ON A SIMILAR OCCASION, FOR THE YEAR 1793. De sacris autem hæc sit una sententia, ut conserventur.-Cic. de Leg. But let us all concur in this one sentiment, that things sacred be inviolate. HE lives, who lives to God alone, For other source than God is none To live to God is to requite But life, within a narrow ring Is falsely nam'd, and no such thing, Can life in them deserve the name, For what poor toys they can disclaim Who, much diseas'd, yet nothing feel; Who deem his house a useless place, A hypocrite's pretence? Who trample order; and the day, If scorn of God's commands, impress'd The better part of man unbless'd Such want it, and that want, uncur'd Sad period to a pleasant course! Sabbaths profan'd without remorse, INSCRIPTION FOR THE TOMB OF MR. HAMILTON. PAUSE here, and think: a monitory rhime Consult life's silent clock, thy bounding vein; And many a tomb, like Hamilton's aloud Exclaims, Prepare thee for an early shroud.' EPITAPH ON A HARE. HERE lies, whom hound did ne'er pursue, Whose foot ne'er tainted morning dew, Old Tiney, surliest of his kind, Though duly from my hand he took He did it with a jealous look, His diet was of wheaten bread, With sand to scour his maw. On twigs of hawthorn he regal'd, And, when his juicy salads fail'd, A Turkey carpet was his lawn, His frisking was at ev'ning hours, But most before approaching show'rs, Eight years and five round-rolling moons I kept him for his humour's sake, My heart of thoughts, that made it ache, But now beneath his walnut shade He, still more aged, feels the shocks, EPITAPHIUM ALTERUM. Hic etiam jacet, Qui præteriturus es, Et tecum sic reputa Hunc neque canis venaticus, Nec imbres nimii, Confecêre: Tamen mortuus est Et moriar ego. |