And, deaf to all th' impertinence of tongue,
That, while it courts, affronts and does you wrong,
Mark well the finish'd plan without a fault,
The feas globofe and huge, th' o'erarching vault, Earth's millions daily fed, a world employ'd
In gath'ring plenty yet to be enjoy'd,
'Till gratitude grew vocal in the praife
Of God, beneficent in all his ways;
Grac'd with fuch wisdom, how would beauty fhine! Ye want but that to feem indeed divine.
Anticipated rents, and bills unpaid,
Force many a fhining youth into the fhade,
Not to redeem his time, but his eftate,
And play the fool, but at a cheaper rate.
There, hid in loath'd obfcurity, remov'd
From pleafures left, but never more belov'd,
He juft endures, and with a fickly fpleen
Sighs o'er the beauties of the charming scene.
Nature indeed looks prettily in rhime;
Streams tinkle fweetly in poetic chime;
The warblings of the blackbird, clear and ftrong,
Are mufical enough in Thomfon's fong;
And Cobham's groves, and Windfor's green retreats,
When Pope describes them, have a thousand sweets;
He likes the country, but in truth muft own,
Moft likes it, when he ftudies it in town.
Poor Jack-no matter who-for when I blame
I pity, and must therefore fink the name,
Liv'd in his faddle, lov'd the chase, the course,
And always, ere he mounted, kifs'd his horfe.
Th' eftate his fires had own'd in ancient years
Was quickly distanc'd, match'd against a peer's.
Jack vanish'd, was regretted and forgot;
'Tis wild good-nature's never failing lot.
At length, when all had long fuppos'd him dead,
By cold fubmerfion, razor, rope, or lead,
My lord, alighting at his ufual place,
The Crown, took notice of an oftler's face.
Jack knew his friend, but hop'd in that difguife
He might efcape the moft obferving eyes,
And whistling, as if unconcern'd and gay,
nag, and look'd another way. Convinc'd at laft, upon a nearer view,
'Twas he, the fame, the very Jack he knew,
O'erwhelm'd at once with wonder, grief, and joy,
He prefs'd him much to quit his bafe employ;
His countenance, his purfe, his heart, his hand,
Infl'ence, and pow'r, were all at his command:
Peers are not always gen'rous as well-bred,
But Granby was, meant truly what he said.
Jack bow'd, and was oblig'd-confefs'd 'twas strange
That fo retir'd he should not wish a change,
But knew no medium between guzzling beer,
And his old ftint-three thousand pounds a year.
Thus fome retire to nourish hopeless woe;
Some feeking happiness not found below ;
Some to comply with humour, and a mind
To social scenes by nature difinclin'd;
Some fway'd by fashion, fome by deep difguft;
Some felf impov'rifh'd, and because they muft;
But few that court Retirement are aware
Of half the toils they must encounter there.
Lucrative offices are feldom loft
For want of pow'rs proportion'd to the post:
Give ev❜n a dunce th' employment he desires,
And he foon finds the talents it requires;
A bufinefs with an income at its heels
Furnishes always oil for its own wheels.
But in his arduous enterprise to close
His active years with indolent repofe,
He finds the labours of that ftate exceed
His utmost faculties, fevere indeed.
'Tis eafy to refign a toilfome place,
But not to manage leifure with a grace;
Abfence of occupation is not rest,
A mind quite vacant is a mind distress'd.
The vet'ran steed, excus'd his task at length,
In kind compaffion of his failing strength,
And turn'd into the park or mead to graze,
Exempt from future fervice all his days,
There feels a pleasure perfect in its kind,
Ranges at liberty, and fnuffs the wind:
But when his lord would quit the bufy road,
To tafte a joy like that he has beftow'd,
He proves lefs happy than his favour'd brute,
A life of eafe a difficult purfuit.
Thought, to the man that never thinks, may feem
As natural as, when afleep, to dream;
But reveries (for human minds will act)
Specious in fhow, impoffible in fact,
Thofe flimfy webs that break as foon as wrought,
Attain not to the dignity of thought:
Nor yet the fwarms that occupy the brain,
Where dreams of drefs, intrigue, and pleafure reign;
Nor fuch as useless conversation breeds,
Or luft engenders, and indulgence feeds.
Whence, and what are we? to what end ordain'd?
What means the drama by the world sustain’d?
Business or vain amusement, care or mirth,
Divide the frail inhabitants of earth.
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