Here then, the riddle, mark'd above, unfolds; 165 Then time turns torment, when man turns a fool. We rave, we wrestle, with Great Nature's Plan; We thwart the Deity; and 'tis decreed, Who thwart his will, fhall contradict their own. Hence our unnatural quarrels with ourselves; Our thoughts at enmity; our bofom-broil; We push Time from us, and we wish him back : Lavish of luftrums, and yet fond of life; 170 Life we think long, and short; Death seek, and fhun: Body and foul, like peevish man and wife, United jar, and yet are loth to part. Oh the dark days of vanity! while here, How tastelefs! and how terrible, when gone! 173 Gone! they ne'er go; when paft, they haunt us ftill; The spirit walks of every day deceas'd; And smiles an angel, or a fury frowns. Nor death, nor life delight us. If time past, And time poffeft, both pain us, what can please ? 180 Time us'd. The man who confecrates his hours 185 By vigorous effort, and an honeft aim, At once he draws the fting of life and death; He walks with Nature; and her paths are peace. 190 Haft Haft thou ne'er heard of Time's omnipotence; For, or against, what wonders he can do! And will: To ftand blank neuter he difdains. 195 Not on thofe terms was Time (heaven's ftranger!) fent Lorenzo no: On the long-deftin'd hour, Was Time cut off, and caft beneath the skies; 200 205 210 Hours, days, and months, and years, his children, play, Or, rather, as unequal plumes, they shape In his immutability to neft, 215 When worlds, that count his circles now, unhing'd 220 (Fate the loud fignal founding) headlong rufh To timeless night and chaos, whence they rofe. Know'ft Know'ft thou, or what thou doft, or what is done? 225 Man flies from Time, and Time from man; too foon 230 Thy Parian tomb's triumphant arch beneath. Ye lilies male! who neither toil, nor spin, (As fifter lilies might) if not fo wife 235 As Solomon, more fumptuous to the fight! 240 A brighter beam in Leo; filky-soft Favonius breathe ftill fofter, or be chid; And other worlds fend odours, fauce, and fong, And robes, and notions, fram'd in foreign looms! O ye Lorenzos of our age! who deem 245 One moment unamus'd, a mifery Not made for feeble man! who call aloud For rattles, and conceits of every cast, For change of follies, and relays of joy, 250 To drag your patient through the tedious length Wit's oracles! fay, dreamers of gay dreams! How How will you weather an eternal night, 255 O treacherous Confcience! while fhe feems to fleep On rofe and myrtle, lull'd with fyren fong; While fhe feems, nodding o'er her charge, to drop And give us up to licence, unrecall'd, Unmark'd ;-fee, from behind her fecret ftand, 260 And her dread diary with horror fills. Not the gross Act alone employs her pen ; She reconnoitres Fancy's airy band, 265 A watchful foe! the formidable spy, Listening, o'erhears the whispers of our camp: As all rapacious ufurers conceal Their doomsday-book from all-confuming heirs ; Unnoted, notes each moment misapply'd ; In leaves more durable than leaves of brafs 270 275 280 But But why on Time fo lavish is my fong? More than creation labours!-labours more? Man fleeps; and Man alone; and Man, whose fate, 285 290 295 Endlefs, hair-hung, breeze-fhaken, o'er the gulph 300 Of this furrounding storm! and yet he fleeps, The period paft, re-give the given hour. Such is the language of the man awake ; 310 His ardour fuch, for what oppresses thee. And |