282 LYRIC POEMS. Visits, and crowds, and company. Gunston, the lark dwells in her nest Till she ascend the skies ; And in my closet I could rest Till to the heavens I rise. -2 Yet they will urge, "This private Can never make you blest, [life And twenty doors are still at strife T' engage you for a guest." Friend, should the towers of Windsor or Whitehall Spread open their inviting gates To make my entertainment gay ; I would obey the royal call, But short should be my stay, Since a diviner service waits T' employ my hours at home, and bet ter fill the day. 3 When I within myself retreat, I shut my doors against the great ; My busy eye -balls inward roll, And there with large survey I see All the wide theatre of me, And view the various scenes ofmy re- tiring soul; I trod, There J walk o'er the mazes i have While hope andîear are in a doubtful Whether this opera of life [strife, Be acted well to gain theplaudit of my God. 4 There's a day hast'ning, 'tis an awful day! W'henthegreatSov'reign shall at large review All that we speak, and all we do, The several parts we act on this wide stage of clay : [blames, These he approves, and those he And crowns perhaps a porter, and a prince he damns. O if the Judge from histremendous seat Shall not condemn what !havedone, I shall be happy tho' unknown, Nor need the gazing rabble, nor the shouting street. 5 I hate the glory, friend, that springs Fromvulgarbreath,and emptysou nd; Fame mounts her upward with a flat - t'ring gale Upon her airy wings, Till Envy shoots, and Fame receives the wound ; Then her flagging pinions fail, HownGlory falls and strikes theground, And breaks -her batter'd limbs. Rather let me he quite conceal'd from Fame ; How happy, I, should lie In sweet obscurity, Nor the loud- world pronounce my , little name ! Here I could live and die alone; Or if society be due To keep our taste of pleasure new, Gunston, I'd live and die with you, For both our souls are one. 6 Here we could sit and pass the hour, Andpity kingdoms and their kings, And smile at all their shining things Their toys ofstate,and images of pow'r; Virtue should dwell within our seat, Virtue alone could make it sweet, Nor is herself secure, but in a close re- treat.' [praise While she withdraws from public Envy perhaps would cease to rail, Envy itselfmay innocently gaze At beauty in a veil But if she once advance to light, Her charms are lost in Envy's sight, And Virtue stands the mark of univer- sal spite. To JOHN HARTOPP, Esq. Now Sir JOHN HARTOPP, Bart. The Disdain. 1700. 1 HARTOPP, I love the soul that dares Tread the temptations of his years Beneath his youthful feet : Fleetwood and all thy heav'nly line Look thro' the stars, and smile divine Upon an heir no great. YoungHartopp knows thisnoble theme That the wild scenes of busy life, The noise, th' amusements, and the Are but the visions of the night, [strife Gay phantoms of delusive light, Or a vexatious dream. 2 Flesh is the vilest anei the least Ingredient of our frame We're born to live above the beast, Or quit the manly name. Pleasures of sense we leave for boys ; Be shining dust the miser'! food ; Let fancy feed on fame and noise, Souls must pursue diviner joys, And seize th' immortal good.
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