Of time's grand period, heav'n and earth o'erthrown; Pemb. Col. 46 50 T. TRISTRAM. TO THE AUTHOR, On his Last Day, and Universal Passion, Or shall they quote the pictur'd age, While wears away the grand machine, What mocks our hope, like Sodom's fruit; First beyond time our thoughts to raise, 20 25 28 J. BANCKS. THE COMPLAINT. PREFACE. As the occasion of this Poem was real, not fictitious, so the methed pursued in it was rather imposed, by what spontaneously arose in the Author's mind on that occasion, than me¬ dilated or designed; which will appear very probable from the nature of it; for it differs from the common mode of poetry, which is, from long narrations to draw short morals: bere, on the contrary, the narrative is short, and the morality arising from it makes the bulk of the Poem. The rea son of it is, that the facts mentioned did naturally pour these moral reflections on the thought of the writer. NIGHT I. ON LIFE, DEATH, AND IMMORTALITY. Humbly inscribed to the RIGHT HON. ARTHUR ONSLOW, ESQ. Speaker of the House of Commons. TIR'D Nature's sweet restorer, balmy Sleep! 5 While wears away the grand machine, 20 25 28 J. BANCKS. THE COMPLAINT. PREFACE. As the occasion of this Poem was real, not fictitious, so the metbed pursued in it was rather imposed, by what spontaneously arose in the Author's mind on that occasion, than me→ diated or designed; which will appear very probable from the nature of it; for it differs from the common mode of poetry, which is, from long narrations to draw short morals: bere, on the contrary, the narrative is short, and the morality arising from it makes the bulk of the Poem. The reason of it is, that the facts mentioned did naturally pour these moral reflections on the thought of the writer. NIGHT I. ON LIFE, DEATH, AND IMMORTALITY. Humbly inscribed to the RIGHT HON. ARTHUR ONSLOW, ESQ. Speaker of the House of Commons. TIR'D Nature's sweet restorer, balmy Sleep! 5 |