The English Reader

10 God never made an independent man;

Twould jar the concord of his general plan. See ev'ry part of that stupendous whole, "Whose body nature is, and God the soul;" To one great end, the general good, conspire, From matter, brute, to man, to seraph, fire. Should man through nature solitary roam, His will his sovereign, every where his home, What force would guard him from the lion's jaw? What swiftness wing him from the panther's paw? Or, should fate lead him to some safer shore, Where panthers never prowl, nor lions roar, Where liberal nature all her charms bestows, Suns shine, birds sing, flowers bloom, and water flows; Fool, dost thou think he'd revel on the store, Absolve the care of Heav'n, nor ask for more? Though waters flow'd, flow'rs bloom'd, and Phoebus shore He'd sigh, he'd murmur, that he was alone. For know, the Maker on the human breast, A sense of kindred, country, man, impress'd. 11 Though nature's works the ruling mind declare, And well deserve inquiry's serious care, The God, (whate'er misanthrophy may say,) Shines, beams in man with most unclouded ray. What boots it thee to fly from pole to pole? Hang o'er the sun, and with the planets roll? What boots through space's farthest bourns to roam } If thou, O man, a stranger art at home. Then know thyself, the human mind survey; The use, the pleasure, will the toil repay. 12 Nor study only, practice what you know; Your life, your knowledge, to niankind you owe. With Plato's olive wreath the bays entwine; Those who in study, should in practice shine. Say, does the learn'd lord of Hagley's shade, Charm man so much by mossy fountains laid, As when arous'd, he stems corruption's course, And shakes the senate with a Tully's force? When freedom gasp'd beneath a Cæsar's feet, Then public virtue might to shades retreat : But where she breathes, the least may useful be, And freedom, Britain, still belongs to thee.

13 Though man's ungrateful, or though fortune frown; Is the reward of worth a song, or crown

Nor yet unrecompens'd are virtue's pains;
Good Allen lives, and bounteous Brunswick reigns.
On each condition disappointments wait,
Enter the hut, and force the guarded gate.
Nor dare repine, though early friendship bleed,
From love, the world, and all its cares, he's freed.
But know, adversity's the child of God:

Whom Heaven approves of most, must feel her rod.
When smooth old Ocean, and each storm's asleep,
Then ignorance may plough the watery deep;
But when the demons of the tempest rave,
Skill must conduct the vessel through the wave.
Sidney, what good man envies not thy blow?
Who would not wish Anytus*-for a foe?
Intrepid virtue triumphs over fate;
The good can never be unfortunate.
And be this maxim graven in thy mind;
The height of virtue is, to serve mankind.
But when old age has silver'd o'er thy head,
When memory fails, and all thy vigour's fled,
Then mayst thou seek the stillness of retreat,
Then hear aloof the human tempest beat;
Then will I greet thee to my woodland cave,
Allay the pangs of age, and smooth thy grave.

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