Poems on Several Occasions by Samuel Wesley. The Second Edition, with Additions |
 |
REFLECTIONS Upon these two Verses of Mr. Oldham:
Lord of Myself, accountable to none,
But to my Conscience, and my God alone.
|
 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
94
REFLECTIONS Upon these two Verses of Mr. Oldham:
Lord of Myself, accountable to none,
But to my Conscience, and my God alone.
I
Live there, compos'd of earthly Frame,Who dare such Height of Pride to own
Lords of themselves, themselves to name,
As if accountable to none?
II
How vain th' assuming in a DreamThe Greatness due to God alone!
Who self-sufficient, and supreme,
Still reigns accountable to none.
III
Thus Lucifer his Honours lost,Hurl'd headlong from his azure Throne;
So dear the short Aspiring cost,
To reign accountable to none.
IV
Pride soars for Seraphims too high;Shall Man be proud, a Wretch forlorn!
E'er well he lives ordain'd to die,
Of Sin conceiv'd, and Woman born?
95
V
An angry Look, or sudden Word,A stinging Weed, or little Thorn,
Can discompose this mighty Lord,
Of Sin conceiv'd, and Woman born.
VI
The slightest Toy can end his Span,The meanest Object of his Scorn
Can crush this independant Man,
Of Sin conceiv'd, and Woman born.
VII
But few perhaps desire, while here,To reign accountable to none;
The wisest may vouchsafe to fear
Their Conscience and their God alone.
VIII
While Fools, for Terror or Reward,Are steer'd by Motions not their own,
These cent'ring in themselves, regard
Their Conscience and their God alone.
IX
The World may flatter, or revile,May court the Mitre or the Throne;
These fear the Frown and seek the Smile
Of Conscience and of God alone.
X
Here surely they may Refuge take;No, lower yet descend and lower;
For see the Windings of the Snake
Beneath the Beauties of the Flower.
96
XI
Saints from Accounting are not free,When Chains of Duty bind their Hands;
And e'en when these are loose, we see,
That strong Necessity commands.
XII
Go! bid the wisest Pleader gainThe Cause, of which he nothing sees:
Go! bid Physicians heal our Pain,
Without enquiring the Disease.
XIII
Depending seemingly on Air,Her Nets the lab'ring Insect spreads;
The nearer nothing they appear,
The easier 'tis to break their Threads.
XIV
Through Nature we may search in vain;Where can this fond Chimera be,
This Vision of the waking Brain,
This Idol Independancy?
XV
The larger half of all Mankind,Nor yet to Years of Reason grown,
By God and Nature are assign'd,
Nor Will, nor Freedom of their own.
XVI
Woman, a Goddess to the Fool,Without usurping cannot sway:
By what Commission shall she rule,
Sworn, nay created, to obey?
97
XVII
Subjects with sworn Allegiance bowTo Sov'reigns, Heaven's peculiar Care!
And just Degrees of Duty owe
To all that Cæsar's Image bear.
XVIII
Nay, tho' th' unworthiest of the CrowdAbove their Fellows Heads should soar,
A Pembroke great, a Thanet good,
May bow to ------ when in Pow'r.
XIX
If aught our Brother's Fall may cause,The Scandal giv'n we must remove;
Enjoin'd by Christ, if not by Laws,
To veil our Dignity to Love.
XX
At Charity's Almighty Call,Down, down is human Grandeur thrown,
We then must give Account to all:
And thus accountable to none!
XXI
The greatest Sov'reign of the Ball,High-rais'd on his Imperial Throne,
In Love must give Account to all;
In Law accountable to none!
XXI
To Friends and Foes, to Great and Small,Our Country's Servants, nay our own,
We all must give Account to all:
And thus accountable to none!
98
XXIII
But grant that, far from Human-kind,Obliging and oblig'd by none,
We graze like Anchorites, resign'd
To Conscience and to God alone;
XXIV
Tho' the first Thought perhaps may rove,As if from Awe of all we ran;
Severely will the second prove,
That Pride was never made for Man.
XXV
If all we think, and do, and say,To Men and Angels will be shown;
What boots it for an Hour, or Day,
To lurk accountable to none?
| Poems on Several Occasions | |