XX. "Vaft happiness enjoy thy gay allies! Young, yet enervate; old, yet never wise ; "Vice wastes their vigour, and their mind impairs. "Vain, idle, delicate, in thoughtless ease "Referving woes for age their prime they spend ; "All wretched, hopeless, in the evil days "With forrow to the verge of life they tend. Griev'd, with the prefent; of the past, asham'd: “They live, and are despis'd: they die, nor more are nam’d. XXI. "But with the gods, and godlike men, I dwell : "Counsel with ftrength, and industry with art, My dictates arm, inftruct, and mend the heart; "The fureft policy, the wifeft guide. "With me, true friendship dwells: the deigns to bind **Those generous fouls alone, whom I before have join'd. 86 XXII. " Nor need my friends the various coftly feast; "Sweet is their fleep: light, chearful, ftrong they rife. "Thro' "Thro' health, thro' joy, thro' pleasure and renown, They tread my paths; and by a foft descent, "At length to age all gently finking down, "Look back with transport on a life well-spent : " In which, no hour flew unimprov'd away; "In which, fome generous deed diftinguish'd every day. XXIII. "And when, the deftin'd term at length compleat, "Their ashes reft in peace; eternal Fame "Sounds wide their praise: triumphant over fate, "In facred fong, for ever lives their name. "This, Hercules, is happiness! Obey c My voice, and live. Let thy celestial birth "Lift, and enlarge, thy thoughts. Behold the way "That leads to fame; and raises thee from earth "Immortal! Lo, I guide thy fteps. Arife, "Pursue the glorious path; and claim thy native skies." XXIV.. Her words breathe fire celeftial, and impart The generous flame: with great intent his heart Sloth in her native form he now beheld; Unveil'd, fhe flood confefs'd before his fight; Falfe Siren!-All her vaunted charms, that shone So fresh erewhile, and fair: now wither'd, pale, and gone. XXV. No, XXV. No more, the rofy bloom in fweet disguise Masks her diffembled looks: each borrow'd grace Leaves her wan cheek; pale fickness clouds her eyes Livid and funk, and paffions dim her face. As when fair Iris has awhile display'd Her watry arch, with gaudy painture gay; While yet we gaze, the glorious colours fade, And from our wonder gently steal away : Where shone the beauteous phantom erst so bright, Now lowers the low-hung cloud; all gloomy to the fight. XXVI. But Virtue more engaging all the while "Lead, goddess, I am thine! (transported cry'd Alcides:) "O propitious pow'r, thy way "Teach me! poffefs my foul; be thou my guide: "From thee, O never, never let me ftray!" While ardent thus the youth his vows addrefs'd; With all the goddess fill'd, already glow'd his breast. XXVII. The heav'nly maid, with ftrength divine endu'd VOL. III. B. Unmov'd Unmov'd in toils, in dangers undifmay'd, From fiercest monfters, thro' her pow'rful aid, He free'd the earth: thro' her he gain'd the skies. 'Twas Virtue plac'd him in the bleft abode; Crown'd with eternal youth; among the Gods, a God. An O D E. TO THE People of GREAT BRITAIN. In Imitation of the Sixth ODE of the Third Book of HORACE. B Written in 1746. I. RITON! the thunder of the wrath divine, [thine, Due to thy fathers crimes, and long with-held from Shall burst with tenfold rage on thy devoted head; By meek, heart-ftruck repentance led, And stay his arm out-stretch'd to launce the avenging fire. I Did II. Did not high God of old ordain, When to thy grasp he gave the scepter of the main, Fix'd on religion's folid bafe fhould stand? Briton, be virtuous and be free; "Be truth, be fanctity thy guide: "Be humble: fear thy God; and fear thou none befide." III. Oft has th' offended Pow'r his rifing anger shown: Led on by his avenging hand Rebellion triumphs in the land: [thrown. Twice have her barbarous fons our war-train'd hosts o'erThey fell a cheap inglorious prey; Th' ambitious victor's boaft was half fuppreft, While heav'n-bred fear, and wild dismay, Unman'd the warrior's heart, and reign'd in every breast. IV. Her arms to foreign lands Britannia bore; Her arms, aufpicious now no more! With frequeut conquefts where the fires were crown'd; The fons ill-fated fell, and bit the hoftile ground: |