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 falfe fcale of Happinefs complete!

In hearts of Kings, or arms of Queens who lay,
How happy!ofe to ruin, these betray.
Mark by what wretched fteps their glory grows,
From dirt and fea-weed as proud Venice rofe;
In each how guilt and greatnefs equal ran,
And all that rais'd the Hero, funk the Man :
Now Europe's laurels on their brows behold,
But ftain'd with blood, or ill exchang'd for gold:
Then fee them broke with toils, or funk in eafe,
Or infamous for plunder'd provinces.

285

290

295

O! wealth ill-fated! which no act of fame
E'er taught to fhine, or fanctify'd from shame!
What greater blifs attends their close of life?
Some greedy minion, or imperious wife,

300

The trophy'd arches, story'd halls invade,

And haunt their flumbers in the pompous fhade.
Alas! not dazzled with their noon-tide ray,
Compute the morn and evening to the day;
The whole amount of that enormous fame,

305

A Tale, that blends their glory with their shame!
Know then this truth (enough for Man to know)
"Virtue alone is happiness below."

The only point where human blifs ftands ftill,
And taftes the good without the fall to ill;

310

Where

Where only Merit conftant pay receives,

Is bleft in what it takes, and what it gives ;

The joy unequal'd, if its end it gain,

315

And if it lofe, attended with no pain:
Without fatiety, though e'er so bless'd,

And but more relish'd as the more distress'd:
The broadeft mirth unfeeling Folly wears,

Less pleasing far than Virtue's very tears:

320

Good, from each object, from each place acquir'd,

For ever exercis'd, yet never tir'd;

Never elated, while one man's opprefs'd;

Never dejected, while another's bleft;

And where no wants, no wishes can remain,

325

Since but to wish more Virtue, is to gain.

See the fole blifs Heaven could on all beftow! Which who but feels can tafte, but thinks can know : Yet poor with fortune, and with learning blind, The bad muft mifs, the good, untaught, will find: 330 • Slave to no fect, who takes no private road,

But looks through Nature, up to Nature's God:
Pursues that Chain which links th' immense defign,
Joins heaven and earth, and mortal and divine;

:

VARIATION.

After ver. 316. in the MS.

Ev'n while it seems unequal to dispose,

Sees,

And chequers all the good Man's joys with woes,
'Tis but to teach him to fupport each state.
With patience this, with moderation that ;;
And raise his bafe on that one folid joy,

Which confcience gives, and nothing can destroy.
VOL. II.

G

Sees, that no Being any blifs can know,

335

But touches fome above, and fome below;
Learns, from this union of the rifing Whole,
The firft, laft purpose of the human foul;

And knows where Faith, Law, Morals, all began,
All end, in LOVE OF GOD, and LOVE OF MAN. 340
For him alone, Hope leads from goal to goal,
And opens still, and opens on his foul;
Till lengthen'd on to FAITH, and unconfin'd,
It pours the blifs that fills up all the mind.
He fees, why Nature plants in Man alone

345

Hope of known blifs, and Faith in bliss unknown:

(Nature, whofe dictates to no other kind

Are given in vain, but what they seek they find)
Wife is her prefent; the connects in this

His greatest Virtue with his greatest Bliss;

350

At once his own bright prospect to be bleft,

And strongest motive to affift the rest.

Self-love thus push'd to social, to divine,

Gives thee to make thy neighbour's bleffing thine.
Is this too little for the boundless heart?

355

Extend it, let thy enemies have part:

Grafp the whole worlds of Reason, Life, and Sense,
In one close system of Benevolence :

Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree,

And height of Bliss but height of Charity.

360

God loves from Whole to Parts: but human foul
Muft rife from Individual to the Whole.
Self-love but ferves the virtuous mind to wake,

As the small pebble ftirs the peaceful lake;

The

The centre mov'd, a circle strait fucceeds,

365

Another ftill, and ftill 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 every creature in, of every
kind;

Earth fmiles around, with boundless bounty bleft,
And Heaven beholds its image in his breast.

370

Come then, my Friend! my Genius! come along; Oh mafter of the poet, and the fong!

And while the Mufe now ftoops, or now afcends, 375
To Man's low paffions, or their glorious ends,
Teach me, like thee, in various Nature wife,
To fall with dignity, with temper rife;
Form'd by thy converfe, happily to steer,
From grave to gay, from lively to severe;
Correct with spirit, eloquent with ease,

380

Intent to reafon, or polite to please.

Oh! while along the stream of Time thy name
Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame;

Say, fhall my little bark attendant fail,

385

Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale ?

When

VARIATION.

Ver. 373. Come then, my Friend! &c.] In the MS. thus, And now transported o'er fo vaft a plain,

While the wing'd courfer flies with all her rein, While heaven-ward now her mounting wing fhe feels, Now scatter'd fools fly trembling from her heels, Wilt thou, my St. John! keep her courfe in fight, Confine her fury, and affifther flight?

390

When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose,
Whose fons shall blush their fathers were thy foes,
Shall then this verse to future age pretend
Thou wert my guide, philofopher, and friend?
That, urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art,
From founds to things, from fancy to the heart;
For Wit's falfe mirror held up Nature's light;
Shew'd erring Pride, WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT;
That REASON, PASSION, anfwer one great aim; 395
That true SELF-LOVE and SOCIAL are the fame;
That VIRTUE only makes our Bliss below;

And all our knowledge is, OURSELVES TO KNOW.

VARIATION.

Ver. 397. That Virtue only, &c.] In the MS. thus,.
That juft to find a God is all we can,
And all the Study of Mankind is Man.

THE