AN

E S SAY

ON

VIRTUE.

Atque ipfa utilitas jufti prope mater & æqui.

HOR.

D 2

THOU,

HOU, whom not honours, wealth, nor youth can fpoil

With the leaft vice of each luxuriant foil,

Say, YORKE, (for fure, if any, thou canst tell)
What Virtue is, who practise it so well;
Say, where inhabits this Sultana queen;
Prais'd and ador'd by all, but rarely feen:
By what fure mark her effence can we trace,
When each religion, faction, age, and place
Sets up fome fancy'd idol of its own,
A vain pretender to her facred throne?
In man too oft a well diffembled part,
A felf-denying pride in woman's heart;
In fynods faith, and in the fields of fame
Valour ufurps her honours, and her name,
D 3

Whoe'er

Whoe'er their fenfe of virtue wou'd exprefs,
'Tis still by fomething they themselves possess, d
Hence youth good-humour, frugal craft old-age,
Warm politicians term it party-rage,

True churchmen zeal right orthodox; and hence
Fools think it gravity, and wits pretence;

To conftancy alone fond lovers join it,
And maids unafk'd to chastity confine it.

A

But have we then no law besides our will? No juft criterion fix'd to good and ill? As well at noon we may obftruct our fight, Then doubt if fuch a thing exists as light; For no lefs plain wou'd nature's law appear As the meridian fun unchang'd, and clear, Wou'd we but fearch for what we were defign'd, And for what end th' Almighty form'd mankind; A rule of life we then fhould plainly fee, For to pursue that end muft virtue be.

Then what is that? not want of power, or fame,
Or worlds unnumber'd to applaud his name,
But a defire his bleffings to diffuse,

And fear leaft millions fhou'd exiftence lofe;
His goodness only cou'd his power employ,
And an eternal warmth to propagate his joy.

Hence foul and fenfe diffus'd thro' ev'ry place, Make happiness as infinite as fpace;

Thousands