University of Virginia Library

Studious and grave has ever been thy Mind,
O Cœlius, Ornament of human Kind!
Intent on Truths, that Merit to be known,
That best deserve our Search, if not alone:
Ev'n in thy Youth, the Time when Passions reign,
When Pleasures urge, and Reason checks in vain,
No other Joys could win or move thy Heart,
But such as sacred Knowledge does impart;
And these unwearied still thy Thoughts pursue,
The World thy Scorn, the Things above thy View.
Hear then, my Cœlius, and awhile attend
His Verse, who glories to be call'd thy Friend;
The Subject must delight thy serious Ear,
And Friendship will th'unpolish'd Lines endear.

How much, by Nature's searching Light alone,
Of God and Things immortal may be known,
The Records of the ancient Sages show,
As yet preserv'd, and understood ev'n now.
On Contemplation's tow'ring Wings they soar'd,
And left no Theme or Subject unexplor'd;
To ev'ry Spring of Knowledge, ev'ry Source,
They turn'd unweary'd in their painful Course,
Wealth they despis'd, and Pomp, and spent their Years
Apart from busy Mortals, and their Cares;
Their Bodies they subdu'd, their Passions curb'd,
And kept their Minds sedate and undisturb'd,
Us'd all the Means, that tended to remove
The Weight, that clogg'd them in their Flights above,
To break the Cloud, that dimm'd their lab'ring Sight,
And clear their Prospect to the Realms of Light.

Such certainly were some of them at least,
And thus employ'd their studious Moments past;
Nor yet content with this they sometimes chang'd
Their native Soil, and distant Climates rang'd;
Where e'er fair Science seated deign'd to smile,
Or near Euphrates, or the Banks of Nile,
Thither allur'd their wand'ring Steps they bent,
On further Acquisitions still intent;
There with her Vot'ries in sweet Converse join'd
They drew fresh Stores t'enrich the curious Mind.

To Thee, their Ways, their Studies, and the Fruits
Of all their painful Labours and Pursuits
Are known, O Cœlius, nor with proud Disdain
Has e'er thy gentle Tongue pronounc'd them vain;
With pleasing Wonder rather, and surprize
Hast Thou observ'd the Heights, to which they rise,
When freed from sensual Chains through Paths untrod
They trace unbodied Forms, and Nature's God.

For Ages past before their Days Mankind
Had swerv'd from Wisdom, and debauch'd the Mind,
Slaves to the Pow'r of ev'ry craving Lust,
Proud, dissolute, revengeful, and unjust:
Few Traces of that ancient Light remain'd,
Which their first Fathers guided and restrain'd,
Darkness and Error enter'd in the Place,
And fill'd the Breast of this degen'rate Race:
The great Creator from his Creatures then
Was not distinguish'd by unthinking Men,
Altars were rais'd, and sacred Victims burn'd
To those, whose Deaths they saw, and lately mourn'd,
Ev'n Brutes and Things inanimate receiv'd
Divine Prostration, and were Gods believ'd.

Amidst this Ignorance, at diff'rent Times,
In distant Regions, and in various Climes,
Still one or other with a Soul possest
More rais'd and elevated than the rest,
Or more inquisitive and studious rose
In Truth's and Virtue's Cause; but chiefly those,
Whom Greece her Natives boasts; them chief in Fame
For ancient Knowledge Time delights to name:
Illustrious Sages! who attentive heard
The Voice of Reason, and her Light rever'd,
Surmounted all that Prejudice which springs
From Education, and which Custom brings,
O'ercame the Force of that prevailing Awe,
Which Superstition forg'd, and fix'd by Law,
Of Furies, Spectres, and fictitious Gods
The People's Terror, and their Rulers Rods.

In Ages thus corrupt, with bold Essay
Through dark and mazy Paths to urge their Way
In quest of Heav'nly Wisdom, and withstand
Establish'd Falshoods, must our Praise demand:
Th'Attempt was glorious, and if Some declin'd,
Bewilder'd, from the Point and End design'd,
Yet Others happier in their Search, or blest
With more discerning Judgment, or at least
More careful and observant kept the Road
Tow'rds Wisdom, Immortality, and God.

These one intelligent first Cause explor'd,
And Him with elevated Minds ador'd,
Who spread the Heav'ns, and form'd the fruitful Earth,
Who gave to every Creature Life and Birth,
Whose Providence inspected Great and small,
Sustaining, ruling, and directing all.
Him absolutely perfect they conceiv'd,
Eternal, self-existent, underiv'd,
Great Source of Happiness, of Truth, and Light,
The Sovereign Good, exhaustless, infinite.

These search'd the Nature of our thinking Part,
And all the Passions of the various Heart;
The first they judg'd to be from Death secure,
As simple, indivisible, and pure,
For endless, ever-during Life design'd,
As form'd in Likeness to th'eternal Mind;
The latter they describ'd, and show'd their use,
What Ends they serve, and what Effects produce,
How good! when Reason her just Pow'r maintains,
Directs their Motions, and their Fire restrains;
How bad! when they disdain her prudent Sway,
Break from their Bounds prescrib'd, and lawless stray.

These taught, that nothing could be fair and good,
When nearly view'd, and rightly understood,
But what was truly virtuous; and in this
They plac'd the stable Ground of human Bliss;
That Vice unmann'd us, and the Soul deprest,
O'erwhelm'd her Pow'rs, and sunk us to the Beast;
That all our Grievance, all our real Ill
Sprung from th'Abuse of Liberty and Will,
From not attending to the friendly Light,
Which Reason laid before the thinking Sight,
Or wilfully rejecting what she shew'd
Was truly useful, amiable, and good.

These taught, that Virtue only could endear
The Soul to God, and plant his Image there,
Alone secure its Passage when releast
From mortal Prisons to celestial Rest;
Whilst far from thence the Impious and Impure
For ever barr'd, Remorse and Woe endure:
That such a diff'rent Portion would attend
And follow Vice and Virtue in the End,
They judg'd from Grounds and Principles well laid,
And highly probable, when throughly weigh'd;
This they inculcated, and could infer
From God's Perfections, and his ruling Care.

Such were the Sentiments, at least of some
Among the ancient Wise of Greece and Rome;
These they profess'd, and publish'd, These maintain'd,
And some few Converts to their Doctrine gain'd;
Fair was their Arguing, nor wanting Weight,
And Men of Judgment might pronounce them right.

But yet, O Cœlius, for with studious Thought
Thou hast perus'd and weigh'd whate'er they taught,
Mixt with these Doctrines, say, do not we find
Some Things, which stagger and perplex the Mind,
Which seem to shake and undermine the Ground,
On which they build these Truths, and Reas'nings found?
Do not the wisest of them all appear
To puzzle what before they argu'd clear,
To fear their own Conclusions, and mistrust
What they inferr'd as rational and just?
Moan they not oft the Gloom of that Recess,
Where Truth abode remote? and moan they less
The Weakness of their Pow'rs to pierce that Shade,
That veils her Face, without celestial Aid?

Ev'n in that weighty Point, whereon depends
Fair Virtue's Hope, the chief of all her Ends,
A future State to crown her Suff'rings here,
To recompence her Pains, and pious Care,
Drop they not Scruples, and with doubtful Phrase
Weaken that Confidence, they meant to raise?
Leave us yet wav'ring, or at best not sure
What will succeed the gloomy dying Hour?
Further than probable none of them go,
This is the most, Themselves pretend to know;
The most, which they advance to gain Belief,
And sooth afflicted Virtue's present Grief;
To check the Vicious in their wild Career,
And from their vile, audacious Deeds deter.

Such was the Proof in this great Argument,
The wisest Ancients urg'd for our Assent;
And if than This no greater, who will blame
Their Search as fruitless, and their Works defame?
Something it was, nor yet beneath Applause,
To go so far in Aid of such a Cause,
To open, though in glimm'ring Light, a Scene
Of such Importance and Concern to Men,
That might dispose them readier to receive
Those clearer Views which Heav'n design'd to give.

Had Reason unassisted from above
Been able uncontestably to prove
The Certainty of this, their Strength of Mind,
With all th'Advantages of Art refin'd,
Would scarce have fail'd to set this Subject clear,
And triumph over all Mistrust and Fear;
But too remote and intricate it lay
For human Knowledge fully to display,
To clear in such a manner as might quell
Each bold Objector, and his Doubts dispel.

In this Uncertainty and Lab'rinth then
Age after Age remain'd the greatest Men,
Nor found they Means or Pow'r to extricate
Themselves or Others from this anxious State.
Ev'n He, who was reputed, at a Time
When Science in her Zenith shone sublime,
The wisest in the Grecian Schools, and made
The deepest Searches in this gloomy Shade,
Could not his own Misgivings quite subdue,
When Death approach'd, and rose in solemn View:
“If I, who now must quit this Stage, says He,
“Or you, who stay behind, the happier be,
“My Friends! God only knows.” Lo! was not this
To doubt at last a State of future Bliss?
To question whether Providence design'd
Beyond the Grave ought for the virtuous Mind?
Thus wav'ring stood on Life's dark Verge the Sage
For Wisdom judg'd the Foremost of his Age.
But grant, that such Expressions might arise
From Thoughts unguarded, or some quick Surprize,
That notwithstanding this He still retain'd
A firm Belief of what He had maintain'd,
A Life of Wretchedness and Bliss to come,
This Virtue's Portion, that of Vice the Doom;
Nay grant besides, that other Sages too
Believ'd and prov'd this Doctrine to be true,
Prov'd by such Reasonings as might convince
Impartial Judgment, and discerning Sense;
Could their Authority and Weight suffice,
Howe'er in Character reputed wise,
To propagate this Doctrine, and engage
A gen'ral Faith in Men from Age to Age,
To fix it as a Principle of Force
To sway their Actions, and direct their Course?
Could the mere human Reas'ning of a Few
This great Effect accomplish, and renew
The Days of Light and Virtue, when withstood
By Nature's common Bent to Bad from Good,
And by an Ignorance in some too blind
To see thro' Truths of an exalted Kind?
When num'rous other Teachers, and in Fame
Their Rivals, openly oppos'd this Scheme,
Or else obliquely aim'd to undermine
Its very Grounds, and baffle its Design,
Whilst in their labour'd Systems they disown
All of the Godhead, but the Name alone,
His ruling Care and Providence discard,
And make Mankind no Part of his Regard?
Whilst they contend, that Nought below could move
Anger, or Hate in God, Goodwill, or Love,
Affections, which, say they, in Men we find,
But have no Likeness in th'eternal Mind?
Whilst they mistake the Happiness of Man,
And place it in the Thing, we should disdain,
In that, which tends directly to subvert
The Pow'r of Virtue, and corrupt the Heart?
Whilst they attempt to prove the human Soul
But finer Parts of the material Whole,
Of course then dissoluble, and a Prey
To Death by Vi'lence, or by mere Decay?

Against such Opposition form'd with Art,
And no less boldly urg'd in ev'ry Part,
Manag'd by Heads of Sects in high Repute,
And celebrated Champions in Dispute;
An Opposition, which alluring draws
Deprav'd and vicious Nature to its Cause!
Which sooths Mens Vices, and allays the Fears,
That might disturb them in their loose Careers!
What less than Evidence and Light divine
Could triumph, and with Force resistless shine?
What less disperse the Clouds, and Doubts subdue,
Which interpos'd and broke their steddy View,
Impart such Faith, which apprehends, as seen,
The Things to come, and leaves the World between?

More probable indeed, in this Debate,
The Proofs and Reas'nings for a future State
Must to a Mind unprejudic'd appear,
When weigh'd with Judgment and attentive Care:
But that their Strength was such as could remove
Each rising Doubt, unaided from above,
Raise firm Belief, and throughly clear the Way
To Scenes of future Being, who will say?
Who? that has turn'd those hoary Pages o'er,
And search'd the Depth of all their learned Store.
Ah! short of this their greatest Authors fell
In all their Efforts, tho' they reason'd well;
Tho' what they taught with Nature's simple Light
Fairly agreed, or seem'd however right.
Much brighter Views they wanted, stronger Aid
T'enforce their Doctrine, and the Mind persuade,
To give it full Assurance, what might stand
All Opposition, and our Faith demand.

On Subjects, which to Things abstruse refer,
Or Things yet future, might not Reason err?
Tho' plausible her Proofs, might it be said,
Things must be so, we cannot be misled?
Alas! too weak for this, ev'n Pride must own
Degen'rate Nature's glimm'ring Light alone,
Too weak to penetrate that Veil of Night,
Which hid Futurity from mortal Sight.

Lack'd we not then in this uncertain State
Securer Grounds and Proofs of greater Weight,
A Revelation from th'unerring Mind
To dissipate our Doubts of ev'ry Kind,
To show this Truth in full convincing Light,
And lend our Faith a Strength like that of Sight?
This certainly we wanted; nought, but this,
Could cure our Jealousies, and Fears dismiss;
If so—to give this Light must surely seem
Worthy the Goodness of the Being supreme,
Befitting well his Bounty whose we are,
Form'd by his Hand, and circled with his Care:
Now whether this so needful, bounteous Heav'n
In Pity of his State to Man has giv'n,
Is next my Theme: And wilt Thou, Cœlius, deign
To hear what Thou more fully canst explain,
And couldst in Numbers far more sweet rehearse,
Shouldst Thou invoke the sacred Pow'rs of Verse?
I know thy Candour, and may rather fear,
Lest, when I strive to win thy list'ning Ear,
Thou shouldst too well, too partially approve,
Forget the Critic, and indulge thy Love.