Kind;

360
Earth smiles around, with boundless Bounty bleft,
And Heav'n beholds its Image in his Breast.
Come then, my

Genius come along,
Oh, Master of the Poet, and the Song !
And while the Muse now stoops, or now ascends, 365
To Man's low Passions, or their glorious Ends ;
Teach me, like thee, in various Nature wise,
To fall with Dignity, with Temper rise ;
Form'd by thy Converse happily to steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe;

Correct

Friend ! my

370

Correct with Spirit, eloquent with Ease,
Intent to reason, or polite to please.
O! while along the Stream of Time, thy Name
Expanded flies, and gathers all its Fame,
Say, shall
my little Bark Attendant fail,

375
Pursue the Triumph, and partake the Gale?
And shall this Verle to future Age pretend,
Thou wert my Guide, Philosopher, and Friend?
That urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful Art
From Sounds to Things, from Fancy to the Heart: 380
For Wit's false Mirror held

up

Nature's Light :
Shew'd erring Pride Whatever Is, is Right;
'That Reafon, Palhon, answer one great Aim ;
That, true Self-Love and Social are the same ;
That Virtue only makes our Bliss below

385 And all our Knowledge is, Ourfelves to know.

FINI S.