Poetical Works of Johnson, Parnell, Gray and Smollett

An Imitation of Some French Verses

Relentless Time! destroying power
    Whom stone and brass obey,
  Who giv’st to every flying hour
    To work some new decay;
  Unheard, unheeded, and unseen,
    Thy secret saps prevail,
  And ruin Man, a nice machine
    By Nature form’d to fail.
  My change arrives; the change I meet,
    Before I thought it nigh.
  My spring, my years of pleasure fleet,
    And all their beauties die.
  In age I search, and only find
    A poor unfruitful gain,
  Grave Wisdom stalking slow behind,
    Oppress’d with loads of pain.
  My ignorance could once beguile,
    And fancied joys inspire;
  My errors cherish’d hope to smile
    On newly-born desire.
  But now experience shows the bliss,
    For which I fondly sought,
  Not worth the long impatient wish,
    And ardour of the thought.
  My youth met Fortune fair array’d;
    In all her pomp she shone,
  And might perhaps have well essay’d
    To make her gifts my own:
  But when I saw the blessings shower
    On some unworthy mind,
  I left the chase, and own’d the power
    Was justly painted blind.
  I pass’d the glories which adorn
    The splendid courts of kings,
  And while the persons moved my scorn.
    I rose to scorn the things.
  My manhood felt a vigorous fire,
    By love increased the more;
  But years with coming years conspire
    To break the chains I wore.
  In weakness safe, the sex I see
    With idle lustre shine;
  For what are all their joys to me,
    Which cannot now be mine?
  But hold—I feel my gout decrease,
    My troubles laid to rest,
  And truths which would disturb my peace,
    Are painful truths at best.
  Vainly the time I have to roll
    In sad reflection flies;
  Ye fondling passions of my soul!
    Ye sweet deceits! arise.
  I wisely change the scene within,
    To things that used to please;
  In pain, philosophy is spleen,
    In health, ’tis only ease.