acquainted you with the various paths which lead to the summit. Farewell; and remember, it is the fate of man, that Time flies too soon, and Experience arrives too late.

The traveller, having reviewed his course, observes before him Time, at a distance, on the edge of the horizon, descending with the western sun; not like him again to appear in the east; for as Time recedes, the eternal night of Death approaches.

'TIS Heaven's decree, in mercy, that mankind
Should to their future destiny be blind;
Impatient man rejects his present state
With eager step to meet approaching fate;
Yet would the future, in perspective cast,
Display the exact resemblance of the past;
When o'er the scene of human life we range,
The scenes continue, but the actors change.

Is Life to man the journey of a day?
10 Let us pursue the traveller on his way,
To overtake him ere his course incline
Where the high roads of youth and manhood join.

Now Health invites, behold the laughing hours
Have strewed his path, and spread his couch with flowers;
Desire is breathing on his cheek, and throws

The blush collected from the vernal rose,
The vestal flames of love his eye suffuse,
His lip is fragrant with ambrosial dews,
Languid with ecstasy soft pleasure sings,
20 Joy thrills the lute, and rapture tunes the strings.

Whence is the stifled sigh of discontent?
The faded cheek, the brow with wrinkles bent ?
His ear no sound, his eye no visions move;
Cold is his bosom to the torch of love.
Within the rosy wreath which twines his head,
The wizard Care tormenting thorns has spread;
The scene around with gloomy vapour chills,
When cheerful sunshine warms the distant hills,
Persuades the wretch the soft and silken band
30 Of love parental rudely chafes his hand;

That Time his pinion poised, his sands have stopt,
And from his feeble grasp the scythe has dropt.
For Hope had whispered, "tardy Time shall bring
Freedom, and peace, and rapture on his wing :"
When Time arrived, he gave desired release,
And, with exchange of sorrow, brought increase;
He left Experience there, a reverend sage,
Of youthful strength, with outward signs of age,
Like an old oak, successive centuries crowned,
40 The bark decayed, the root and heart are sound,

50

To him the traveller now approaching cried,
Wilt thou direct my path? The sage replied,
Advice is all I give...so fate decreed

For me to follow...thou alone must lead :

As we advance, each course shall be displayed
Where wisdom guides, or pleasure would persuade.
I mark the flight of Time through every stage.
Of human life, from infancy to age.

Behold this mirrour, whose reflective power,
Just like the past, presents the future hour;
The opposing figures differ but in name,
To the omniscient eye they are the same.
He looked, and there beheld a numerous train,
Whose wandering feet impressed a flowery plain;
Beyond their path a rugged mountain spread,
Steep the ascent; a temple crowned its head.
The flowery plain, alone with visions bright,
Swims in gay splendour on his ravished sight.
Commence thy task, Experience, now describe
60 The life and manners of each varied tribe.
The sage begins :...On yonder plain reside
The progeny of Indolence and Pride.
Those, who, without desert or labour, claim
The just reward, reserved for virtuous fame.
Here Errour lurks in ambush for his prey,
Skilled to decoy the victim, then betray.
Here blindfold reason gropes, by him misled,
Falls in the net seducive pleasure spread.
Wealth rolls his wave, and rising from the stream,
70 A swarm of follies sport in Fortune's beam;
Let the wind rise, and clouds the sky o'er-cast,
The fluttering insects scatter in the blast.
Here Fashion reigns, her silken banner flies,
Bright with a thousand ever-changing dies.
In paradise was born the imperial dame,
Sin was her mother, and her sire was Shame.
Her hands, instructed by her tutress Taste,
First shaped the modest fig-leaf to the waist,
The cestus* next her graceful fingers wove,
80 Lent to Saturnia to reclaim her Jove;

The gallant chivalry of England wears
That truant garter she adorned with stars.
The frail, the noble Salisbury blushed to own
This rich tiara of Britannia's crown....

....Like Jove dethroned, her sire, she then designed
The universal conquest of mankind.

Thus her edict..." a traitor him proclaim,
Whose cheek shall wear the livery of Shame.
None but the vulgar blush...our sovereign word

90 Expelled the dæmon to the swinish herd...

* The cestus, the girdle of Venus, is described in the Iliad, book XV.

་།

The Graces, maids of honour to the queen,
And modest Virtue, fearful to be seen,,
And Pleasure and the muses here resort,,,
The lover's pantheon is Fashion's court
A rainbow diadem her temples crowns,
And a cameleon zone her waist surrounds;
With every motion, her, caprice so strange,
Her robes, their size, and shape, and colour change;
In graceful folds around her feet they wind,

100 Or fall in flowing negligence behind.
Now in transparent drapery displayed,
Increase the beauties, they pretend to shade.
By Pleasure's band the court of Fashion graced,
If Virtue deign to guide the hand of Taste,
Her sovereign power both Wit and Wisdom own,
And kneeling, swear allegiance at her throne.
But this inconstant, this capricious power
Removes a favourite every passing hour,
When Vice beneath the mask of Pleasure sways,
110 Indignant Virtue sullenly obeys.

Then mingled ranks no marks distinct express,
Opposed in manners, but alike in dress,
In like array, the sportive, the demure,
The spotless vestal, and the frail impure...
Thus the same light transparent paintings claim,
For the cold moonbeam and the furnace flame.
If Vice appear, she comes in deep disguise,
The garb which wit adorned by taste supplies;
Then she conceals her wild, licentious air,
120 Her boisterous accent, her intrepid stare,
Her rough salute, her cheek with rouge imbued,
Which mocks the flush of innocence subdued.
Let folly, pleasure, whim, alternate reign,
So Vice be banished with her lawless train.
Be not, my pupil, sage Experience said,
By her insidious blandishment misled;
Like him who sailed the syren shore along,
Deaf be thine ear, nor list the witching song.
For when such meteors baneful influence shed,
130 Fools gape and gaze at mischief, wise men dread.
Be thou advised; and if thy curious eye
Pursue their course eccentrick through the sky,
When o'er the disk of decency they pass,
"See but in part, and darkly through a glass."

Tired of this prospect, be the scenery changed;
Far on the plain see yonder crowd arranged.
The mercenary troop are clothed and paid
By Science, not for service, but parade;
Who scorns in secret her degenerate train,
140 Their wisdom cunning, and their art chicane.

...W

19W

A

J

Here are a band, by no employ disgraced;
All their vocation to be men of taste:

A living catalogue, which never looks
Beyond the title, size, and price of books;
This stupid signpost stands at Learning's door,
Tells, "Entertainment here," but knows no more.
The spawn of Idleness, a vagrant crew,
Base sons of Genius, whom he never knew,
Complain, unless a brazen pillar rise*

150 To note their fame-neglected merit dies;
Bid the revolving world its course forbear,
To hear a sonnet-to Melissa's hair.

Are they to learn, the author should unite
Wisdom with wit, and profit with delight?
Who thank the shower denied the thirsty plain,
Were all its blessings scattered on the main ?
If the cold soil no genial heat expand;
The sunbeam wasted on the desart sand?

As they proceed within the mirrour rise 160 A sable group, and thus Experience cries, Ruin to them who dare mislead mankind! Shut their own eyes, and then direct the blind'; Ruin to those who gain dishonest bread With lips unclean-unconsecrated head! Who from the worship of the temple rove To the high hill, or the unhallowed grove ; Unlicensed on the sacred offering feast, Degrade Heaven's altar, and defraud his priest. Empiricks who destroy without control,

170 The moral constitution of the soul;

Promise to free the heart from sinful stain,
As quacks draw teeth, nor give the patient pain.
To heal the broken spirit, they infuse

Some grand specifick" for an inward bruise."+
Say, can the patent opiate they advise,
Compose to sleep the worm which never dies;
Their lotions purify from guilty fears,
Like bitter floods of penitence and tears?
To restrain vice and folly is their plan,
180 Not by the fear of God, but fear of man;
Unless the offence be known, no law is broke,
And future recompense for crime, a joke.
Oh, strip the miscreants of the robe they stain,
And drive them from the altar they profane.

Vain were the task, and endless, to describe
Of shape, so varied, each degenerate tribe

HOR.

-monumentum æris perennius. t-telling me the sovreignest thing on earth Was parmacity for an inward bruise. SHAK.

Vol. III. No. 9.

3N

hi

The Graces, maids of honour to the queen,
And modest Virtue, fearful to be seen,
And Pleasure and the muses here resort,
The lover's pantheon is Fashion's court
A rainbow diadem her temples crowns,
And a cameleon zone her waist surrounds ;,,
With every motion, her, caprice so strange,
Her robes, their size, and shape, and colour change;
In graceful folds around her feet they wind,

100 Or fall in flowing negligence behind.
Now in transparent drapery displayed,
Increase the beauties they pretend to shade..
By Pleasure's band the court of Fashion graced,.......
If Virtue deign to guide the hand of Taste,
Her sovereign power both Wit and Wisdom own,
And kneeling, swear allegiance at her throne.
But this inconstant, this capricious power
Removes a favourite every passing hour,
When Vice beneath the mask of Pleasure sways,
110 Indignant Virtue sullenly obeys..

Then mingled ranks no marks distinct express,
Opposed in manners, but alike in dress,
In like array, the sportive, the demure,
The spotless vestal, and the frail impure.
Thus the same light transparent paintings claim,...
For the cold moonbeam and the furnace flame.
If Vice appear, she comes in deep, disguise,"
The garb which wit adorned by taste supplies;
Then she conceals her wild, licentious air,

120 Her boisterous accent, her intrepid stare,

Her rough salute, her cheek with rouge imbued,
Which mocks the flush of innocence subdued.
Let folly, pleasure, whim, alternate reign,
So Vice be banished with her lawless train.
Be not, my pupil, sage Experience said,
By her insidious blandishment misled;
Like him who sailed the syren shore along,
Deaf be thine ear, nor list the witching song.
For when such meteors baneful influence shed,
130 Fools gape and gaze at mischief, wise men dread.
Be thou advised; and if thy curious eye
Pursue their course eccentrick through the sky,
When o'er the disk of decency they pass,
"See but in part, and darkly through a glass."

Tired of this prospect, be the scenery changed;
Far on the plain see yonder crowd arranged.
The mercenary troop are clothed and paid
By Science, not for service, but parade;
Who scorns in secret her degenerate train,
140 Their wisdom cunning, and their art chicane.