Since Body from the parent Earth,
  And Soul from Jove received a birth,
  Return they where they first began;
  But since their union makes the Man,
  Till Jove and Earth shall part these two,
  To Care, who join’d them, Man is due. 80

   He said, and sprung with swift career
  To trace a circle for the year,
  Where ever since the Seasons wheel,
  And tread on one another’s heel.

   ’Tis well, said Jove, and for consent
  Thundering he shook the firmament;
  Our umpire Time shall have his way,
  With Care I let the creature stay: 
  Let business vex him, avarice blind,
  Let doubt and knowledge rack his mind, 90
  Let error act, opinion speak,
  And want afflict, and sickness break,
  And anger burn, dejection chill,
  And joy distract, and sorrow kill,
  Till, arm’d by Care, and taught to mow,
  Time draws the long destructive blow;
  And wasted Man, whose quick decay,
  Comes hurrying on before his day,
  Shall only find, by this decree,
  The Soul flies sooner back to me. 100

* * * * *

  AN IMITATION OF SOME FRENCH VERSES.

  Relentless Time! destroying power
    Whom stone and brass obey,
  Who giv’st to every flying hour
    To work some new decay;
  Unheard, unheeded, and unseen,
    Thy secret saps prevail,
  And ruin Man, a nice machine
    By Nature form’d to fail. 
  My change arrives; the change I meet,
    Before I thought it nigh. 10
  My spring, my years of pleasure fleet,
    And all their beauties die. 
  In age I search, and only find
    A poor unfruitful gain,
  Grave Wisdom stalking slow behind,
    Oppress’d with loads of pain. 
  My ignorance could once beguile,
    And fancied joys inspire;
  My errors cherish’d hope to smile
    On newly-born desire. 20
  But now experience shows the bliss,
    For which I fondly sought,
  Not worth the long impatient wish,
    And ardour of the thought. 
  My youth met Fortune fair array’d;
    In all her pomp she shone,
  And might perhaps have well essay’d
    To make her gifts my own: 
  But when I saw the blessings shower
    On some unworthy mind, 30
  I left the chase, and own’d the power
    Was justly painted blind. 
  I pass’d the glories which adorn
    The splendid courts of kings,
  And while the persons moved my scorn. 
    I rose to scorn the things. 
  My manhood felt a vigorous fire,
    By love increased the more;
  But years with coming years conspire
    To break the chains I wore. 40
  In weakness safe, the sex I see
    With idle lustre shine;