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37

To MARCUS.

Unhappy those whom fame and pow'r
To hazard and to toil impell,
Whose cares pollute the social hour,
Who trembling stand where others fell.
Inconstant fortune in a day,
May change the monarch to the slave;
Or though he pass a pleasant way,
'Tis still a passage to the grave.
Rely not then on fortune's smiles,
Nor place thy hopes in tow'rs of air;
The goddess full of wanton wiles,
Derides the schemes of human care.
If thou pursue the call of fame,
Let virtue lead the dangerous way;
'Tis goodness makes a noble name,
The praise of worth shall ne'er decay.