Flush'd as they are with folly, youth, and wine, Their prudent insults to the poor confine; Afar they mark the flambeau's bright approach, And shun the shining train, and golden coach. In vain, these dangers past, your doors you close, And hope the balmy blessings of repose; Cruel with guilt, and daring with despair, The midnight murd'rer bursts the faithless bar; Invades the sacred hour of silent rest, And leaves, unseen, a dagger in your breast. Scarce can our fields, such crowds at Tyburn die, With hemp the gallows and the fleet supply. Propose your schemes, ye senatorian band, Whose ways and means support the sinking land, Lest ropes be wanting in the tempting spring, To rig another convoy for the king. A single jail, in ALFRED's golden reign, Could half the nation's criminals contain; Fair Justice, then, without constraint ador'd, Held high the steady scale, but sheath'd the sword; No spies were paid, no special juries known, Blest age! but ah! how diff'rent from our own! Much could I add, but see the boat at hand, The tide retiring calls me from the land: [spent, Farewell!-When youth, and health, and fortune Thou fly'st for refuge to the wilds of Kent; And, tir'd like me with follies and with crimes, In angry numbers warns't succeeding times; Then shall thy friend, nor thou refuse his aid, Still foe to vice, forsake his Cambrian shade; In virtue's cause once more exert his rage, Thy satire point, and animate thy page. THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES, IN IMITATION OF THE TENTH SATIRE OF JUVENAL, LET observation with extensive view, voice; How nations sink by darling schemes oppress'd, Impeachment stops the speaker's pow'rful breath, But, scarce observ'd, the knowing and the bola Fall in the gen'ral massacre of gold;' Wide wasting pest! that rages unconfin'd, And crowds with crimes the records of mankind: For gold his sword the hireling ruffian draws, For gold the hireling judge distorts the laws; Wealth heap'd on wealth, nor truth nor safety buys, Let hist'ry tell where rival kings command, The needy traveller, serene and gay, Yet still one gen'ral cry the skies assails, caprice, Toil crush'd conceit, and man was of a piece ; Or seen a new-made inayor's unwieldy state; Where change of fav'rites made no change of laws, Such was the scorn that fill'd the sage's mind, Unnumber'd suppliants crowd Preferment's gate, Athirst for wealth, and burning to be great; From ev'ry room descends the painted face, But will not Britain hear the last appeal, Sign her foes' doom, or guard her fav'rites' zeal? Through Freedom's sons no more remonstrance rings, Degrading nobles and controlling kings; Our supple tribes repress their patriot throats, In full-blown dignity, see Wolsey stand, sign, Through him the rays of regal bounty shine; Turn'd by his nod the stream of honour flows, His smile alone security bestows: Still to new heights his restless wishes tow'r, Claim leads to claim, and pow'r advances pow'r; Till conquest unresisted ceas'd to please, And rights submitted left him none to seize : At length his sov'reign frowns - the train of state Mark the keen glance, and watch the sign to hate. Where'er he turns, he meets a stranger's eye, His suppliants scorn him, and his followers fly; Now drops at once the pride of aweful state, The golden canopy, the glitt'ring plate, The regal palace, the luxurious board, The liv'ried army, and the menial lord. With age, with cares, with maladies oppress'd, He seeks the refuge of monastic rest. Grief aids disease, remember'd folly stings, And his last sighs reproach the faith of kings. |