As youth and love with sprightly dance, May delude the thoughtless pair; As thy day grows warm and high, Life's meridian flaming nigh, Dost thou spurn the humble vale? Life's proud summits would'st thou scale? Check thy climbing step, elate, Evils lurk in felon wait: Dangers, eagle-pinion'd, bold, Soar around each cliffy hold, While cheerful peace, with linnet song, As the shades of ev'ning close, Beck'ning thee to long repose; As life itself becomes disease, Seek the chimney-neuk of ease. There ruminate with sober thought, On all thou'st seen, and heard, and wrought; And teach the sportive younkers round, Saws of experience, sage and sound. Say, Say, man's true, genuine estimate, Say, to be just, and kind, and wise, Thus resign'd and quiet, creep Sleep, whence thou shalt ne'er awake,' Stranger, go! Heav'n be thy guide! Quod the beadsman of Nith-side. DWELLER in yon dungeon dark, STROPHE. STROPHE. View the wither'd beldam's face- Aught of humanity's sweet melting grace? Pity's flood there never rose. See those hands, ne'er stretch'd to save, Keeper of Mammon's iron chest, Lo, there she goes, unpitied and unblest She goes, but not to realms of everlasting rest! ANTISTROPHE. Plunderer of armies, lift thine eyes, (A while forbear, ye tort'ring fiends) Seest thou whose step unwilling hither bends? No fallen angel, hurl'd from upper skies; 'Tis thy trusty quondam mate, Doom'd to share thy fiery fate, She, tardy, hell-ward plies. EPODE. And are they of no more avail, Omnipotent as he is here? O, bitter |