Edward Young

“ When heads are white, their thoughts, and aims,
should change their colour too:
How are you cheated by your wit?
old age is bound to pay,
By nature's law, a mind discreet,
for joys it takes away;
A mighty change is wrought by years,
reversing human lot ”

“ You see, then, pangs are parent pangs,
the pangs of happy birth;
Pangs, by which only can be born
true happiness on earth.
The peopled earth look all around,
or thro' time's records run;
And say, what is a man unstruck?
it is a man undone. ”

“ And, arm'd with pious fortitude,
death, dreaded once, desire:
Grand climacteric vanities
the vainest will despise;
Shock'd, when beneath the snow of age,
man immaturely dies:
But am not I myself the man? ”

“ From fancy's forge: gay fancy smiles
at reason plain, and cool;
Fancy, whose curious trade it is
to make the finest fool.
V—taire! long life's the greatest curse
that mortals can receive,
When they imagine the chief end
of living is to live ”

“ Could he not boast of glory more
than sparkles from a crown.
When human glory rises high
as human glory can?
When, tho' the King is truly great,
still greater is the man.
The man is dead, where virtue fails ”

“ What shall we say, when boundless bliss
is offer'd to mankind,
And, to that offer, when a race
of rationals is blind?
Of human nature ne'er too high
are our ideas wrought;
Of human merit ne'er too low
depress'd the daring thought. ”

“ Pray'r points our ready path to heav'n;
praise is already there.
Let plausive Resignation rise,
and banish all complaint;
All virtues thronging into one,
it finishes the saint;
Makes the man bless'd, as man can be;
life's labours renders light ”

“ And they, like her, have caus'd a fall,
a fall of fame in man:
And since of genius in our sex,
O Addison! with thee
The sun is set; how I rejoice
this sister lamp to see?
It sheds, like Cynthia, silver beams
on man's nocturnal state;
His lessen'd light, and languid pow'rs,
I show, whilst I relate.
↑ Mrs. M——— ↑ Whilst the author was writing this, he received the news of Mr. Richardson's death, who was then printing the the former part of the poem. ↑ Mrs. M——— ↑ Mrs. M———. Mrs. C———. ”