yet

Offended Deity, whose power

Presum'd to ak, Oh thou, the whole world's My rebel tongue but now forswore,

See'st thou a man that happier is than I? (eych Accept my penitence sincere,

The god, who scorns to fatter man, reply'd, My crime forgive, and grant my prayer! Aglaüs happier is. But Gyges cry'd, Let not thy Nave, condemn'd to mourn, In a proud rage, Who can that Aglais be? With unrequited pastion burn ;

We have heard, as yet, of no such king as he. With Love's soft thoughts her breast inspire, And true it was, through the whole carth around And kindle there an equal fire!

No king of such a naine was to be found.

Is some old hero of that name alive, It is not beauty's gaudy Aower

Who his high race does from the gods derive? (The empty triumph of an hour) Nor practis'd wiles of female art,

Is it some mighty general, that has done That now subdue my destin'd heart :

Wonders in fight, and god-like honours won ? O no!'Tis Heaven, whose wond'rous hand

Is it some man of endless wealth ? said he. A transcript of itself hath plann'd;

None, none of these. Who can this Aglaüs he? And to each outward grace hath join'd

After long search, and vain enquiries past,

In an obfcure Arcadian vale at last Each lovelier feature of the mind.

(Th’Arcadian life has always thady been) These charms shall last, when others Aly, Near Sopho's town (which he but once had seen) When roses fade, and lilies die ;

This Aglaus, who monarchs envy drew, When that dear eye's declining beain

Whose happiness the gods stood witness to, Its living fire no more thall fiream:

This mighty Aglaus, was labouring found, Blest rhen, and happy in my chain,

With his own hands, in his own little ground. The song of Freedom flows in vain ;

So, gracious God! (if it may lawful be, Nor Realon's harsh reproof I fear,

Among those foolish gods to mention thee) For Reason's self is Pallion here.

So let me act, on such a private stage, Odcarer far than wealth or fame,

The last dull scenes of my declining age; My daily thought, my nightly dreain,

After long toils and vovages in vain, If yet no youth's successful art

This quict port let my toit veffel gain; (Sweet Hope) hath touch'd thy gentle heart, Of heavenlv rest, this earnest to me lend, If no (wain hath bleft thy choice,

Let my life sleep, and learn to love her end. Indulgent hear thy Damon's voice; From doubts, from fears, his bofom free, And bid him live--for Love and Thee!

$ 158. Of Tuftice. DENHAM. T'S :

Each other to assist in what they can; § 157. The Country Life. Cowley.

Just or unjust, this law for ever stands, BLEST, be the man. (and bleft he is) whoe'er All things are good by law which the commands ;

(Plac'd far out of the roads of hope and fear) The first step, man towards Christ must justly live, A little field and little garden, feeds :

Who t’us himself, and all we have, did give; The field gives all that frugal nature needs ; In vain doth man the name of just expect, The wealthy garden liberally bestows

If his devotions he to God neglect; All she can ask, when the luxurious grows. So must we reverence God, as first to know The specious inconveniences, that wait

Justice from hiin, not from ourselves, doth flow; Upon a life of bufiness and of state,

God those accepts, who to mankind are friends, He sees (nor docs the right disturb his rest) Whose justice far as their own power extends; By fools defir'd, by wicked men poflest. In that they imitate the power divine, Thus, thus (and this deserved great Virgil's | The sun alike on good and bad doth shine; praise)

And he that doth no good, although no ill, The old Corycian ycomen pass’d his days; Docs not the office of the just fulfil. Thus his wife life Abdolonymus spent: Virtue doch man to virtuous actions steer, Th'ambassadors, which the great emperor sent 'Tis not enough that he should vice forbear; To offer him a crown, with wonder found We live not only for ourselves to care, The rev'rend gardener hocing of his ground; Whilst they that want it are deny'd their fare. Unwillingly, and now, and ducontent,

Wise Plato said, the world with men was stord, From his lov'd cottage to a torone he went ; That succour cach to other might afford; And oft he stopt, in his triumphant way, Nor are thosc fuccours to one lort confin'd, And oft look'd back, and oft was heard to say, But several parts to several men confign'd; Not without sighs --Alas! I there forsake He that of his own stores no part can give, A happier kingdom than I go to take! May with his counsel or his hands relieve. Thus Aglaus (a man unknown to men, If fortunc make thee powerful, give defence But the gods knew,and therefore lov'd him then) | Gainit fraud and force, to naked innocence : Thus liv'd obscurely then without a name, And when our justice doth her tributes pay, Aglaus, now consign'd t'eternal fame.

Method and order muft direct the way: For Gypres, the rich king, wicked and great, First to our God'we must with rev'rence bow; Puium , at wife Apollo's Delphic feat The second honour to our prince we owe;

Next to wives, parents, children, fit respect, And yet, if many cqual guilt involve,
And to our friends and kindred wc direct: Thou may ít not these condemn, and those ab.
Then we must those who groan bencach the folve.
weight

Justice, when equal scales the holds, is blind,
Of age, disease, or want, commiserate : [mend, Nor cruelty nor mexy change her mind;
'Mongst those whom honest lives can recom- When some efcape for that which others dic,
Our justice more compassion should extend; Mercy to those, to these is cruelty..
To such, who thee in fome distress did aid, A fine and Nender nct the spider weaves,
Thy debt of thanks with interest should be paid : Which little and light animals receives ;
As Heliod lings, spread waters o'er thy field, And if the catch a common bee or fiy,
And a most just and glad increase 'twill yield. They with a pitcous groan and murmur die;
But yet take heed, left doing good to one, But if a wasp or hornet the entrap,
Mischicf and wrong be to another done ; They tear her cords, like Sampfon, and escape;
Such moderation with thy bounty join, So like a fly the poor offender dies;
That thou may'st nothing give that is not thine; But, like the wafp, the rich escapes and fics.
Thet liberality's but caft away

Do not, if one but lightly thec offend,
Which makes us borrow what we cannot pay: The punishment beyond the crime extend;
And no access to wealth let rapide bring; Or after warning the offence forget;
Do nothing that's unjust to be a king.

So God himself our failings doth remit.
Juttice must be from violence exempt,

Expect not more from fervants than is just;
But Fraud's her only object of contempt. Reivard them well if they obterve their trust;
Fraud in the fox, force in the lion dwells; Nor them with cruelty or pride invade,
But justice both from human hearts expells; Since God and nature them our brothers made;
But he's the greatest monfter (without doubt) If his offence be great, let that juffice;
Who is a wolf within, a sheep without. If light, forgive; for no man's always wise.
Nor only ill injurious actions are,
But evil words and slanders bear a share.
Truth justice loves, and truth injustice fears,
Truth above all things a just man reveres :

§ 159. The Progress of Learning. DENHAM. Though not by oaths we God to witness call,

P R E F A C E.
He fees and hears, and still remembers all;
And yet our attestations we may wrest,

My early Mistress, now my ancient Mule,
Sometimes to make the truth more manifeft; That strong Circæan liquor ceafe t'intole,
If by a lye a man preserve his faith,

Where with thou didit inte xicate my youth, He pardon, leave, and absolution hath;

Now floop with disenchanted wings to truth; Or if I break my promise, which to thee

As the dove's tright did guide Æneas, now Would bring no good, but prejudice to me. May thine conduct me to the golden bough; All things committed to thy trust conceal, Tell (like a tall old oak) how learning lhoots Nor what's forbid by any means reveal.

To heaven her branches, and to hell her roots. Express thyself in plain, not doubtful words, That ground for quarrels or disputes affords : WHEN

HEN God from carth form'd Adam in the Unless thou find occasion, hold thy tongue;

east, Thyself or others careless talk may wrong.

He his own image on the clay impreft; When thou art called into public power, As subjects then the whole creation ca ne, And when a crowd of suitors throng thy door, And from their natures Adam chciz oname; Be sure no great offenders 'scape their dooms; Not from experience (for the world was icw) Small praise from lenity and remiilness comes ; He only from their carise their nature's knew. Crimes pardon'd, others to those crimes invite, Had memory been lost with innocence, Whilft Igokers-on severe cxamples fright: We had not known the fentence vor th’offence; When by a pardon'd murd'rer blood is lpilt, I was his chief punishment to keep in store The judge that pardon'd hath the greateit guilt; The fad remembrance, what he was before; Who accuse rigour make a grofs miltake; And, tho' th’offending part felt mortal pain, One criminal pardon'd may an hundred make: Th’immortal part its knowledge. did retaine When justice on offenders is not done,

After the flood, arts to Cha dæa feil, J.aw, government, and commerce are o'erthrown; The father of the faithful there did dwell, As besieg'd traitors with the foe cunfpire, Who both their parent and instructor was; T’unlock the gates, and set the town on fire. From thence did learning into A gypt pass : Yet left the punishment th’offence exceed, Mofcs in all th’Egyptian aits kisi ikillid, Justice with weight and measure must proceed : When heav'nly power that chofen veilcl fill'd; Yet when pronouncing sentence fccm not glad, And we to his high inspiration owe, Such spectacles, tho' they are just, are fad;

That what was done before the food we know.
Tho' what thou dost thou ought'st not to re- From Ægypt arts their progress made to Greece.
Yet human bowels cannot but relent: [pent, Wrapt in the fable of the Golden Flecce.
Rather than all muft fuffcr, foine must die; Mulpus first, then Orpheus, civilize
Yet nature must condule their misery,

Mankind, and gave the world their deities;
li

TO

And h That