Advantage of Misfortune THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE ADVANTAGE OF MISFORTUNE : OEM Whatever is, is right." LONDON: Printed for J. RIDLEY, in ST. JAMES'S STREET, MDCCLXXIII. [Price One Shilling.] Al T O EDWARD JERNINGHAM, ESQ. THIS POEM IS INSCRIBED BY HIS OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. 72B5S9 THE ADVANTAGE of MISFORTUNE : OEM. |Y nations fear'd, refpecled, and obey'd, BOZALDAB long had Egypt's fceptre fway'd. Great was his pow'r, extenfive his domain, Unnumber'd bleffings crown'd his happy reign ; For him the Earth unlock'd her richeil: ftores, 5 And wealth to Egypt flow'd from diftant mores. Thus great, thus honour'd, thus fupremely bleft; No wim remain'd beyond what he poffefl. Alas! while pleafure fill'd the fmiling fcene, He little thought a change mould intervene, 10 B But, c 2 ] But, judging ftill the future by the paft, Believ'd the momentary blifs mould laft. Attendant on his ftate the fervile train By flatt'ry fought their Monarch's love to gain ; Till fwell'd with pride, with dignity elate, 1 5 He deem'd himfelf beyond the reach of Fate. Unhappy wretch ! condemn'd ere long to prove The juft refentment of the Pow'rs above; ^ To know, that man was deftin'd flill to bear, And life a fcene of vanity and care ; 20 To feel, that Grandeur's but an empty name, And only Virtue merits lafting fame. His only Son> the darling of his age, One that might well a Parent's love engage ; For whom he toil'd by day, and watch'd by night, 25 Joy of his foul, and fource of his delight j Meets in the chace an arrow wing'd with death, And in his Father's arms refigns his breath. Struck dumb with horror, frantic with defpair, BOZALDAB fmote his breaft, and tore his hair. 30 To footh his anguifh in this dreadful hour, His numerous train exert their little pow'r : To C 3 1 To them, in accents terrible and wild, He anfwer'd, gazing on his breathlefs Child, " Hence, idle flatterers ! that vainly call 35 BOZALDAB Lord and Monarch over all -, ft Who fay that life depends upon his breath, *' And call his frown more terrible than death. " Behold the object of my tend'reft cares, " The promis'd comfort of declining years ! 40 " Say, can this boafted pow'r my Child reftore? " Then talk of Empire, and of Crowns, no more. " Thus fnatch'd away, ere half his courfe was run, " Unhappy hour ! alas, my Son ! my Son !" The Monarch ceas'd, and proftrate on the ground, 45 Embrac'd his child, and kifl the ghaftly wound ; Then darting up, diftra&ion in his look, The trembling train with eager hafte forfook, And to the gloomy grotto bent his way, Where roll'd in duft, opprefl with grief he lay. 50 Night now approach'd; no noife was heard around, Save the fad fcreech-owl's melancholy found : But [ 4 3 . But peace, nor reft, the wretched Parent knew; His tears the bofom of the earth bedew ; Unable longer to contain his grief, 55 He fought, in vain complaints, to find relief. " Perim!" he cried, " the pow'r that could not fave " My only Son, my darling, from the grave. " Was it for this, thro' many tedious years I brav'd fuch dangers? bore fuch toils and cares? 60 " Was it for this Ilabour'd to extend " An Empire that mall ne'er to himdefcend ? " And can that God be merciful and juft, " Who lays our fondefl wimes in the duft ? A Being really good, and truly wife, 6r " Beholds his creatures with paternal eyes; " Nor thus delights with tears their cup to fill, " To pleafe his humour, his capricious will. " This wretched life I can no longer bear :