He just had got his pinions free
From his old fire Eternity.
A ferpent girdled round he wore,
The tail within the mouth, before;
By which our almanacks are clear
That learned Ægypt meant the year.
A ftaff he carry'd, where on high
A glass was fix'd to measure by,
As amber boxes made a fhow
For heads of canes an age ago.
His veft, for day, and night, was py'd;
A bending fickle arm'd his fide;
And Spring's new months his train adorn;
The other Seasons were unborn.
Known by the Gods, as near he draws,
They make him umpire of the cause.
O'er a low trunk his arm he laid,
Where fince his hours a dial made;
Then leaning heard the nice debate,
And thus pronounc'd the words of Fate.
Since body from the parent Earth,
And foul from Jove receiv'd a birth,
Return they where they first began ;
But fince their union makes the Man,
"Till Jove and Earth fhall part these two,
To Care who join'd them, Man is due.
He said, and sprung with swift career
To trace a circle for the year;
Where ever fince the Seafons wheel,
And tread on one another's heel.
'Tis well, faid Jove, and for consent
Thund'ring he shook the firmament.
Our umpire Time shall have his way,
With Care I let the creature stay :
Let bus'ness vex him, av'rice blind,
Let doubt and knowledge rack his mind,
Let error act, opinion speak,
And want afflict, and fickness break,
And anger burn, dejection chill,
And joy distract, and forrow kill.
G 2
'Till arm'd by Care, and taught to mow,
Time draws the long deftructive blow;
And wasted Man, whofe quick decay
Comes hurrying on before his day,
Shall only find by this decree,
The foul flies fooner back to me.
An Imitation of fome French VERSES.
ELENTLESS Time! destroying Pow'r,
Whom stone and brafs obey,
R
Who giv❜ft to ev'ry flying hour
To work fome new decay;
Unheard, unheeded, and unseen,
Thy fecret faps prevail,
And ruin man, a nice machine,
By nature form'd to fail.
My change arrives; the change I meet,
Before I thought it nigh.
My spring, my years of pleasure fleet,
And all their beauties dye..
In age I fearch, and only find
A poor unfruitful gain,
Grave wisdom ftalking flow behind,
Opprefs'd with loads of pain.
My ignorance cou'd once beguile,
And fancy'd joys inspire;
My errors cherish'd hope to fmile
On newly-born desire.
But now experience fhews, the bliss
For which I fondly fought,
Not worth the long impatient wish,
And ardour of the thought.
My youth met Fortune fair array'd,
In all her pomp she fhone,
And might, perhaps, have well effay'd,
To make her gifts my own :-
But when I faw the bleffings show'r
On fome unworthy mind,
I left the chace, and own'd the Pow'r
Was juftly painted blind.
I pafs'd the glories which adorn
The fplendid courts of kings,
And while the perfons mov'd my scorn,
I rose to scorn the things.
My manhood felt a vig❜rous fire By love encreas'd the more; years
But
To break the chains I wore.
with coming years confpire
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