Of wisdom's privilege, and th' obdurate breast,
Stubborn in anguish; idle wisdom all,
Weak forcery to charm a real pain;

Distasting crowds and bufinefs, thus he feeks
Diverfion in himself, but with deep thoughts
He kindles doubt; and while he (trives to blow
The ashes off, revives the brand of care.
Hence far remov'd, a diff'rent noisy race
In cities full and frequent take their feat,
Where honour's crush'd, and gratitude oppress'd
With fwelling hopes of gain, that raise within
A tempeft, and, driv'n onward by success,
Can find no bounds. For creatures of a day
Stretch their wide cares to ages; full increase
Starves the penurious foul, while empty found
Fills the ambitious; that fhall ever shrink,
Pining with endless cares, whilft this shall fwell
To tympany enormous. Bright in arms
Here fhines the hero, out he fiercely leads
A martial throng, his inftruments of rage,
To fill the world with death, and thin mankind.
Ambition drives, and round the world he roams,
Marking his way with blood; the dreadful noise
Begets a fame; and all the breath he leaves
Is fpent in his falfe praife, and vainly bloats
The tyrant's foul; while high his kingdoms rife
In fleeting pomp, hov'ring their gaudy wings
Around the fervile globe, that tamely bends

Beneath

Beneath his haughty reign; and all his flaves
Under his yoke fhall groan, and scarce fhall groan
Without a crime. Here torturing engines roar
With human voice difguis'd; earth, water, fire,
Are made (dire elements of cruelty !).
Subfervient to his luft, and power to kill;
Yet shall the herd endure, nor dare to break
United their imaginary chain ;

While their great monarch chills with equal fears,
No less a slave than they. Each rumour shakes
The haughty purple, dark and cloudy cares
Involve the aweful throne, that stands erect,
Balanc'd on the wild people's temper'd rage,
And fortify'd with dangerous arts of power.
But death shall shift those scenes of misery;
Then doubtful titles kindle up new wars,
And urge on ling'ring fate; the enfigns blaze
About the camp, and drums and trumpets found,
Prepare a folemn way to griezly war;
Javelins and bearded spears in ghaftly ranks
Erect their fhining heads, and round the field
A harvest's scene of formidable death;

Then joins the horrid fhock, whofe bellowing burft
Torments the shatter'd air, and drowns the groans
Of men below that roll in certain death.

These are the mortal fports, the tragic plays
By man himself embroil'd; the dire debate
Makes the wafte defart feem ferene and mild,

Where

Where favage nature in one common lies,
By homely cots poffefs'd; all fqualid, wild,
And defpicably poor, they range the field,
And feel their fhare of hunger, care, and pain,
Cheated by flying prey; and now they tear
Their panting flesh; and now with nails unclean
They tug their fhaggy beards; and deeply quaff
Of human woe, even when they rudely fip
The flowing ftream, or chew the favory pulp
Of nature's fresheft viands; fragrant fruits
Enjoy'd with trembling, and in danger fought.
But where th' appointed limits of a law
Fences the general safety of the world,
No greater quiet reigns; for wanton man,
In giddy frolic, easily leaps o'er

His own invented bounds; hence rapine, fraud,
Revenge, and luft, and all the hideous train
Of nameless ills, diftort the meagre mind
To endless shapes of woe. Here mifers mourn
Departed gold, and their defrauded heirs
Dire perjuries complain; the blended loads
Of punishment and crime deform the world,
And give no reft to man; with pangs and throes
He enters on the ftage; prophetic tears

And infant cries prelude his future woes ;
And all is one continu'd fcene of grief,
"Till the fad fable curtain falls in death.

But

But that last act fhall in one moment clofe
Of doubt and darkness; pain fhall crack the ftringe
Of life decay'd; no lefs the foul convuls'd,
Trembles in anxious cares, and fhuddering ftands,
Afraid to leap into the opening gulf

Of future fate, 'till all the banks of clay
Fall from beneath his feet in vain he grafps
The fhatter'd reeds that cheat his easy wish.
Reason is now no more; that narrow lamp
(Which with its fickly fires would fhoot its beams
To distances unknown, and ftretch its rays
Afkance my paths, in deepest darkness veil'd)
Is funk into his focket; inly there

It burns a difmal light; th' expiring flame
Is choak'd in fumes, and parts in various doubt.
Then the gay glories of the living world
Shall caft their empty varnish, and retire
Out of his feeble view; and rifing shade
Sit hov'ring o'er all nature's various face.
Mufic fhall ceafe, and inftruments of joy
Shall fail that fullen hour; nor can the mind
Attend their founds, when fancies fwim in death,
Confus'd and crush'd with cares for long fhall feem
The dreary road, and melancholy dark,

That leads he knows not where. Here empty space
Gapes horrible, and threatens to abforb.

All being yonder footy demons glare,

And dolorous spectres grin; the shapeless rout

Of wild imagination dance and play
Before his eyes obfcure; 'till all in death
Shall vanish, and the prisoner, now enlarg'd,
Regains the flaming borders of the fky.

He ended. Peals of thunder rend the heavens,
And Chaos, from the bottom turn'd, refounds
The mighty clangor: All the heavenly hoft
Approve the high decree, and loud they fing
Eternal juftice; while the guilty troops,
Sad with their doom, but fad without defpair,
Fall fluttering down to Lethe's lake, and there
For penance, and the deftin'd body, wait.

•%{*}X{*}*{*}*<**}%{*}X{*}X{*}K*•

CHIRON to ACHILLE S.

A POE M.

By HILDEBRAND JACOB, Efq;

Res eft fevera voluptas.

LD CHIRON to his pupil thus began,

When he beheld him rip'ning into man.

Accomplish'd youth! well worthy of my pains, "You now are free, and guide yourself the reins : "Yet hear, Achilles, hear, before we part, "A few short precepts from a faithful heart.

"What