The heart's infanity admits no cure.

Enrag'd the more, by what might have reform'd
His horrible intent, again he fought

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
A longer date to the far nobler beast,

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
Fixt motionless, and petrified with dread.
So on they far'd; difcourfe on other themes
Enfuing, feem'd to obliterate the past,
And tamer far for fo much fury shown,
(As is the course of rash and fiery men)

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.
The impious challenger of Pow'r divine

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,
Snorting, and starting into fudden rage,

Unbidden, and not now to be controul'd,

Rush'd to the cliff, and having reach'd it, stood.
At once the fhock unfeated him: he flew

Sheer o'er the craggy barrier, and immers'd
Deep in the flood, found, when he fought it not,
The death he had deferv'd, and died alone.
So God wrought double justice; made the fool
The victim of his own tremendous choice,
And taught a brute the way to fafe revenge.

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.
An inadvertent step may crush the fnail
That crawls at evening in the public path
But he that has humanity, forewarn'd,

Will tread afide, and let the reptile live.
The creeping vermin, loathfome to the fight,
And charg'd perhaps with venom, that intrudes,
A visitor unwelcome, into fcenes

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,
And guiltlefs of offence, they range the air,
Or take their paftime in the fpacious field :
There they are privileg'd; and he that hunts
Or harms them there, is guilty of a wrong,
Disturbs th' œconomy of nature's realm,
Who, when she form'd, defign'd them an abode,
The fum is this: If man's convenience, health,

Or fafety interfere, his rights and claims

Are paramount, and must extinguifh theirs.
Elfe they are all-the meaneft things that are,
As free to live, and to enjoy that life,

As God was free to form them at the first,

Who, in his fov'reign wisdom, made them all.
Ye therefore who love
mercy, teach your fons

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,
If unreftrain'd, into luxuriant growth,

Than cruelty, moft dev'lifh of them all.

Mercy to him that shows it, is the rule
And righteous limitation of its act,

By which Heav'n moves in pard'ning guilty man s
And he that shows none, being ripe in years,

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,
Which having ferv'd us, perifh, we are held
Accountable, and God, some future day,
Will reckon with us roundly for th' abuse
Of what he deems no mean or trivial trust.
Superior as we are, they yet depend

Not more on human help, than we on theirs.
Their ftrength, or speed, or vigilance, were giv'n

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.
Some show that nice fagacity of fmell,

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