Sons, and ignobly fawn, or anxiously fuc, for Preferments: My Thoughts shall often refort, in penfive Contemplation, to the Sepulchres of their Sires; and learn, from their fleeping Duft, to moderate my Expectations from Mortals; to ftand difengaged from every undue Attachment to the little Interefts of Time; to get above the delufive Amusements of Honour, the gaudy Tinfels of Wealth, and all the empty Shadows of a perifhing World.

HARK! What Sound is That?

a Situation, every Noife alarms.

In fuch

Solemn

and flow, it breaks again upon the filent Air. 'Tis the Striking of the Clock: Defigned, one would imagine, to ratify all my ferious Meditations. Methinks, it says Amen, and fets a Seal, to every improving Hint. It tells me, That another Portion of my appointed Time is elapfed. One calls it, "The Knell of my departed Hours." 'Tis the Watch - word to Vigilance and Activity. It cries in the Ear of Reafon, "Redeem the Time. Catch the favourable "Gales of Opportunity: O! catch them "while they breathe, before they are irrecoverably

"coverably loft. Thy Span of Life shortens "continually. Thy Minutes are all upon "the Wing, and hafting to be gone. Thou "art art a Borderer upon Eternity, and making "inceffant Advances to the State thou art contemplating." O! may the Ad

monition fink deep into an attentive and obedient Mind! May it teach me that Heavenly Arithmetic, of "numbering my "Days, and applying my Heart unto Wif« dom!"

Day.

LET me now emerge from this damp and dreadful Obfcurity, and revifit the chearing Having caft a fuperficial View upon these Receptacles of the Dead, Curiofity prompts my Inquiry, to a more intimate Survey. And could we draw back the Covering of the Tomb; could we see, What Thofe are Now, who Once were Mortals

Oh! how would it furprise and grieve us! Surprise us, to behold the prodigious Transformation that has taken place on every Individual; grieve us, to obferve the Difhonour done to our Nature in general, within thefe fubterraneous Caverns!

HERE

HERE the sweet and winning Afpect; that wore perpetually an attractive Smile, grins horribly a naked, ghafly Scull. The Eye, that outfhone the Diamond's Luftre, and fhot her lovely Lightening into the moft guarded Heart; Alas! Where is it? Where fhall we find the rolling Sparklers How are all thefe radiant Glories totally eclipfed! The Tongue, that once commanded all the Charms of Harmony, and all the Powers of Eloquence, in this ftrange Land has " forgot its Cunning." Where are now thofe Strains of Melody, which ravifhed our Ears? Where is that Flow of Perfuafion, which carried captive our Judg ments? The great Master of Language, and of Song, is become filent as the Night that furrounds Him. The pampered Flesh, fo lately cloathed in Purple, and fine Linen, how is it covered rudely with Clods of Clay! There was a Time, when the timorously nice Creature would fcarce "*ad& venture to fet a Foot upon the Ground,

for Délicatenefs and Tendernefs;" but is now enwrapped in clammy Earth, and sleeps on no fofter a Pillow than the ragged Gra

vel

* Deut. xxviii. 56.

vel-ftones.

Here" the Strong Men

"bow themselves:" The Nervous Arm is unftrung; the brawny Sinews are relaxed; the Limbs, not long ago the Seats of Vigour and Activity, lie down motionless; and the Bones, which were as Bars of Iron, are crumbled into Duft.

HERE the Man of Bufinefs forgets all his favourite Schemes, and discontinues the Pursuit of Gain. Here is a total Stand to the Circulation of Merchandize, and the Hurry of Trade. In these folitary Recesses, as in the Building of Solomon's Temple, is heard no Sound of the Hammer and Ax. The Winding-fheet, and the Coffin, are the utmost Bound of all earthly Devices. “ Hi"therto may they go, but no farther."Here the Sons of Pleasure take a final Farewel of their dear Delights. No more is the Sensualist anointed with Oil, or crowned with Rofe-buds: He chants no more to the Melody of the Viol, nor revels any longer at the Banquet of Wine. Inftead of fumptuous Tables, and delicious Treats, the poor Voluptuary is Himfelf a Feaft for fattened Infects; "the Worm feeds fweetly on Him." Here alfo Beauty fails; bright Beauty

drops her Luftre here. Oh! How her Rofes fade, and her Lilies languifh, in this bleak Soil! How does the grand Leveller pour Contempt upon the Charmer of our Hearts ! How turn to Deformity what captivated the World before!

COULD the Lover have a Sight of his once-inchanting Fair-one, what a startling Astonishment wou'd feize him! "Is "This the Object, I not long ago fo paffion"ately admired! I faid, fhe was divinely "fair, and thought her more than mortal. "Her Form was Symmetry itself: Every

Elegance breathed in her Air; and all the Graces waited on her Motions. "'Twas Mufic, when she spoke: But when "fhe spoke Encouragement, 'twas little less "than Rapture. How my Heart danced "to thofe charming Accents! And can "that, which, fome Weeks ago, was to "Admiration lovely, be now fo infuffer

*0

ably loathfome? -- Where is that Ivory Neck, thofe blufhing Cheeks, the coral Lips, with ten thousand other matchless

quam te memorem, virgo! namque haud tibi vultus Mortalis, nec vox hominem fonat. O Dea certe!

5

Virg.

"Beautics?

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