The heart's infanity admits no cure. Enrag'd the more, by what might have reform'd Destruction, with a zeal to be destroy'd, With founding whip and rowels dy'd in blood. But ftill in vain. The Providence that meant Spar'd yet again th' ignobler for his fake. And now, his prowess prov'd, and his fincere. Incurable obduracy evinc'd, His rage grew cool; and, pleas'd perhaps t' have earn'd So cheaply the renown of that attempt, With looks of fome complacence he resum'd His road, deriding much the blank amaze Of good Evander, ftill where he was left The rude companion fmil'd, as if transform'd. But 'twas a tranfient calm. A ftorm was near, An unfufpected storm. His hour was come. Was now to learn, that Heav'n, though flow to wrath, Is never with impunity defied. His horse, as he had caught his master's mood, Unbidden, and not now to be controul'd, Rush'd to the cliff, and having reach'd it, stood. Sheer o'er the craggy barrier, and immers'd I would not enter on my lift of friends (Though grac'd with polish'd manners and fine sense, Yet wanting fenfibility) the man Who needlessly fets foot upon a worm. Will tread afide, and let the reptile live. Sacred to neatnefs and repofe, th' alcove, The chamber, or refectory, may die : A neceffary act incurs no blame. Not fo, when held within their proper bounds, Or fafety interfere, his rights and claims Are paramount, and must extinguifh theirs. As God was free to form them at the first, Who, in his fov'reign wisdom, made them all. To love it too. The fpring-time of our years Is foon difhonour'd and defil'd in most By budding ills, that afk a prudent hand To check them. But, alas! none fooner shoots, Than cruelty, moft dev'lifh of them all. Mercy to him that shows it, is the rule By which Heav'n moves in pard'ning guilty man s And confcious of the outrage he commits, Shall feek it, and not find it in his turn. Distinguish'd much by reason, and still more By our capacity of grace divine, From creatures that exift but for our fake, Not more on human help, than we on theirs. In aid of our defects. In fome are found Such teachable and apprehenfive parts, That man's attainments in his own concerns, Match'd with th' expertnefs of the brutes in theirs, Are oft-times vanquifh'd and thrown far behind. And read with such discernment, in the port And figure of the man, his fecret aim, That oft we owe our safety to a skill We could not teach, and must despair to learn. But |