ABSTRACT
Hail Learned Bard! who dost thy power dispence, And show’st us the first State of Innocence. In that blest golden Age, when Man was young, When the whole race was Vigorous and Strong; 5 When Nature did her wond’rous dictates give, And taught the Noble Savage how to live; When Christal Streams, and every plenteous Wood Afforded harmless drink, and wholsom food; E’er that ingratitude in Man was found, 10 His Mother Earth with Iron Ploughs to wound; When unconfin’d, the spacious Plains produc’d What Nature crav’d, and more than Nature us’d; When every Sense to innocent delight Th’ agreeing Elements unforc’d invite; 15 When Earth was gay, and Heaven was kind and bright, And nothing horrid did perplex the sight; Unprun’d the Roses and the Jes’min grew, https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781351259484/45c6613e-e6a3-4aed-a741-cef1e870b44a/content/bra3.tif"/> Nature each day drest all the World anew, And Sweets without Mans aid each Moment grew; 20 Till wild Debauchery did Mens minds invade, And Vice, and Luxury became a Trade; Surer than War it laid whole Countrys wast, Not Plague nor Famine ruins half so fast; By swift degrees we took that Poison in, 25 Regarding not the danger, nor the sin; Delightful, Gay, and Charming was the Bait, While Death did on th’ inviting Pleasure wait, And ev’ry Age produc’d a feebler Race, Sickly their days, and those declin’d apace, 30 Scarce Blossoms Blow, and Wither in less space. Till Nature thus declining by degrees, We have recourse to rich restoratives, By dull advice from some of Learned Note, We take the Poison for the Antidote; 35 Till sinking Nature cloy’d with full supplys, O’er-charg’d grows fainter, Languishes and dies. These are the Plagues that o’er this Island reign, And have so many threescore thousands slain; Till you the saving Angel, whose blest hand 40 Have sheath’d that Sword, that threatned half the Land; More than a Parent, Sir, we you must own, They give but life, but you prolong it on; You even an equal power with Heav’n do shew, Give us long life, and lasting Vertue too: 45 Such were the mighty Patriarchs, of old, Who God in all his Glory did behold, Inspir’d like you, they Heavens Instructions show’d, And were as Gods amidst the wandring Croud; Not he that bore th’ Almighty Wand cou’d give 50 Diviner Dictates, how to eat, and live. And so essential was this cleanly Food, For Mans eternal health, eternal good, That God did for his first-lov’d Race provide, What thou by Gods example hast prescrib’d: 55 O mai’st thou live to justifie thy fame, To Ages lasting as thy glorious Name! May thy own life make thy vast Reasons good, (Philosophy admir’d and understood,) To every sense ’Tis plain, ’Tis great, and clear, 60 And Divine Wisdom does o’er all appear; Learning and Knowledge do support the whole, And nothing can the mighty truth controul; Let Fools and Mad-men thy great work condemn, I’ve tri’d thy Method, and adore thy Theme; 65 Adore the Soul that cou’d such truths discern, And scorn the fools that want the sense to learn.
