. Night thoughts. sun,The patriarch pupil would be learning still;Yet, dying, leave his lesson perish in advance, as if the sunShould set ere noon, in eastern oceans drownd; 90(If fit, with dim, illustrious to compare,The suns meridian with the soul of Man.)To Man, Why, step-dame Nature so severe?Why thrown aside thy master-piece half-wrought,While meaner efforts thy last hand enjoy? 95 Or, if abortively, poor Man must die,Nor reach, what reach he might, why die in dread ?Why curst with foresight? Wise to misery?AVhy of his proud prerogative the prey?Why less pre-eminent in r
. Night thoughts. sun,The patriarch pupil would be learning still;Yet, dying, leave his lesson perish in advance, as if the sunShould set ere noon, in eastern oceans drownd; 90(If fit, with dim, illustrious to compare,The suns meridian with the soul of Man.)To Man, Why, step-dame Nature so severe?Why thrown aside thy master-piece half-wrought,While meaner efforts thy last hand enjoy? 95 Or, if abortively, poor Man must die,Nor reach, what reach he might, why die in dread ?Why curst with foresight? Wise to misery?AVhy of his proud prerogative the prey?Why less pre-eminent in rank, than pain? 100 His immortality alone can tell;Full ample fund to balance all amiss,And turn the scale in favour of the just! His immortality alone can solveThat darkest of enigmas, human hope; 105 Of all the darkest, if at death we , eager Hope, th assassin of our joy,All present blessings treading under foot,Is scarce a milder tyrant than no past toils content, still planning new, 110 I. /A,/. /yft,/,V, hit-!*. h,.!>/>/ :; Ju ttf / /A/////.rA///;. ■ / ///,//, THE INFIDEL RECLAIMED. 163 Hope turns us oer to Death alone for , why, more tasteless than Pursuit?Why is a wish far dearer than a crown ?That wish accomplished, why, the grave of bliss?Because, in the great future buryd deep, 115 Beyond our plans of empire, and renown,Lies all that Man with ardour should pursue;And He who made him, bent him to the right. Mans heart thAlmighty to the future sets,By secret and inviolable springs; 120 And makes his hope his sublunary heart eats all things, and is hungry still; More, more! the glutton cries: For something newSo rages appetite, if Man cant mount,He will descend. • He starves on the possest. 125 Hence, the worlds master, from ambitions spire,In Caprea plungd; and divd beneath the that rank sty why wallowd empires sonSupreme? Because he could no higher fly;His riot was ambition in despair. 130 Old
Size: 1360px × 1838px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookidnightthoughts0, booksubjectdeath, booksubjectenglishpoetry
