Occasional verse, moral and sacred Published for the instruction and amusement of the Candidly Serious and Religious [by Edward Perronet] |
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 | Occasional verse, moral and sacred |  |
82
ON VIEWING A BACK-GAMMON BOARD.
“A quô discimus, id docet.”
Vet.
Vet.
“From what we learn, by that we're taught.”
What some to sordid ends abuse,
Or others to less hurtful use,
And only cheat themselves at play,
By killing time and life away;
Let us, as in a mirror, see
Man's life, and its variety;
Where various checks of mingled die,
Each in their rank alternate lie.
Each man a check that fills his place,
And helps to form the mottled race;
Each check a lot by Heav'n assign'd,
As fittest for its proper mind:
The type of Providence and fate,
That mark and modify each state,
And with its spots of black and white,
Distinguishing (like day and night)
Our partial griefs, allay'd with joy,
Or comforts that those griefs alloy,
All wisely plann'd and mix'd for good,
If such by mortals 'twere but view'd,
Who partial see and thankless moan,
Another's grief is not their own;
Ne'er thinking, tho' their feet be sore,
Another's shoe would pinch them more;
And so complain, as all but they
Were chequer'd for a fairer day:
Whereas, could blindness but believe,
Blindness itself would then perceive,
And, with due gratitude, confess,
Who had the least, might still have less;
Who had it not, or was denied,
Twas not from ignorance or pride,
But from a principle as far
From human ken, as that bright star ,
That gilds the orbit of the night,
[illeg.] from the reach of human flight;
[illeg.] the great sun that lights the day,
[illeg.] from being form'd for infants' play.
[illeg.] we'er, let this be as it will,
Wisdom itself is wisdom still;
And this is evermore her rule,
To fools she is herself a fool,
And acts, as far as in her lies,
[illeg.] the reverse that they think wise;
Confounding, as confounded those
Who dare to lift themselves her foes;
From whom she glories to conceal
What they affirm she can't reveal,
And only to the wise makes known,
That she and Rectitude are one.
Or others to less hurtful use,
And only cheat themselves at play,
By killing time and life away;
Let us, as in a mirror, see
Man's life, and its variety;
Where various checks of mingled die,
Each in their rank alternate lie.
Each man a check that fills his place,
And helps to form the mottled race;
Each check a lot by Heav'n assign'd,
As fittest for its proper mind:
The type of Providence and fate,
That mark and modify each state,
And with its spots of black and white,
Distinguishing (like day and night)
Our partial griefs, allay'd with joy,
Or comforts that those griefs alloy,
All wisely plann'd and mix'd for good,
If such by mortals 'twere but view'd,
83
Another's grief is not their own;
Ne'er thinking, tho' their feet be sore,
Another's shoe would pinch them more;
And so complain, as all but they
Were chequer'd for a fairer day:
Whereas, could blindness but believe,
Blindness itself would then perceive,
And, with due gratitude, confess,
Who had the least, might still have less;
Who had it not, or was denied,
Twas not from ignorance or pride,
But from a principle as far
From human ken, as that bright star ,
That gilds the orbit of the night,
[illeg.] from the reach of human flight;
[illeg.] the great sun that lights the day,
[illeg.] from being form'd for infants' play.
[illeg.] we'er, let this be as it will,
Wisdom itself is wisdom still;
And this is evermore her rule,
To fools she is herself a fool,
And acts, as far as in her lies,
[illeg.] the reverse that they think wise;
Confounding, as confounded those
Who dare to lift themselves her foes;
From whom she glories to conceal
What they affirm she can't reveal,
84
That she and Rectitude are one.
Stay then, Impatience, and attend,
Your doubtings all shall have an end;
And ye, who could not find the cause,
Nor trace the genius of her laws,
Nor with your compasses mete out
What could be meant beyond a doubt,
Shall, to your strange amazement, see
How contradictions could agree;
At least, that what did thus appear,
Is full as consonant as clear:
When all she'as done, and and all she'as said,
And all that has this uproar made,
Shall at the last resplendent shine,
Transparent as the light divine;
The mingling shadows flee away,
And darkness yield—to cloudless day;
Distrust and dubitance be o'er,
And chequer'd scenes perplex no more;
But perfect day or perfect night,
Be one eternal black or white.
Your doubtings all shall have an end;
And ye, who could not find the cause,
Nor trace the genius of her laws,
Nor with your compasses mete out
What could be meant beyond a doubt,
Shall, to your strange amazement, see
How contradictions could agree;
At least, that what did thus appear,
Is full as consonant as clear:
When all she'as done, and and all she'as said,
And all that has this uproar made,
Shall at the last resplendent shine,
Transparent as the light divine;
The mingling shadows flee away,
And darkness yield—to cloudless day;
Distrust and dubitance be o'er,
And chequer'd scenes perplex no more;
But perfect day or perfect night,
Be one eternal black or white.
| Occasional verse, moral and sacred | |