 | A collection of poems |  |
On the Foregoing.
Excess of vice won't fail to hasten death!
How soon old Janus yeilds his pois'nous breath!
He's born, comes to his height, grows old and dies,
And his curs'd carcase on a dunghil lies;
Just fate of Janus! all before the sun
Could six times round his annual orbit run!
Of tory malice spawn'd, by faction nurs'd;
Men can't be bless'd by heav'n, but he is curs'd.
How soon old Janus yeilds his pois'nous breath!
He's born, comes to his height, grows old and dies,
And his curs'd carcase on a dunghil lies;
Just fate of Janus! all before the sun
Could six times round his annual orbit run!
Of tory malice spawn'd, by faction nurs'd;
Men can't be bless'd by heav'n, but he is curs'd.
When heav'n incensed will no more forbear
To scourge the sins that waiting vengeance dare;
And satan comes commission'd from above
To spread intestine jars, and banish love:
His willing aid old Janus gives the fiend,
Joins hand in hand, and makes success attend.
While he continu'd, as he first design'd,
To wrong the guiltless, and abuse mankind,
Dull malice void of wit in prose or rhyme
Could please enough to make him rich by crime.
To mock the pious, and the vile to praise,
The venerable sinner's fame could raise.
By hatred, envy, party-rage, he lives,
And on the spoils of peace triumphant thrives.
To scourge the sins that waiting vengeance dare;
12
To spread intestine jars, and banish love:
His willing aid old Janus gives the fiend,
Joins hand in hand, and makes success attend.
While he continu'd, as he first design'd,
To wrong the guiltless, and abuse mankind,
Dull malice void of wit in prose or rhyme
Could please enough to make him rich by crime.
To mock the pious, and the vile to praise,
The venerable sinner's fame could raise.
By hatred, envy, party-rage, he lives,
And on the spoils of peace triumphant thrives.
But when our passions calm, and love descends,
When men are bless'd with peace, and faction ends,
When satan could not, by divine command
In party-spirit reign to plague the land;
Old Janus found at once his work was done,
And trembled for past crimes, tho' left alone;
His reputation sunk, he starv'd, and griev'd,
Ætna was in his soul while conscience heav'd,
And wild despair the hast'ning change perceiv'd.
In vain, he gasps a while, repents, and dreams
Of new recruits of life from virtuous themes,
To poison so inur'd, when not supply'd,
He tries to live on wholesome food, and dy'd.
When men are bless'd with peace, and faction ends,
When satan could not, by divine command
In party-spirit reign to plague the land;
Old Janus found at once his work was done,
And trembled for past crimes, tho' left alone;
His reputation sunk, he starv'd, and griev'd,
Ætna was in his soul while conscience heav'd,
And wild despair the hast'ning change perceiv'd.
In vain, he gasps a while, repents, and dreams
Of new recruits of life from virtuous themes,
To poison so inur'd, when not supply'd,
He tries to live on wholesome food, and dy'd.
13
He's gone! thanks for his death! who dy'd to give
The world a poet who deserves to live.
*****, Harvard's honour, and New-England's hope
Bids fair to rise, and sing, and rival Pope.
No more let Britain's sons in haughty scorn
Say that our country wants ONE poet born.
The death of venerable Janus says,
He could no longer live upon their bays.
Could Janus live again, he'd wish to die;
If in oblivion ***** would let him ly.
The world a poet who deserves to live.
*****, Harvard's honour, and New-England's hope
Bids fair to rise, and sing, and rival Pope.
No more let Britain's sons in haughty scorn
Say that our country wants ONE poet born.
The death of venerable Janus says,
He could no longer live upon their bays.
Could Janus live again, he'd wish to die;
If in oblivion ***** would let him ly.
| A collection of poems | |