And all my Knights, Blue, Green, and Yellow, dead; No more the midnight Fairy Tribe I view, All in the merry Moonshine tippling Dew; Ev’n the last lingering Fiction of the Brain, The church-yard Ghost, is now at rest again: And all these wayward Wanderings of my Youth, Fly Reason’s Power and shun the Light of Truth. With Fiction then does real Joy reside, And is our Reason the delusive Guide? Is it then right to dream the Syrens sing? Or mount enraptur’d on the Dragon’s Wing? No, ’tis the infant Mind, to Care unknown, That makes th’ imagin’d Paradise its own; Soon as Reflections in the Bosom rise, Light Slumbers vanish from the clouded Eyes: The Tear and Smile, that once together rose, Are then divorc’d; the Head and Heart are foes; Enchantment bows to Wisdom’s serious Plan, And Pain and Prudence make and mar the Man. While thus, of Power and fancy’d Empire vain, With various Thoughts my Mind I entertain; While Books my Slaves, with tyrant hand I seize, Pleas’d with the Pride that will not let them please; Sudden I find terrific Thoughts arise, And sympathetic Sorrow fills my Eyes; For, lo! while yet my Heart admits the Wound, I see the CRITIC Army rang’d around. Foes to our Race! if ever ye have known A Father’s fears for Offspring of your own;-- If ever, smiling o’er a lucky Line, Ye thought the sudden Sentiment divine, Then paus’d and doubted, and then, tir’d of doubt, With rage as sudden dash’d the Stanza out;-- If, after fearing much and pausing long, Ye ventur’d on the World your labour’d Song, And from the crusty Critics of those Days, Implor’d the feeble Tribute of their Praise; Remember now, the Fears that mov’d you then, And, spite of Truth, let Mercy guide your Pen. What vent’rous Race are ours! what mighty Foes, Lie waiting all around them to oppose! What treacherous Friends betray them to the Fight! What Dangers threaten them!; yet still they write: A hapless Tribe! to every Evil born, Whom Villains hate and Fools affect to scorn: Strangers they come, amid a world of Woe, And taste the largest Portion ere they go.