"How mean the short-liv'd joys of Sense! "But how fublime the excellence

"Of Wifdom's facred lore!

"In Death's deep shades what nations lie!
"Yet ftill can Wisdom's piercing eye
"Their mighty deeds explore.

"The Afian world in arms;

"She hears the heavenly founds that hung
"On Homer's and on Plato's tongue,
"And glows at Tully's charms.

"The wonders of the fpacious fky "She penetrates with Newton's eye, "And marks the planets roll;

"The human mind with Locke fhe fcans! "With Cambray Virtue's flame fhe fans, "And lifts to heaven the foul.

"How matter takes ten thousand forms
Of metals, plants, of men and worms,
"She joys to trace with Boyle:
This life fhe deems an infant state,
A gleam that bodes a light complete
σε Beyond the mortal toil.

"What

"What numerous ills in life befall!

"Yet Wisdom learns to fcorn them all, "And arms the breaft with steel: "E'en Death's pale face no horror wears; “But, ah, what horrid pangs and fears Unknowing wretches feel!

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"That breaft excels proud Ophir's mines, "And fairer than the morning fhines, "Where Wifdom's treasures glow; "But, ah, how void yon peafant's mind! "His thoughts how darken'd, and confin'd! "Nor cares he more to know.

"The last two tenants of the ground, "Of antient times his hift'ry bound:

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Alas, it fcarce goes higher.

"In vain to him is Maro's ftrain,

"And Shakespeare's magic powers in vain, "In vain is Milton's fire,

"Nor fun by day, nor ftars by night,
"Can give his foul the grand delight
"To trace almighty power:
"His team think just as much as he
"Of Nature's vast variety

"In animal and flower."

As thus I fung, a folemn found
Accofts mine ear; I look'd around,
And lo, an ancient Sage,

Hard by an ivied oak, stood near,
That fenc'd the cave, where many a year

Had been his hermitage.

"Go, mark the Schools, where letter'd pride,
“And ftar-crown'd Science, boaftful guide,
"Difplay their faireft light:

"There led by fome pale meteor's ray,
"That leaves them oft, the Sages stray,

"And grope in endless night.

"Of

"Of Wisdom proud yon Sage exclaims,
"Virtue and Vice are merely names,
"And changing every hour;

Afhley, how loud in Virtue's praife! "Yet Ashley with a kifs betrays

"And ftrips her of her dower.

"Hark, Bolingbroke his God arraigns;
"Hobbes fmiles on Vice, Defcartes maintains
"A godlefs paffive cause;

"See, Bayle, oft flily shifting round,

"Would fondly fix on fceptic ground,

"And change, O Truth, thy laws.

"And what the joy this lore bestows?
"Alas, no joy, no hope it knows
"Above what bestials claim:

"To quench our nobleft native fire,
"That bids to nobler worlds afpire,
"Is all its hopes, its aim.

"Not Afric's wilds, nor Babel's wafte,
"Where Ignorance her tents hath plac'd,
More difmal fcene difplay:

"A fcene, where Virtue fickening dies,
"Where Vice to dark extinction flies,

"And spurns the future day.

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"Wisdom

"At night then mark the fires of heaven,

"And let thy mind explore; "Swift as the lightning let it fly "From ftar to ftar, from sky to sky, ፡፡ Still, ftill are millions more.

"Th' immenfe ideas ftrike the foul
"With pleafing horror, and controul
Thy Wisdom's empty boast.

"What are they?-Thou can'ft never say:

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Then filent adoration pay,

"And be in wonder loft.

Say, how the felf-fame roots produce

"The wholefome food, and poisonous juice,

"And adders balfams yield:

"How fierce the lurking tyger glares,

"How mild the heifer with thee fhares

"The labours of the field

Why grewling to his den retires "The fullen 'pard, while joy infpires "Yon happy fportive lambs? "Now fcatter'd o'er the hill they stray, "Now, weary of their gambling play, "All fingle out their dams.

"Inftinct