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To float a bubble on the breath of fame,

Prompt his endeavour, and engage his aim,
Debas'd to fervile purposes of pride,
How are the pow'rs of genius misapplied!
The gift, whose office is the Giver's praise,
To trace him in his word, his works, his ways!
Then spread the rich discov'ry, and invite
Mankind to fhare in the divine delight.
Distorted from its ufe and juft defign,
To make the pitiful poffeffor shine,
To purchase, at the fool-frequented fair
Of vanity, a wreath for self to wear,
Is profanation of the basest kind-

Proof of a trifling and a worthless mind.

A. Hail Sternhold, then; and Hopkins, hail!

B. Amen.

If flatt'ry, folly, luft, employ the pen;

If acrimony, flander, and abuse,

Give it a charge to blacken and traduce;

Though Butler's wit, Pope's numbers, Prior's ease,
With all that fancy can invent to please,
Adorn the polish'd periods as they fall,
One madrigal of their's is worth them all.
D

VOL. I.

A. "Twould thin the ranks of the poetic tribe, To dafh the pen through all that you profcribe. B. No matter we could fhift when they were

not;

And fhould, no doubt, if they were all forgot.

THE

PROGRESS OF ERROR.

Si quid loquar audiendum. HoR. Lib. 4. Od. 2.

SING, mufe, (if fuch a theme, fo dark, fo long,
May find a mufe to grace it with a fong)
By what unfeen and unfufpected arts

The ferpent error twines round human hearts;
Tell where the lurks, beneath what flow'ry fhades,
That not a glimpse of genuine light pervades,
The pois'nous, black, infinuating worm
Successfully conceals her loathfome form.
Take, if ye can, ye careless and fupine,
Counfel and caution from a voice like mine!
Truths, that the theorist could never reach,
And obfervation taught me, I would teach.

Not all, whofe eloquence the fancy fills,
Mufical as the chime of tinkling rills,
Weak to perform, though mighty to pretend,
Can trace her mazy windings to their end;
Difcern the fraud beneath the fpecious lure,
Prevent the danger, or prescribe the cure.
The clear harangue, and cold as it is clear,
Falls foporific on the listless ear;
Like quickfilver, the rhet'ric they display
Shines as it runs, but, grafp'd at, flips away.
Plac'd for his trial on this bustling stage,
From thoughtless youth to ruminating age,
Free in his will to choose or to refuse,
Man may improve the crifis, or abuse;
Elfe, on the fatalifts unrighteous plan,
Say, to what bar amenable were man?

With nought in charge, he could betray no truft;
And, if he fell, would fall because he muft;
If love reward him, or if vengeance strike,
His recompenfe is both unjust alike.

Divine authority within his breast

Brings ev'ry thought, word, action, to the teft; Warns him or prompts, approves him or reftrains, As reafon, or as paffion, takes the reins.

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Heav'n from above, and confcience from within,

Cries in his startled ear-Abftain from fin!
The world around folicits his defire,

And kindles in his foul a treach'rous fire;
While, all his purposes and steps to guard,
Peace follows virtue, as its fure reward;
And pleasure brings as furely in her train
Remorfe, and forrow, and vindictive pain.

Man, thus endued with an elective voice,
Must be supplied with objects of his choice.
Where'er he turns, enjoyment and delight,
Or prefent, or in profpect, meet his fight;
Those open on the spot their honey'd store;
Thefe call him loudly to purfuit of more.
His unexhaufted mine the fordid vice
Avarice shows, and virtue is the price.
Here various motives his ambition raife-
Pow'r, pomp, and splendour, and the thirft of praife;
There beauty woos him with expanded arms;
E'en Bacchanalian madness has its charms.

Nor thefe alone, whofe pleasures, less refin'd,
Might well alarm the most unguarded mind,
Seek to fupplant his inexperienc'd youth,
Or lead him devious from the path of truth;

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