THE ILLS OF IDLENESS.Whatpains and penalties attendThe wight whose being’s aim and endIs wholly self-enjoyment!His easy chair becomes a rack,And all Pandora’s plagues attackThe wretch who wants employment.To shun the exquisite distressWhich ever waits on idleness,He flies to dissipation;Drinksdeepto keep his spiritsup,And in the inebriating cupDrowns health and reputation.And now in Fashion’s vortex whirl’d,A dandy of the genteel world,He figures in the ton,The wise man laughs, the simple stareTo see the consequential airThe silly rake puts on.Now drives his curricle aboutTo club, assembly, ball and rout,To waste his time and treasure;Gives sensual appetite the reins,And takes illimitablepainsToseema man ofpleasure.The course of life such fools pursueWould worry down the wand’ring Jew,—Worse off than galley-slaves!And ten to one, about the timeThe man of virtue’s in his prime,Such sots are in their graves.But if their days are lengthen’d out,By dint of constitution stout,In apathy and pain;A ruby and carbuncled faceDisplays the signal of disgraceLike mark, erst set on Cain.Now dire paralysis and goutParade their forces round aboutThe citadel of life;In vain the doctor tries his skill;His obstinate opponents stillAre victors in the strife.Disease, remorse, with joint attack,Now put at once upon the rackTheir bodies and their souls;Victims of vice, they suffer moreThan Montezuma did of yoreWhen stretch’d on burning coals.
Whatpains and penalties attendThe wight whose being’s aim and endIs wholly self-enjoyment!His easy chair becomes a rack,And all Pandora’s plagues attackThe wretch who wants employment.To shun the exquisite distressWhich ever waits on idleness,He flies to dissipation;Drinksdeepto keep his spiritsup,And in the inebriating cupDrowns health and reputation.And now in Fashion’s vortex whirl’d,A dandy of the genteel world,He figures in the ton,The wise man laughs, the simple stareTo see the consequential airThe silly rake puts on.Now drives his curricle aboutTo club, assembly, ball and rout,To waste his time and treasure;Gives sensual appetite the reins,And takes illimitablepainsToseema man ofpleasure.The course of life such fools pursueWould worry down the wand’ring Jew,—Worse off than galley-slaves!And ten to one, about the timeThe man of virtue’s in his prime,Such sots are in their graves.But if their days are lengthen’d out,By dint of constitution stout,In apathy and pain;A ruby and carbuncled faceDisplays the signal of disgraceLike mark, erst set on Cain.Now dire paralysis and goutParade their forces round aboutThe citadel of life;In vain the doctor tries his skill;His obstinate opponents stillAre victors in the strife.Disease, remorse, with joint attack,Now put at once upon the rackTheir bodies and their souls;Victims of vice, they suffer moreThan Montezuma did of yoreWhen stretch’d on burning coals.
Whatpains and penalties attendThe wight whose being’s aim and endIs wholly self-enjoyment!His easy chair becomes a rack,And all Pandora’s plagues attackThe wretch who wants employment.
Whatpains and penalties attend
The wight whose being’s aim and end
Is wholly self-enjoyment!
His easy chair becomes a rack,
And all Pandora’s plagues attack
The wretch who wants employment.
To shun the exquisite distressWhich ever waits on idleness,He flies to dissipation;Drinksdeepto keep his spiritsup,And in the inebriating cupDrowns health and reputation.
To shun the exquisite distress
Which ever waits on idleness,
He flies to dissipation;
Drinksdeepto keep his spiritsup,
And in the inebriating cup
Drowns health and reputation.
And now in Fashion’s vortex whirl’d,A dandy of the genteel world,He figures in the ton,The wise man laughs, the simple stareTo see the consequential airThe silly rake puts on.
And now in Fashion’s vortex whirl’d,
A dandy of the genteel world,
He figures in the ton,
The wise man laughs, the simple stare
To see the consequential air
The silly rake puts on.
Now drives his curricle aboutTo club, assembly, ball and rout,To waste his time and treasure;Gives sensual appetite the reins,And takes illimitablepainsToseema man ofpleasure.
Now drives his curricle about
To club, assembly, ball and rout,
To waste his time and treasure;
Gives sensual appetite the reins,
And takes illimitablepains
Toseema man ofpleasure.
The course of life such fools pursueWould worry down the wand’ring Jew,—Worse off than galley-slaves!And ten to one, about the timeThe man of virtue’s in his prime,Such sots are in their graves.
The course of life such fools pursue
Would worry down the wand’ring Jew,—
Worse off than galley-slaves!
And ten to one, about the time
The man of virtue’s in his prime,
Such sots are in their graves.
But if their days are lengthen’d out,By dint of constitution stout,In apathy and pain;A ruby and carbuncled faceDisplays the signal of disgraceLike mark, erst set on Cain.
But if their days are lengthen’d out,
By dint of constitution stout,
In apathy and pain;
A ruby and carbuncled face
Displays the signal of disgrace
Like mark, erst set on Cain.
Now dire paralysis and goutParade their forces round aboutThe citadel of life;In vain the doctor tries his skill;His obstinate opponents stillAre victors in the strife.
Now dire paralysis and gout
Parade their forces round about
The citadel of life;
In vain the doctor tries his skill;
His obstinate opponents still
Are victors in the strife.
Disease, remorse, with joint attack,Now put at once upon the rackTheir bodies and their souls;Victims of vice, they suffer moreThan Montezuma did of yoreWhen stretch’d on burning coals.
Disease, remorse, with joint attack,
Now put at once upon the rack
Their bodies and their souls;
Victims of vice, they suffer more
Than Montezuma did of yore
When stretch’d on burning coals.