FABLE [31] XXXI. The Universal Apparition. John Gay Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
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Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T13818 Gay, John, 1685-1732. FABLES. By Mr. GAY. London Printed for J. Tonson and J. Watts, MDCCXXVII. 1727 pp. 104-107. [14],173,[1]p.: ill.; 4°.

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FABLE [ 31 ] XXXI . The Universal Apparition . A Rake , by ev'ry passion rul'd , With ev'ry vice his youth had cool'd ; Disease his tainted blood assails , His spirits droop , his vigor fails , With secret ills at home he pines , And , like infirm old-age , declines . As , twing'd with pain , he pensive sits , And raves , and prays , and swears by fits , A ghastly phantome , lean and wan , Before him rose , and thus began . My name perhaps hath reach'd your ear ; Attend , and be advis'd by Care . Nor love , nor honour , wealth nor power Can give the heart a cheerful hour , When health is lost . Be timely wise : With health all taste of pleasure flies . Thus said , the phantome disappears . The wary counsel wak'd his fears ; He now from all excess abstains , With physick purifies his veins ; And to procure a sober life Resolves to venture on a wife . But now again the sprite ascends , Where'er he walks his ear attends , Insinuates that beauty's frail , That perseverance must prevail , With jealousies his brain inflames , And whispers all her lovers names ; In other hours she represents His houshold charge , his annual rents , Encreasing debts , perplexing duns , And nothing for his younger sons . Strait all his thought to gain he turns , And with the thirst of lucre burns ; But when possest of fortune's store , The spectre haunts him more and more , Sets want and misery in view , Bold thieves and all the murd'ring crew , Alarms him with eternal frights , Infests his dream , or wakes his nights . How shall he chase this hideous guest ? Power may perhaps protect his rest ; To pow'r he rose . Again the sprite Besets him morning , noon and night , Talks of ambition's tott'ring seat , How envy persecutes the great , Of rival hate , of treach'rous friends , And what disgrace his fall attends . The court he quits to fly from Care , And seeks the peace of rural air ; His groves , his fields amus'd his hours , He prun'd his trees , he rais'd his flowers ; But Care again his steps pursues , Warns him of blasts , of blighting dews , Of plund'ring insects , snails and rains , And droughts that starve the labour'd plains . Abroad , at home , the spectre's there : In vain we seek to fly from Care . At length he thus the ghost addrest . Since thou must be my constant guest , Be kind , and follow me no more , For Care by right should go before .