The history of The Old Testament In verse With One Hundred and Eighty sculptures: In Two Volumes. Vol. I. From the Creation to the Revolt of the Ten Tribes from the House of David. Vol. II. From that Revolt to the End of the Prophets. Written by Samuel Wesley ... The Cuts done by J. Sturt |
 | I, II. |
 |
 | The history of The Old Testament In verse |  |
540
CCXXVIII. ECCLESIASTES.
The
Preacher's dear Experience here we gain,
And learn from him that worldly Joys are vain:
What is has been before, there's nothing new,
Satiety does all our Bliss pursue:
Laughter is only Madness, Mirth but Noise,
And Wine can give but false and short-liv'd Joys:
Fair Gardens, Palaces, and num'rous Train,
Silver and Gold, and Musick's self is vain.
I had my Wish, and gave my Soul the Rein:
Thro' Pleasures winding Paths did freely range,
Wisdom for Folly, and for Madness change:
Thus Labour after Labour did repeat,
All, all I found Vexation and Deceit.
Yet Wisdom's Paths are still serenely bright,
Excelling Follies as the Shades the Light.
O weary Life! ev'n Life it self is vain:
My Days are Sorrow, and my Wisdom Pain:
Despair my Heart! since thou no Rest canst find,
Nor know'st to whom thy Labours left behind.
Awful Tribunals I survey'd and saw,
The Poor undone by specious Forms of Law:
Delays, and Bribes; and Justice a Pretence,
To please the Great, and ruin Innocence.
I saw the Tears of such as were oppress'd
By lawless Pow'r: The Dead I prais'd and bless'd.
Beyond the Living: Happier far is he,
An Embryo-Form who ne're the Light did see,
Nor yet experienc'd what a Pain to Be.
Where e're exalted Virtue single stood,
And dar'd appear distinguishingly Good,
By Envy's Sons it fell, who fear and hate,
That shining Worth they cannot imitate.
I saw that avaritious Wretch who spares,
To load with Wealth his distant spend-thrift Heirs,
Nor Son, nor Brother to possess his Store,
Yet still he starves himself and longs for more;
And still is WISE and GOOD—How vain, how blind!
How stupidly perverse! What Beasts are all Mankind!
And learn from him that worldly Joys are vain:
What is has been before, there's nothing new,
Satiety does all our Bliss pursue:
Laughter is only Madness, Mirth but Noise,
And Wine can give but false and short-liv'd Joys:
Fair Gardens, Palaces, and num'rous Train,
Silver and Gold, and Musick's self is vain.
I had my Wish, and gave my Soul the Rein:
Thro' Pleasures winding Paths did freely range,
Wisdom for Folly, and for Madness change:
Thus Labour after Labour did repeat,
All, all I found Vexation and Deceit.
Yet Wisdom's Paths are still serenely bright,
Excelling Follies as the Shades the Light.
O weary Life! ev'n Life it self is vain:
My Days are Sorrow, and my Wisdom Pain:
Despair my Heart! since thou no Rest canst find,
Nor know'st to whom thy Labours left behind.
Awful Tribunals I survey'd and saw,
The Poor undone by specious Forms of Law:
542
To please the Great, and ruin Innocence.
I saw the Tears of such as were oppress'd
By lawless Pow'r: The Dead I prais'd and bless'd.
Beyond the Living: Happier far is he,
An Embryo-Form who ne're the Light did see,
Nor yet experienc'd what a Pain to Be.
Where e're exalted Virtue single stood,
And dar'd appear distinguishingly Good,
By Envy's Sons it fell, who fear and hate,
That shining Worth they cannot imitate.
I saw that avaritious Wretch who spares,
To load with Wealth his distant spend-thrift Heirs,
Nor Son, nor Brother to possess his Store,
Yet still he starves himself and longs for more;
And still is WISE and GOOD—How vain, how blind!
How stupidly perverse! What Beasts are all Mankind!
Thus wears our Life and hastens to decay:
Then seize the flying Moments while we may.
By all my Searches this at last I find,
Since we our Wealth and Goods must leave behind.
With modest Mirth let still thy Bowl be crown'd,
Freely let that, tho' not thy Head go round:
Dress, eat and live well, and profusely shed,
The rich and gen'rous Oil around thy Head:
Then all thy Joys, but not thy Cares, impart
To her who claims thy Vows, and claims thy Heart.
With that DEAR ONE thy happy Hours improve,
And Riot, if thou canst, in virtuous Love!
'Tis all thou hast on Earth—when all is done,
'Tis all that's worth a Thought beneath the Sun.
Then seize the flying Moments while we may.
By all my Searches this at last I find,
Since we our Wealth and Goods must leave behind.
With modest Mirth let still thy Bowl be crown'd,
Freely let that, tho' not thy Head go round:
Dress, eat and live well, and profusely shed,
The rich and gen'rous Oil around thy Head:
543
To her who claims thy Vows, and claims thy Heart.
With that DEAR ONE thy happy Hours improve,
And Riot, if thou canst, in virtuous Love!
'Tis all thou hast on Earth—when all is done,
'Tis all that's worth a Thought beneath the Sun.
| The history of The Old Testament In verse | |