What is this Death, ye deep read sophists, say?-- 525 Death is no more than one unceasing change; New forms arise, while other forms decay, Yet all is Life throughout creation's range. 133 The towering Alps, the haughty Appenine, The Andes, wrapt in everlasting snow, 530 The Apalachian and the Ararat Sooner or later must to ruin go. 134 Hills sink to plains, and man returns to dust, That dust supports a reptile or a flower; Each changeful atom by some other nurs'd 535 Takes some new form, to perish in an hour. 135 Too nearly join'd to sickness, toils, and pains, (Perhaps for former crimes imprison'd here) True to itself the immortal soul remains, And seeks new mansions in the starry sphere. 540 136 When Nature bids thee from the world retire, With joy thy lodging leave, a fated guest; In Paradise, the land of thy desire, Existing always, always to be blest. [156] The text is from the edition of 1786, which contains the only complete version. The poem was first published in the August number of _The United States Magazine_, 1779, which also contained the following note: "_'The House of Night'_, a poem in the present number of the Magazine, is from a young gentleman who has favoured us with several original pieces in the course of this work; and readers of taste will no doubt be pleased with it, as perfectly original both in the design and manner of it." It bore the title "The House of Night; or, Six Hours Lodging with Death, A Vision," and the quotation: "_Felix qui potiut rerum cognoscere causas, Atque metus omnes et inexorable Fatum Subjecit pedibus, strepitumque Acherontis avari._ VIRG. GEORG. II., v. 490." As printed in the magazine it consisted of seventy-three stanzas, which coincide with the following numbers of the 1786 edition: 3, 4, 6-10, 12, 14, 18, 20-26, 28, 29, 31, 32, 47-54, 58, 59, 65, 66, 68, 69, 72, 74, 75, 78, 79, 86, 87, 94, 96-100, 102-106, 111, 113-115, 117, 118, 125-127, 130, 131. Following are the variations: