count of his own funeral, before-hand, without the spirit of prophefy? which fuppofing Mofes to have been infpired with, you have here two folutions of that difficulty which has been objected to him by Bolinbroke, Voltaire, and fuch-like matter of fact philofophers. But to the purpofe of this chapter, here follows my Requiem, written this morning extempore.--I do every thing in a hurry. All nature is an univerfal death, Which ev'n in perishing renews its breath. Shall man, her nobleft work, alas! fuftain A meaner fate, his hope, his merit vain! In human life our earnings we receive, Shall heaven repay us only with a grave? My faith takes wing, and soars beyond the spheres ; And truft in Mercy filences my fears. Farewel, Farewel, thou vale of vanity and fin ; Death's mortal paffed, immortal births begin. Then cease, weak man, at loss of life to grieve, Since we are born to die, but die to live. Adieu. CHAP. LXII. A DIRGE. SI have closed the laft volume with fome mufic, I fhall finifh this one in the fame manner; and in order to render it applicable to the prefent occafion, I have made it a fort of funeral anthem, by measuring the fong part of it with the lines in the laft chapter, which may be chanted along with it, or let alone, as the reader pleafes. |