Grief aids disease, remember'd folly stings, pine, What gave great Villiers to the assassin's knife, And fix'd disease on Harley's closing life? What murder'd Wentworth', and what exiled Hyde”, By kings protected, and to kings allied ? What but their wish indulged in courts to shine, And power too great to keep, or to resign ? When first the college-rolls receive his name, The young enthusiast quits his ease for fame; Through all his veins the fever of renown Spreads from the strong contagion of the gown ; O’er Bodley's dome his future labours spread, And Bacon's 3 mansion trembles o'er his head. Are these thy views ? proceed, illustrious youth ; And Virtue guard thee to the throne of Truth! Yet should thy soul indulge the generous heat, Till captive Science yields her last retreat ; 1 Earl of Strafford. 9 Earl of Clarendon. 3 There was a tradition, that the study of Friar Bacon, built on an arch over the bridge at Oxford, would fall, when a man greater than Bacon should pass under it: but the study was taken down some years since, and left the tradition harmless. Should Reason guide thee with her brightest ray, Nor deem, when Learning her last prize bestows, 4 Lydiat passed part of his life in prison, and Galileo lost his sight from continual application to his telescope, added to the baneful effects of pocturnal air. 5 Archbishop of Canterbury; beheaded on Tower-hill, 1645. Around his tomb let Art and Genius weep, The festal blazes, the triumphal show, gret, From age to age in everlasting debt; Wreaths which at last the dear-bought right convey To rust on medals, or on stones decay. On what foundation stands the warrior's pride, How just his hopes, let Swedish Charles decide ; A frame of adamant, a soul of fire, No dangers fright him, and no labours tire ; O'er love, o'er fear, extends his wide domain, Unconquer'd lord of pleasure and of pain ; No joys to him pacific sceptres yield, War sounds the trump, he rushes to the field; Behold surrounding kings their powers combine, And one capitulate, and one resign ; Peace courts bis hand, but spreads her charms in vain; [main; ' Think nothing gain'd,' he cries, 'till daught reOn Moscow's walls till Gothic standards fly, And all be mine beneath the polar sky.' The march begins in military state, All times their scenes of pompous woes afford, stow'd, The insulted sea with humbler thoughts he gains,- The bold Bavarian, in a luckless hour, charms, The queen, the beauty, sets the world in arms; From hill to hill the beacon's rousing blaze Spreads wide the hope of plunder and of praise ; The fierce Croatian, and the wild Hussar, And all the sons of ravage, crowd the war ; The baffled prince in honour's flattering bloom Of hasty greatness finds the fatal doom, His foes' derision, and his subjects' blame, And steals to death from anguish avd from shame. • Enlarge my life with multitude of days !In health, in sickness, thus the suppliant prays ; Hides from himself his state, and shuns to know, That life protracted is protracted woe. Time hovers o'er, impatient to destroy, And shuts up all the passages of joy. In vain their gifts the bounteous Seasons pour, The fruit autumnal, and the vernal flower, With listless eyes the dotard views the store, He views, and wonders that they please no more ; Now pall the tasteless meats, and joyless wines, And Luxury with sighs her slave resigns. Approach, ye minstrels, try the soothing strain, And yield the tuneful lenitives of pain : |