The Vanity of Human Wishes

Let Observation with extensive View, Survey Mankind, from China to Peru; Remark each anxious Toil, each eager Strife, And watch the busy Scenes of crouded Life; Then say how Hope and Fear, Desire and Hate, O’erspread with Snares the clouded Maze of Fate, Where wav’ring Man, betray’d by venturous Pride, To tread the dreary Paths without a Guide; As treach’rous Phantoms in the Mist delude, Shuns fancied Ills, or chases airy Good. How rarely Reason guides the stubborn Choice, Rules the bold Hand, or prompts the suppliant Voice, How Nations sink, by darling Schemes oppress’d, When Vengeance listens to the Fool’s Request. Fate wings with ev’ry Wish th’ afflictive Dart, Each Gift of Nature, and each Grace of Art, With fatal Heat impetuous Courage glows, With fatal Sweetness Elocution flows, Impeachment stops the Speaker’s pow’rful Breath, And restless Fire precipitates on Death.

But scarce observ’d the Knowing and the Bold, Fall in the general Massacre of Gold; Wide-wasting Pest! that rages unconfin’d, And crouds with Crimes the Records of Mankind, For Gold his Sword the Hireling Ruffian draws, For Gold the hireling Judge distorts the Laws; Wealth heap’d on Wealth, nor Truth nor Safety buys, The Dangers gather as the Treasures rise.