[Page 148]

An Imitation of some FRENCH Verses.

1 RElentless Time! destroying Pow'r
2 Whom Stone and Brass obey,
3 Who giv'st to ev'ry flying Hour
4 To work some new Decay;
5 Unheard, unheeded, and unseen,
6 Thy secret Saps prevail,
7 And ruin Man, a nice Machine
8 By Nature form'd to fail.
9 My Change arrives; the Change I meet,
10 Before I thought it nigh.
11 My Spring, my Years of Pleasure fleet,
12 And all their Beauties dye.
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13 In Age I search, and only find
14 A poor unfruitful Gain,
15 Grave Wisdom stalking slow behind,
16 Oppress'd with loads of Pain.
17 My Ignorance cou'd once beguile,
18 And fancy'd Joys inspire;
19 My Errors cherish'd Hope to smile
20 On newly-born Desire.
21 But now Experience shews, the Bliss
22 For which I fondly sought,
23 Not worth the long impatient Wish,
24 And Ardour of the Thought.
25 My Youth met Fortune fair array'd,
26 (In all her Pomp she shone)
27 And might, perhaps, have well essay'd
28 To make her Gifts my own:
29 But when I saw the Blessings show'r
30 On some unworthy Mind,
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31 I left the Chace, and own'd he Pow'r
32 Was justly painted blind.
33 I pass'd the Glories which adorn
34 The splendid Courts of Kings,
35 And while the Persons mov'd my Scorn,
36 I rose to scorn the Things.
37 My Manhood felt a vig'rous Fire
38 By Love encreas'd the more;
39 But Years with coming Years conspire
40 To break the Chains I wore.
41 In Weakness safe, the Sex I see
42 With idle Lustre shine;
43 For what are all their Joys to me,
44 Which cannot now be mine?
45 But hold — I feel my Gout decrease,
46 My Troubles laid to rest,
47 And Truths which wou'd disturb my Peace
48 Are painful Truths at best.
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49 Vainly the Time I have to roll
50 In sad Reflection flies;
51 Ye fondling Passions of my Soul!
52 Ye sweet Deceits! arise.
53 I wisely change the Scene within;
54 To Things that us'd to please;
55 In Pain, Philosophy is Spleen,
56 In Health, 'tis only Ease.

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Title (in Source Edition): An Imitation of some FRENCH Verses.
Author: Thomas Parnell
Themes:
Genres: imitation

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Parnell, Thomas, 1679-1718. Poems on Several Occasions: Written by Dr. Thomas Parnell, Late Arch-Deacon of Clogher: and Published by Mr. Pope. London: printed for B. Lintot, 1722 [1721], pp. 148-151. [8],221,[3]p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T42652; Foxon p. 554; OTA K041605.000) (Page images digitized from microfilm of a copy in the English Faculty Library, Oxford [XL62.1[Poe]].)

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