But who that faw their treasures fwell,
That heard th' infatiate vow, rebel,
Would e'er have thought them mortal born?
See the world's victor mount his car; Blood marks his progrefs wide and far, Sure he fhall reign while ages fly: No; vanish'd like a morning cloud, The hero was but just allow'd
To fight, to conquer, and to die.
And is it true, I afk with dread, That nations, heap'd on nations, bled, Beneath his chariot's fervid wheel,
With trophies to adorn the spot, Where his pale corse was left to rot, And doom'd the hungry reptile's meal?
Yes! Fortune, weary'd with her play, Her toy, this hero, cafts away,
And scarce the form of man is feen; Awe chills my breast, my eyes o'erflow, Around my brows no roses glow,
The cypress mine, funereal green!
Yet in this hour of grief and fears, When awful Truth unveil'd appears,
Some pow'r unknown ufurps my breast; Back to the world my thoughts are led, My feet in Folly's lab'rinth tread,
And fancy dreams that life is blefs'd.
How weak an emprefs is the mind,
Whom Pleafure's flow'ry wreaths can bind,
And captive to her altars lead!
And yet this ftrange, this fudden flight, From gloomy cares to gay delight,
This fickleness, fo light and vain, In life's delufive, tranfient dream, Where men, nor things, are what they feem, Is all the real good we gain.
"EALTH to my friend! fuch health may Heav'n bestow,
As worth and virtue ever ought to know.
Health to my friend! fuch health may Heav'n impart,
As needs no fuccours from the healing art.
Health to my friend! fuch health as Nature brings, Alike to peasants, nobles, princes, kings.
Such health as paints, on Daphne's glowing cheek, The rofe-bud's bloom, and the carnation's streak. Such health as fhews the crimson tide within, In act to burst the fmooth, pellucid skin.
Such health as fheds, from eyes untaught to play, Beams that may rival the bright orb of day: Bids the free lungs refpire without a figh;
Unless for Damon gone, or Damon nigh.
Such health as throws o'er Damon's youthful frame, Charms undescrib'd, and grace without a name; 3 B 2
Sets high his fpreading cheft, erects his head, Braces his nerves, and arms his manly tread; Bids him in fports athletick first advance, Or trip with vigour in the fprightly dance; His heart with bold and bravest purpose fills, Fearless of danger, and defpifing ills;
Or to his love as to his honour true, With equal ardour bids him both purfue;
Sure that the fuit preferr'd ftill beft fucceeds, Where, crown'd with fame, the conqu❜ring lover pleads. Nor needs my friend the road to Health explore, Whofe daily travel brings him to her door: To her delightful haunts, her blefs'd abode, Through Temp'rance lies the plain and open road. No glutton, fatiate with unneeded food, No drunkard, dy'd with Bacchus' purple flood, No lawless vot'ry to unhallow'd love, Health's unabated joys muft hope to prove. Nor he whofe foul, by various paffions tofs'd, Deaf to perfuafion, and to reafon loft; Who bursts in anger, or diffolves in grief, Storms without pause, or weeps without relief. But he whofe mod'rate meals, and frugal board, By hunger fauc'd, and with plain viands stor'd, Await on Nature's calls; whose steady mind, Slave to no vice, by Virtue's rules confin'd, With calm intent, pursues thro' life that plan, Which honours God, and dignifies the man: On him shall blooming Health with fmiles attend, And joy to hail him, brother, patron, friend. Sworn foe to Health, lo! Indolence creeps by, Meagre his vifage, and half clos'd his eye; With asthma heaving, or by coughing torn, By dropfy fwell'd, or by confumption worn; His life one fcene of complicated woe; And e'en his only refuge, Death, too flow!
From this fad spectre learn, nor learn in vain, That Exercife alone can health obtain.
To climb the mountain's height at early dawn, And chafe the bounding ftag o'er hill and lawn; The tim'rous hare in mazy rounds pursue, Or prefs the felon fox in diftant view; With nicest eye to mark the covey's fall, Or lure the quail with artificial call ; Forth from the copfe the gaudy pheasant bring, Or feek the woodcock's feeds befide the spring: When the pure ftream, disturb'd by gentle gales, With ruffled furface glides along the vales, With steady hand, and penetrating eye, To drop unnotic'd the fictitious fly; Forth from his haunt the spotted trout betray, With patient skill the ftruggling victim play; Or from his hole the rav'nous pike decoy, And feize on him who lives but to destroy. From toils like these, whilst pain and fickness fly, Health blooms the cheek, and glistens in the eye! Nor let falfe pride impel thee to forbear Thofe fcenes of honeft mirth and feftive chear, Where sturdy youth, in many a fportive game, On village green contend for village fame, To heave the bar a long and envied throw, To caft the quoit a fure unerring blow; The tow'ring ball with keeneft eye to watch, With fwifteft foot the falling prize to catch; With ftrength of arm to fall the friendly foe, Or ftrain each muscle at the trip below; With agile speed the distant goal to gain From many a rival lab'ring o'er the plain : These sports shall yield thee fuch untainted health As fhuns the lazy pamper'd fons of wealth. Hafte, then, my Joddrell, to thy Smythson hafte; The tranquil pleafures of the country tafte;
Leave the gay town for fcenes more truly gay, Air unpolluted, and unclouded day:
On the green hillock fnuff the paffing gale, Or catch the fragrance of the flow'ry dale.
"The vocal concert of the woods attend,
Where notes untun'd, in founds harmonious blend. Mark Nature's colourings of various hue, From the pale primrose to the vi'let blue. Order and beauty in creation trace,
From the gay moth, to man's imperial race:' With awe imprefs'd, his wond'rous frame furvey, Form'd from the dust, and fashion'd from the clay ; Life's complex organs with delight explore, And the Great Artist honour and adore. The paffing feafons of the year remark, From hoary winter, chearless, dreary, dark, To jocund fpring, where, drefs'd in rich array, All nature wantons in the sweets of May. Admire the rip'ning fruits of fummer's reign, And autumn, fraught with loads of golden grain; With honeft labour join the grateful fong,
Or mix in dances with the chearful throng. Pleasures like thefe enjoy, their bleffings own, And Health fhall deck thee with her envy'd crown.
UPON THE MODEL OF THE NUT-BROWN MAID
HOU, to whofe eyes I bend, at whofe command
(Tho' low my voice, tho' artlefs be my hand)
I take the sprightly reed, and fing and play, Careless of what the cens'ring world may fay;
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