Beauty, noble thesis, had a world of sweets to sing of, And dated all her praise from God, the birthday of the soul. Thence grew Fame; and Flattery came like Agag ; But this was as the nauseous dregs, of that inspiring cup: Forth from Flattery sprang in opposition harsh and dull Neglect ; And kind Contentment's gentle face to smile away the sadness. Life, all buoyancy and light, and Death, that sullen silence, Sped the soul to Immortality, the final home of man. Then, in metaphysical review, passed a triple troop, Swift Ideas, sounding Names, and heavily-armed Things: Faith spake of her achievements even among men her brethren ; And Honesty, with open mouth, would vindicate himself: The retrospect of social life had many truths to tell of, And then I left thee to thy Solitude, learning there of Wisdom. Friend and scholar, lover of the right, mine equal kind companion,— I prize indeed thy favour, and these sympathies are dear: Still, if thy heart be little with me, wot thou well, my brother, I canvass not the smile of praise, nor dread the frowns of censure. Through many themes in many thoughts, have we held sweet converse; But God alone be praised for mind! He only is sufficient. And every thought in every theme by prayer had been established: Who then should fear the face of man, when God hath answered prayer?— I speak it not in arrogance of heart, but humbly, as of justice, I think it not in vanity of soul, but tenderly, for gratitude, God hath blest my mind, and taught it many truths; And I have echoed some to thee, in weakness, ye sincerely: Yea, though ignorance and error shall have marred those lessons of His teaching, I stand in mine own Master's praise, or fall to His reproof. If thou lovest, help me with thy blessing; if otherwise, mine shall be for thee; If thou approvest, heed my words; if otherwise, in kindness be my teacher. Many mingled thoughts for self have warped my better aim, Many motives tempted still, to toil for pride or praise : Alas, I have loved pride and praise, like others worse or worthier; But hate and fear them now, as snakes that fastened on my hand : Scævola burnt both hand and crime; but Paul flung the viper on the fire: He shook it off, and felt no harm: so be it !—I re nounce them. Rebuke then, if thou wilt rebuke,—but neither hastily, nor harshly; Or, if thou wilt commend, be it honestly, of right: I work for God and good. ΤΕΛΟΣ. 303 Notes. (1) "Hunt with Aurengzebe," &c. Page 3. The great Mogul; who reigned in the seventeenth century; and was famous, amongst other things, for having all but exterminated wild beasts from the region of Hindoostan: he effected this by surrounding the whole country with his army, and then drawing to a focus with the animals in the centre. Somerville, in the end of Book ii. of the Chase, gives a spirited account of that mighty hunting: "Now the loud trumpet sounds a charge. The shouts (2) Page 7. Heraclitus, and Democritus, are severally known as the crying and laughing philosophers: they typify opposite kinds of seekers after wisdom; both being prejudiced by excess. Our age of the world seems to have fallen upon the latter, which, with a protest against abuse, is certainly the wiser of the two. "The house of mourning is better than the house of feasting," for this influence, along with others of more weight; viz., that it tends to a cheerful and calm reaction, rather than to feelings of dulness and satiety. A few lines further, "the luxury of Capuan holidays," alludes to Hannibal's fatal rest after the battle of Cannæ. (3) Revelation xxi. 8. Page 9. "But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire." (*)" Deucalion, flinging back the pebble in his flight, &c. Page 21. Descendunt; velantque caput, tunicasque recingunt; Missa viri manibus faciem traxêre virilem. Ovid. Met. lib. i. |