My Apprehenfions recover from their Sur prize: I find, here are no Phantoms, but fuch as Fear raises. However, it ftill amazes me, to obferve the Wonders of this nether World. Thofe who received vaft Revenues, and called whole Lordfhips their own, are here reduced to a few Sheets of Lead. Rooms of State, and fumptuous Furniture, are refigned; for no other Ornament than the Shroud, for no other Apartment than the darkfome Niche. No fplendid Retinue attend this folitary Dwelling: The lordly Equipage hovers no longer about the lifeless Mafter; nothing but the fable Banners, which feem to be difplayed in Triumph over a proftrate Captive; or a dusty Statue, which, while the regardless World is as gay as ever, the Sculptor's Hand has taught to weep. Inftead of the Star, that blazed upon the Breaft; or Coronet, that glittered round the Temples; the only Remains of departed Dignity are, the Weather-beaten Atchievement, and tatter'd Efcutcheon.-Those who gloried in highhorn Ancestors, and noble Pedigree, here drop their lofty Pretenfions. They acknowlege Kindred with creeping Things, and quarter Arms with the meanest Reptiles. "They fay to Corruption, "Thou art my Father; and to the Worm, Thou "art my Mother and my Sifter."-O mortifying Truth! Sufficient, one would think, to wean the moft fanguine Appetite from this tranfitory State

of

of Things; from its fickly Satisfactions, its fading Glories, its vanishing Treasures.

For now, ye lying Vanities of Life!

Ye ever-tempting, ever-cheating Train ! Where are ye now? And what is your Amount? *

WHAT is all the World to these poor breathlefs Beings? What are their Pleafures? A Bubble broke. What their Honours? A Dream that is forgotten. What the Sum-total of their Enjoyments below? Once, perhaps, it appeared to in-experienced and fond Defire, fomething confiderable: But now Death has measured it with his Line, and weighed it in his Scale, what is the Upfhot? Alas! 'tis fhorter than a Span; lighter than the dancing Spark; and driven away like the diffolving Smoke.

INDULGE, my Soul, a ferious Pause. Recollect all the gay Things, that were wont to dazle thy Eyes, and inveigle thy Affections. Here examine thefe Baits of Senfe: Here form an Eftimate of their real Value. Suppofe thyfelf first among the Favourites of Fortune, who revel in the Lap of Pleafure; who fhine in the Robes of Honour; and fwim in Tides of inexhaufted Riches: Yet, how foon would the Paffing-Bell proclaim thy Exit! And, when once that Iron F 4 Call

Thomf. Winter, lin. 210. laft Edit.

Call has fummoned thee to thy future Reckon→ ing, where would all these Gratifications be? At that Period, how will all the Pageantry of the most affluent, confpicuous, or luxurious Circumftances vanish into empty Air?-And is this a Happiness, so paffionately to be coveted?

I THANK you, ye Relics of founding Titles, and magnificent Names: Ye have taught me more of the Littleness of the World, than all the Volumes of my Library. Your Nobility arrayed in a Winding-fheet, your Grandeur mouldering in an Urn, are the most invincible Proofs of the Nothingness of created Things. Never, furely, did Providence write this important Point in such legible Characters, as in the Ashes of My Lord, or on the Corpfe of His Grace *. Let others, if they please, pay their obfequious Court to your wealthy Sons; and ignobly fawn, or anxiously fue, for Preferments: My Thoughts fhall 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.

Mors fola fatetur

HARK!

Quantula fint Hominum Corpufcula.

Juv.

HARK! What Sound is That!-In fuch a Situation, every Noife alarms.-Solemn and flow, it breaks again upon the filent Air.-"Tis the Striking of the Clock: Defigned, one would imagine, to ratify all my serious Meditations. Methinks, it says Amen, and sets a Seal, to every improving Hint. It tells me, That another Por tion 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 loft. Thy Span of Life "fhortens continually. Thy Minutes are all

upon the Wing, and haftening to be gone. "Thou art a Borderer upon Eternity, and mak❝ing inceffant Advances to the State thou art ❝contemplating."-O! may the Admonition fink deep into an attentive and obedient Mind! May it teach me that Heavenly Arithmetic, of "numbering my Days, and applying my Heart unto Wisdom !"

I HAVE often walked beneath the impending Promontory's craggy Cliff; I have often trod the vaft Spaces of the lonely Defart; and penetrated the inmoft Receffes of the dreary Cavern; but never, never beheld Nature louring, with fo tre¬ mendous

mendous a Form; never felt fuch Impreffions of Awe, ftriking cold on my Heart; as under these black-brow'd Arches, amidft thefe mouldy Walls, and furrounded by fuch rueful Objects; where Melancholy, deepeft Melancholy, for ever fpreads her Raven Wings.-Let me now emerge from the damp and dreadful Obscurity.—Farewel, ye Seats of Defolation, and Shades of Death!-Gladly I revifit the Realms of Day.

HAVING caft a fuperficial View upon thefe 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 fee, What Thofe are now, who Once were Mortals-Oh! how would it furprife and grieve us! Surprise us, to behold the prodigious Tranfformation that has taken place on every Indivi dual; grieve us, to obferve the Difhonour done to our Nature in general, within thefe fubterraneous Lodgements.

HERE, the fweet and winning Afpect, that wore perpetually an attractive Smile, grins horribly a naked, ghaftly Scull.-The Eye, that outfhone the Diamond's Luftre; and glanced her lovely Lightning into the most guarded Heart: Alas! Where is it? Where fhall we find the rolling Sparkler? How are all thofe radiant Glories totally eclipfed !-The Tongue, that once commanded