University of Virginia Library

Wealth's Power.

How Happy was the VVorld before men found
Those metals, Nature hid beneath the Ground!
All Necessary things She plac'd in View,
But this She wisely hid, because She knew
That it destructive to her work wou'd be,
And jarr the consort of her Harmony:
No sooner Steel was Found, but men began
To find new ways to Death, and cruel man
Made Swords, and Spears, and Bows, and Darts, which he
First use'd on Beast ------
VVho fell the Victimes of his Cruelty:
Pride, and Revenge, then Rag'd in every Soul,
And Fiery Passion, Reason did controule.
But when those Mines we're found which we call rich,
Because their Glitt'ring Beauty did bewitch
And please our cousen'd Senses, then with more
Than mean devotion, man did Gold adore:
Deluded man did then this Trifle call
The chiefest Good, that cou'd to him befall:
How strangely, Frantick man, didst thou mistake,
When of this trash thou didst an Idol make?
For tho to it thou did'st no Altars rear,
Its Zealous Votary thou didst appear:
This fatal Poyson was by Heaven hid
I'th bowels of the earth, and when it did
By chance, i'th' Hesperian Garden shoot above,
Heaven, (knowing how mischievous it wou'd prove)
The passage did with watchful Dragons guard,
And made the way to misery, more hard
To pass, than that which lead to Bliss:
But all in vain, for had Heaven hidden this
I'th'Verge of Hell, man wou'd have fetcht it thence,
And thought it a sufficient Recompence
For all his pains; but when he had attain'd,
This much desired Curse, he thought he'd gain'd
A Blessing Heav'n wou'd Envy, blut alas!
The worth, not in the Metal, but his Fancy was.
No Man did needless Merit now regard,
None Vertue sought, none Valour wou'd reward,
None Learning valu'd, none poor Wit did mind,
None honour'd Age, few were to Beauty kind;
All Gold ador'd, all Riches did Admire,
Beyond being Rich, no Man did now aspire.
Gold thus Advanc'd, and all things else neglected,
Justice depos'd, and Wisdom disrespected;
They left the Earth to Wealth's more pow'rful sway,
And fled to Heaven, while Man did Gold obey:
Now Money reign'd in chief, and sottish Man,
A slavish servitude to Wealth began;
Kingdomes to Rule, and Princes to Advise,
Men fondly chose the Rich, and not the Wise;
All lov'd the Man that had a good Estate,
And Poverty was cause enough to Hate;
The Rich might all things do, and Plaudits have
For his worst Acts, but scarce the Poor cou'd save
His best from Censure; now it might be said,
Wealth hid more Faults, than ever Folly made.
A Friend, though heretofore a Sacred Name,
Now, nothing but an empty Sound became;
For as Mens Riches did or Ebb, or Flow,
So less or more, their Friends did kindness show:
Honour, that flew such noble Flights before,
VVith gen'rous Pinions, now no more cou'd soare
Such Hights, but check'd, to stoop did not disdain
T'a gilded Lure, and ware a Golden Chain:
Beauty, that all Men did for Heavenly hold,
Forgot its worth, and sold its self for Gold:
Nay Love, though more Divine than all the rest,
Became a Mercenary, or at best,
A mingled Compound of desire and wealth,
If any's better, 't must be had by Stealth:
Marriage is Love and Joynture mixt together,
And yet sometimes it happens that there's neither:
But VVit this glorious trifle did disdain,
VVealth strove to make it yield, but all in vain,
More noble Objects gen'rous VVit did chuse
To employ its Thoughts, and did this Trash refuse.
VVealth threatn'd VVit it ever shou'd be Poor,
Yet VVit the Golden Calf wou'd not adore;
So when both saw their Labour was in vain,
They vow'd to part, and never meet again.