Beneath, mishapen Chaos, and the field Of fighting atoms, where hot, moist, and dry, Wage an eternal war with dismal roar; The difmal roar breaks fmoothly on the ground, Sacred to horror, and eternal night: Here Silence fits, whofe vifionary shape
In folds of wreathy mantling finks obfcure, And in dark fumes reclines his drowsy head; An urn he holds, from whence a lake proceeds, Wide, flowing gently, fmooth, and Lethe nam'd: Hither compell'd, each foul muft drink long draughts Of those forgetful ftreams, 'till forms within, And all the great ideas fade and die :
For if vaft thought should play about a mind Inclos'd in flesh, and dragging cumbrous life, Fluttering and beating in the mournful cage, It foon wou'd break its grates and wing away : "Tis therefore my decree, the foul return Naked from off this beach, and perfect blank, To vifit the new world; and strait to feel Itself, in crude confiftence closely shut, The dreadful monument of just revenge; Immur'd by heaven's own hand, and plac'd erect On fleeting matter, all imprifon'd round With walls of clay; th' ætherial mould shall bear The chain of members, deafen'd with an ear, Blinded by eyes, and manacled in hands. Here anger, vaft ambition, and disdain,
And all the haughty movements rife and fall, As forms of neighbouring atoms tear the foul; And hope, and love, and all the calmer turns Of eafy hours, in their gay gilded shapes, With fudden run, fkim o'er deluded minds, As matter leads the dance; but one defire, Unfatisfy'd, fhall mar ten thousand joys.
The rank of beings, that fhall firft advance, Drink deep of human life; and long shall stay On this great fcene of cares. From all the rest, That longer for the deftin'd body wait, Lefs penance I expect; and fhort abode. In those pale dreary kingdoms will content : Each has his lamentable lot, and all,
On different racks, abide the pains of life. The penfive fpirit takes the lonely grove: Nightly he vifits all the fylvan fcenes, Where far remote, a melancholy moon Raifing her head, ferene and fhorn of beams, Throws here and there the glimmerings thro' the trees, To make more aweful darkness. Starry lights, Hung up on high, fhed round 'em as they burn A pale fad influence; and they gild the plains With doubtful rays, which frike within the fhades A trembling luftre and uncertain light.
The SAGE fhall haunt this folitary ground, And view the difmal landscape, limn'd within In horrid fhades, mix'd with imperfect light.
Here JUDGMENT, blinded by delufive SENSE, Contracted through the cranny of an eye,
Shoots up faint languid beams, to that dark feat, Wherein the foul, bereav'd of native fire,
Sits intricate, in mifty clouds obfcur'd, Ev'n from itself conceal'd; and there prefides O'er jarring images with reafon's fway,
Which by his ordering more confounds their form; And by decifions more embroils the fray :
The more he strives t' appease, the more he feels The ftruggling furges of the darkfome void Impetuous, and the thick revolving thoughts Encount'ring thoughts, image on image turn'd, A Chaos of wild fcience, where fometimes The clashing notions ftrike out cafual light, Which foon must perish and be lost again
In the thick darkness round it. Now, he tries With all his might to raise some weighty thought, Of me, of fate, or of th' eternal round, Which but recoils to crush the labouring mind. High are his reafonings, but the feeble clue Of fleeting images he draws in vain
To wond'rous length; (for ftill the turning maze Eludes his art) its end flies far away,
And leaves him tracing round the toilsome path, Returning oft on the fame beaten thought. For much of good he talks, and life ferene, Of happiness deny'd, the difmal wafte
Of wisdom's privilege, and th' obdurate breast, Stubborn in anguish; idle wisdom all, Weak forcery to charm a real pain;
Diftafting crowds and bufinefs, thus he feeks Diverfion in himself, but with deep thoughts He kindles doubt; and while he ftrives to blow The afhes off, revives the brand of care. Hence far remov'd, a different noisy race In cities full and frequent take their seat, Where honour's crush'd, and gratitude oppress'd With fwelling hopes of gain, that raife within A tempeft, and, driv'n onward by fuccefs, Can find no bounds. For creatures of a day Stretch their wide cares to ages; full increase Starves the penurious foul, while empty found Fills the ambitious; that shall ever shrink, Pining with endless cares, whilft this fhall fwell To tympany enormous. Bright in arms Here fhines the hero, out he fiercely leads A martial throng, his inftruments of rage, To fill the world with death, and thin mankind. Ambition drives, and round the world he roams, Marking his way with blood; the dreadful noife Begets a fame; and all the breath he leaves Is spent in his falfe praise, and vainly bloats The tyrant's foul; while high his kingdoms rife In fleeting pomp, hovering their gaudy wings Around the fervile globe, that tamely bends
Beneath his haughty reign; and all his flaves Under his yoke shall groan, and scarce shall groan Without a crime. Here torturing engines roar With human voice difguis'd; earth, water, fire, Are made (dire elements of cruelty !) Subfervient to his luft, and power to kill; Yet fhall the herd endure, nor dare to break United their imaginary chain ;
While their great monarch chills with equal fears, No less a slavery than they. Each rumour shakes The haughty purple, dark and cloudy cares Involve the aweful throne, that ftands erect, Balanc'd on the wild people's temper'd rage, And fortify'd with dangerous arts of power. But death fhall fhift thofe fcenes of mifery; Then doubtful titles kindle up new wars, And urge on ling'ring fate; the enfigns blaze About the camp, and drums and trumpets' found Prepare a folemn way to griezly war;
Javelins and bearded spears in ghaftly ranks Erect their fhining heads, and round the field A harvest's scene of formidable death;
Then joins the horrid fhock, whofe bellowing burst Torments the fhatter'd air, and drowns the groans Of men below that roll in certain death. These are the mortal fports, the tragick plays By man himself embroil'd; the dire debate Make the wafte defart feem ferene and mild,
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