For know that death is man's appointed doom,

Know that the day of great account will come, When thy paft life fhall strictly be furvey'd,} Each word, each deed be in the balance

laid,

And all the good and all the ill most justly be repaid.

For wealth, the perishing uncertain good, Ebbing and flowing, like the fickle flood, That knows no fure, no fix'd abiding place, But wand'ring, loves from hand to hand to pafs;

Revolve the getter's joy and lofer's pain,
And think if it be worth thy while to gain.
Of all thofe forrows that attend mankind,
With patience bear the lot to thee affign'd;
Nor think it chance, nor murmur at the
load;

For know what man calls fortune is from
God.

In what thou mayft from wifdom feek relief, And let her healing hand affuage the grief; Yet ftill whate'er the righteous doom or dains,

What cause foever multiplies thy pains,
Let not thofe pains as ills be understood;
For God delights not to afflict the good.

The reas'ning art to various ends apply'd, Is oft a fure, but oft an erring guide. Thy judgment therefore found and cool preferve,

Nor lightly from thy refolution fwerve;
The dazzling pomp of words does oft deceive,
And sweet perfuafion wins the eafy to believe.

When

When fools and liars labour to perfuade, Be dumb, and let the bablers vainly plead.

This above all, this precept chiefly learn,
This nearly does, and. firft thyfelf concern;
Let no example, let no foothing tongue,
Prevail upon thee with a Syren's fong,
To do thy foul's immortal effence wrong.
Of good and ill by words or deeds expreft,
Chufe for thyfelf, and always chufe the beft.

Let wary thought each enterprize forerun,
And ponder on thy task before begun,
Left folly should the wretched work deface,
And mock thy fruitlefs labours with difgrace..
Fools huddle on and always are in hafte,
Act without thought, and thoughtless words
they wafte.

But thou in all thou doft, with early cares
Strive to prevent at first a fate like theirs ;
That forrow on the end may never wait.
Nor sharp repentance make thee wife too late.

Beware thy meddling hand in ought to try, That does beyond thy reach of knowledge ly;

But feek to know, and bend thy serious thought
To search the profitable knowledge out.
So joys on joys for ever fhall increase,
Wisdom fhall crown thy labours, and shall

blefs

Thy life with pleasure, and thy end with

peace.

Nor let the body want its part, but share A just proportion of thy tender care:

For

For health and welfare prudently provide, And let its lawful wants be all fupply'd. Let fober draughts refresh, and wholefome fare

Decaying nature's wafted force repair ;And fprightly exercise the duller fpirits chear.

In all things ftill which to this care belong, Obferve this rule, to guard thy foul from wrong.

By virtuous ufe thy life and manners frame, Manly and fimply pure, and free from blame.

Provoke not envy's deadly rage, but fly The glancing curfe of her malicious eye.

Seek not in needlefs luxury to waste Thy wealth and substance, with a spendthrift's hafte ;

Yet flying thefe, be watchful, left thy mind,
Prone to extremes, an equal danger find,
And be to fordid avarice inclin'd.
Distant alike from each, to neither lean,
But ever keep the happy GOLDEN MEAN.

Be careful ftill to

guard thy foul from And let thy thought prevent thy hand and

wrong,

tongue.

Let not the stealing god of fleep furprize Nor creep in flumbers on thy weary eyes, E'er ev'ry action of the former day Strictly thou doft and righteously survey.

With rev'rence at thy own tribunal stand, And answer juftly to thy own demand. Where have I been? In what have I tranf

grefs'd?

What good or ill has this day's life exprefs'd? Where have I fail'd in what I ought to do? In what to God, to man, or to myfei I owe? Inquire fevere whate'er from firft to laft, From morning's dawn 'till ev'ning's gloom is past.

If evil were thy deeds, repenting mourn,
And let thy foul with ftrong remorfe be torn.
If good, the good with peace of mind repay,]
And to thy fecret felf with pleasure fay,
Rejoice, my heart; for all went well to-day..

These thoughts, and chiefly these, thy mind
fhould move;

Employ thy study, and engage thy love. These are the rules which will to virtue lead, And teach thy feet her heav'nly paths to tread. This by his name I fwear, whofe facred lore First to mankind explain'd the myftick Four, Source of eternal nature and almighty pow'r.

In all thou doft first let thy pray'rs afcend," And to the gods thy labours firft commend; From them implore success, and hope a pro-f

fp'rous end.

So fhall thy abler mind be taught to foar,
And wifdom in her fecret ways explore;
To range thro' heav'n above and earth be-
low,

Immortal gods and mortal men to know.

So

So fhalt thou learn what pow'r does all con. troul,

What bounds the parts, and what unites the whole :

And rightly judge, in all this wond'rous frame, How univerfal nature is the fame.

So fhalt thou ne'er thy vain affections place
On hopes of what fhall never come to pass.

Man, wretched man, thou fhalt be taught to know,

Who bears within himself the inborn cause of

woe.

Unhappy race! that never yet could tell How near their good and happiness they dwell.

Depriv'd of fenfe, they neither hear nor] fee;

Fetter'd in vice, they feek not to be free,
But ftupid to their own fad fate agree.
Like pond'rous rolling ftones, opprefs'd with
ill,

The weight that loads 'em makes 'em roll on still,

Bereft of choice, and freedom of the will.
For native ftrife in ev'ry bofom reigns,
And fecretly an impious war maintains:
Provoke not THIS, but let the combat cease,
And ev'ry yielding passion fue for peace.

Would't thou, great Jove, thou Father
of mankind,

Reveal the demon for that task affign'd,
The wretched race an end of woes would

find.

And

"