"Remember thy Creator in thy youth; Thy early days of purity and truth ;

"Ere come the years with only evil fraught ; “When earthly pleasure shall in vain be sought; “When sun, and moon, and stars withhold their ray, "And oft returning clouds shall dim thy darkening day ; “When strength shall yield, and sense and feeling fail, "And the stout heart shall sink, and fears prevail; "Feeble the pace, timid and slow the tread, "Pale the thin cheek, and white the palsied head : “When vain alarms the wasting frame shall shake, "And fancied sounds the restless senses wake; "When nought of earthly good shall tempt desire, "Or hope, or fear, or love, or hate inspire; “But in the silent street the mourners wait, "To bear their burden from the darkened gate.

“Then shall, arrested, still, and silent, be “Life's curious frame, and nice machinery ; "The silvery cords unloosed, the golden bowl

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Emptied, the busy wheels no longer roll :

“Each soft integument, and fine-stretched spring,
"Which held the prisoned fluttering soul within,
"Collapsed and rent,—the body seeks its earth,
“The spirit Him who gave its being birth!

"And now the mighty theme's conclusion hear;— "Be it thy life, thy all, thy God to fear,

"And His commands to keep; for every thing, "Known, secret, evil, good, He will to judgment bring!"

Farewell, of monarchs mightiest yet weak man!

No more thy faults or virtues let us scan;
Virtues that raised thee far thy race above,
Faults, which that race's fall and ruin prove:
Weak in temptation's hour as drifting sands,
And only strong when in Heaven's grace it stands.
Wisdom could not from sin and folly keep;
Prosperity thy virtues steeped in sleep;

Yet sovereign grace, which once thy spirit filled,
Did not, we trust, entire its office yield.

We bless Eternal Truth, for us, that told

Thy pregnant tale, and turned the dross to gold:
Justice and mercy Infinite thy lot

Have cast; to us to judge belongeth not!

END OF CANTO V.

CANTO VI.

SOLOMON AND HIS SUCCESSORS.

IMMUTABLE are Heaven's eternal laws;
He chastisements delays, but not withdraws :
Rulers and States His justice who provoke
Shall, soon, or late, incur His wrathful stroke.

Oft, midst the fervours of a summer-day,
The glowing radiance passes swift away;
Pile upon pile the thickening clouds up-roll,
And darkness gathers round from pole to pole;
Yet solemn mutterings long th' horizon shake,
Ere from the frowning heavens the bolts out-break:
And thus, before to his dishonoured tomb

The Monarch sunk, deeper and darker gloom

Quenched the bright beams, which Heaven's auspicious hand

Had erst dispensed upon its favoured land.

Yet, as th' indulgent parent long o'erlooks Faults, which not wholly rigid justice brooks;

And the fond bosom pauses oft and swells,
Ere falls the blow which duty still impels ;
So his great Lord the erring king forebore
Long time to visit with his anger's store;
And, yet more, for th' illustrious father's sake,
Bade with slow pace the threatened wrath o’ertake.
Scions of royalty, court-favorites, those

With favours heaped, became the monarch's foes;
Conspired with rival-sovereigns 'gainst his throne,
Or aimed to make the glittering prize their own:
These, one by one, disturbed the nation's rest,
And planted thorns within the ruler's breast.
But one there was, by fortune favoured, bold
In counsel, and on valour's lists enrolled,
The youthful Jeroboam; he, as high
He soared, exulting midst the troubled sky,
Marked the fair quarry with a greedy eye;
And eager panted for the coming day,

When the Crown-loosely held-should be his prey.
Yet, sanctioned (such the secret will of Heaven)
In his proud aim by pledge prophetic given,
Content to be in hope and prospect King,

He stayed his ravening swoop and downward wing.

Meanwhile, in wisdom deep and king-craft skilled,

The aged King his regal course fulfilled;
Yet, sin-enfeebled, held with trembling hand

A tainted fealty and forced command.