The critic, that with plodding head
Toils o'er the learning of the dead;
The cloister'd hermit that explores,

By midnight lamp, religion's ftores;
Each fage that marks, with thoughtful gaze,
The lunar orb, or planet's maze;

And ev'ry bard, that ftrays along

The fylvan fhade, intent on facred fong;

Shall all to thee thofe various praises give,

Which, through thy friendly aid, themfelves receive:
For tho' thou mayft from glory's feats retire,

Where loud applaufe proclaims the honour'd name;
Yet doth thy modest wisdom ftill infpire

Each nobler work that fwells the voice of Fame.

W

HILE Saturn's a fane with folemn ftep we trod,
And view'd the " votive honours of the God,

a This temple was probably in the city of Thebes, for Cebes was a Theban.

Devout offerings, for the most part in discharge of vows.

A pictur'd

A pictur'd tablet, o'er the portal rais'd,
Attach'd our eye: in wonder loft, we gaz’d.

The pencil there fome ftrange device had wrought,
And fables, all its own, difguis'd the thought.

Nor camp it feem'd, nor city: the defign,
Whofe moral mock'd our labour to divine,
Was a wall'd court, where rose another bound,
And, higher ftill, a third ftill lefs'ning ground.
The nether area open'd, at a gate
Where a vast crowd impatient feem'd to wait.
Within, a group of female figures ftood,
In motley drefs, a fparkling multitude.
Without, in station at the porch, was seen
A venerable form, in act and mien

Like fome great teacher who with urgent tongue,
Authoritative, warn'd the rufhing throng.

From doubt to doubt we wander'd; when appear'd
A fire, who thus the hard folution clear'd.

Strangers, that allegoric scene, I guess,
Conquers your skill, our home-born wits no less.
A foreigner, long fince, whofe nobler mind

Learning's best culture to strong genius join'd,
Here liv'd, convers'd, and shew'd th' admiring age
Another Samian or Elean fage.

He rear'd this dome to Saturn's aweful name,

And gave that portrait to eternal fame.
He reason❜d much, high argument he chose,
High as his theme his great conceptions rofe.

Such wisdom flowing from a mouth but young
I heard aftonish'd, and enjoy'd it long :

Him oft I heard this moral piece expound,

With nervous eloquence and fenfe profound.

1

Father, if leifure with thy will confpire,

Field, yield that comment to our warm defire.

35

Free to bestow, I warn you first, beware:

Danger impends, which fummons all your care.

Wife, virtuous, bleft, whofe heart our precepts gain,

Abandon'd, blind, and wretched, who difdain.

40

For know, our purpos'd theme resembles best

The fam'd Enigma of the Theban peft:
Th' interpreter a plighted crown enjoy'd,
The stupid perish'd, by the Sphinx destroy'd.
Count folly as a Sphinx to all mankind,
Her problem, How is Good and Ill defin'd?
Misjudging here, by Folly's law we die,
Not inftant victims of her cruelty;

45

From day to day our reasoning part she wounds,

Devours its ftrength, its noblest pow'rs confounds :
Awakes the lash of a Punishment, and tears

50

The mind with pangs which guilty life prepares,

With oppofite effect, where thoughtful skill

Difcerns the boundaries of Good and Ill,

Folly muft perish; and th' illumin'd breaft

55

To Virtue fav'd, is like th' immortals bleft.

The Cafelian and Salmafian editions read πονηροί

wicked, inftead of winpo bitter.

• Vid. y. 186.

JOHNSON.

Give

Give audience, then, with no unheeding ear.
O hafte, no heedlefs auditors and here,
With ftrong defire, in dread fufpence we wait,
So great the bleffing, and the bane fo great.
Inftant, he rais'd his oratorial hand,
And faid (our eye he guided with a wand)
Behold life's pencil'd scene, the natal gate,

60

The numbers thronging into mortal state..

Which danger's path, and which to fafety bears,
That ancient, Genius of mankind, declares.

65

See him aloft, benevolent he bends,

One hand is pointing, one a roll extends
Reason's imperial code; by heav'n impreft
In living letters on the human breast.
Oppos'd to him, Delufion plies her part,

With skin of borrow'd fnow, and blush of art,

With hypocritic fawn, and eyes afkance

Whence foft infection steals in every glance,

75

Her faithlefs hand presents a crystal bowl,
Whose pois'nous draught intoxicates the foul.
Error and ignorance infus'd, compofe
The fatal beverage which her fraud bestows.
Is that the hard condition of our birth?

Muft all drink Error who appear on earth?
All; yet in fome their measure drowns the mind,
Others but taste, lefs erring and lefs blind.

G 4

80

The

i

e Th' Opinions, and Defires, and Pleasures rife Behind the gate, thick-glitt'ring on our eyes; Thick as bright atoms in the folar ray,

Diverse their drap'ry and profufely gay.

85

These tempting forms, each like a mistress drest,
Our early steps with powerful charms arreft:
Soon as we enter life, with various art

90

Of dalliance they affail th' unguarded heart.
All promise joy, we rush to their embrace;
To blifs or ruin here begins our race.
Happy, thrice happy, who intruft their youth
To right Opinions, and afcend to Truth:
Whom Wisdom tutors, whom the Virtues hail,
And with their own substantial feaft regale.
The reft are harlots: by their flatt'ries won,
In chafe of empty fciences we run :
Or Fortune's vanities purfue, and stray
With fenfual Pleafure in more dang'rous way.
See the mad rounds their giddy followers tread,
Delufion's cup ftrong-working in their head.
Faft as one fhoal of fools have delug'd thro',
Succeeding fhoals the bufy farce renew.

Who on that globe ftands ftretching to her flight?
Wild feems her afpect, and bereav'd of fight.
Fortune, blind, frantic, deaf. With restless wings
The world fhe ranges, and her favours flings:

The first court, or the fenfual life.

95

ICO

105

Flings