Tis not, however, insolence and noise, 416 Pray'r only, and the penitential tear, Can call her smiling down, and fix her here But when a country, (one that I could name,) In prostitution sinks the sense of shame ; 415 When infamous Venality, grown bold, Writes on his bosom, To be let or sold; 420 When Av'rice starves, (and never hides his face,) And not a tongue inquires, how, where, or when, Though conscience will have twinges now and then ; When profanation of the sacred cause, 426 In all its parts, times, ministry, and laws, Bespeaks a land, once Christian, fall'n and lost, In all, but wars against that title most; What follows next let cities of great name, 430 And regions long since desolate, proclaim. Nineveh, Babylon, and ancient Rome, Speak to the present times, and times to come; They cry aloud in ev'ry careless ear, Stop while you may; suspend your mad career; 435 O learn from our example and our fate, Learn wisdom and repentance cre too late. Not only Vice disposes and prepares The mind, that slumbers sweetly in her snares, To stoop to Tyranny's usurp'd command, 440 (A dire effect, by one of Nature's laws, Urchangeably connected with its cause ;) But Frovidence himself will intervene, To throw his dark displeasure o'er the scene 445 All are his instruments; each form of war, Are but his rods to scourge a guity land, 450 And waste it at the bidding of his hand. He gives the word, and Mutiny soon roars In all her gates, and shakes her distant shores; The standards of all nations are unfurl'd; She has one foe, and that one foe the world. 455 And, if he doom that people with a frown, And mark them with a seal of wrath press'd down, Obduracy takes place callous and tough, The reprobated race grows judgment proof; Earth shakes beneath them, and Heav'n roars above; 460 But nothing scares them from the course they love. To the lascivious pipe and wanton song, That charm down fear, they frolick it along, With mad rapidity and unconcern, Down to the gulf, from which is no return. 465 470 When He commands, in whom they place no trust. Vengeance at last pours down upon their coast A long despis'd, but now victorious, host; Tyranny sends the chain, that must abridge 475 4. Such lofty strains embellish what you teach, Mean you to prophesy, or but to preach ? B. I know the mind that feels indeed the fire 430 The muse imparts, and can command the lyre, If human woes her soft attention claim, Along the nerves of every feeling line. Fire indignation and a sense of scorn, 435 The strings are swept with such a pow'r so loud, 490 The storm of musick shakes th' astonish'd crowd. So, when remote futurity is brought Before the keen inquiry of her thought, A terrible sagacity informs The poet's heart; he looks to distant storms; 495 He hears the thunder ere the tempest low'rs; And, arm'd with strength surpassing human pow'rs, And darts his soul into the dawning plan. Hence in a Roman mouth, the grace .ul name 500 Of prophet and of poet was the same; Hence, British poets, too, the priesthood shar'd, But no prophetick fires to me belong; I play with syllables, and sport in song. 505 A. At Westminster, where little poets strive To set a distich upon six and five, Where Discipline helps th' op'ning buds of sense, And makes his pupils proud with silver pence, I was a poet too: but modern taste 510 Is so refin'd, and delicate, and chaste, That verse, whatever fire the fancy warms, 515 I judg'd a man of sense could scarce do worse, B. Thus reputation is a spur to wit, 520 Give me the line that ploughs its stately course When Labour and when Dulness club in hand, But such mere quarter-strokes are not for me. All birks and braes, though he was never there; 525 530 535 540 To dally much with subjects mean and low Proves that the mind is weak, or makes it so. Neglected talents rust into decay, 545 And ev'ry effort ends in pushpin play. The man that means success should soar above A soldier's feather, or a lady's glove; Else, summoning the muse to such a theme, 550 The fruit of all her labour is whipp'd cream, As if an eagle flew aloft, and then Stoop'd from its highest pitch to pounce a wren Should carve himself a wife in gingerbread. 555 Ages claps'd ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard, To carry Nature's lengths unknown before, To give a Milton birth, ask'd ages more. Thus Genius rose and set at order'd times, 560 And, tedious years of Gothick darkness pass'd, 565 A. Is genius only found in epick lays? Prove this, and forfeit all pretence to praise. Make their heroick pow'rs your own at once, 570 Or candidly confess yourself a dunce. B. These were the chief: each interval of night Was grac'd with many an undulating light. A meteor or a star; in these the sun. 575 The nightingale may claim the topmost bough, While the poor grasshopper must chirp below. Like him unnotic'd I, and such as I, Spread little wings, and rather skip than fly; 580 595 if taught, Not prompted, as in our degen'rate days, 5.90 Was natural as is the flowing stream, And yet magnificent-A God the theme! That theme on Earth exhausted, though above 'Tis found as everlasting as his love, 595 Man lavish'd all his thoughts on human things- |