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Article ON VIEWING A SKELETON, Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Viewing A Skeleton,
ON VIEWING A SKELETON ,
TIME S LECTURE TO MAN ,
BY M RS . STICKLAND , OF BLANPEOKP . WHY start vou at that skeleton ? 'Tis your own picture which you shun : Alive it did resemble thee ; . And thou , when dead , like this shalt be . Converse with it , and you will say You cannot better spend the day ;
And very much youwill admire The language of these bones and wire . The tongue is gone ; but yet each joint Can lectures read , and speak to th' point : When all your moralists are read , You'll find no tutor like the dead . If in truth ' s paths these feet have trod ,
It matters not if bare or shod : If us'd to travel to the door - Of the afflicted sick or poor , These feet now wing ' cl shall upward fly , And tread the palace of the sky : These hands , if ne ' er in blood were stain'd , Nor fili'd with wealth unjustly gain'd , honours d
Nor greedily at grasp ' ., But to the poor man ' s wants unclasp'd ; It matters not if in the mine They delv'd , or did with rubies shine . There grew the lips , and in that place Where now appears a vacant space , Was fix'd the tongue , an organ shrill , Employ'd extremely Well or ill ;
I know not if it could retort , Or speak the language of the court ; But this I will presume t ' aver , That , if it was no flatterer , If it traduc'd no man [ s repute , I / when it could not praise ' twas mute , 'Twas abless'd tongue , and shall prevail "When wit and eloquence shall fail .
Prime instances of nature ' s skill , The eyes did once these hollows fill . Were they quick-sighted , sparkling , clear , As those of hawks and eagles are ; Or say , did they with moisture swim , Or were distorted , blear'd , or dim ; Yet if they were from envy free
, Nor lov'd to gaze on vanity ; If none with scorn they did behold , Nor yet with spiteful glances roll'd , Those eyes more bright anil piercing grown , Shall view the great Creator ' s throne . See , not the least remains appear To shew where nature lac'd the ear :
p Who knows if it were musical , Or could not judge of sounds at all ? Yet if to worthy counsel bent , To caution and reproof attent , That-ear shall with these sounds be blest , " Well done ! " and , " Enter into rest . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Viewing A Skeleton,
ON VIEWING A SKELETON ,
TIME S LECTURE TO MAN ,
BY M RS . STICKLAND , OF BLANPEOKP . WHY start vou at that skeleton ? 'Tis your own picture which you shun : Alive it did resemble thee ; . And thou , when dead , like this shalt be . Converse with it , and you will say You cannot better spend the day ;
And very much youwill admire The language of these bones and wire . The tongue is gone ; but yet each joint Can lectures read , and speak to th' point : When all your moralists are read , You'll find no tutor like the dead . If in truth ' s paths these feet have trod ,
It matters not if bare or shod : If us'd to travel to the door - Of the afflicted sick or poor , These feet now wing ' cl shall upward fly , And tread the palace of the sky : These hands , if ne ' er in blood were stain'd , Nor fili'd with wealth unjustly gain'd , honours d
Nor greedily at grasp ' ., But to the poor man ' s wants unclasp'd ; It matters not if in the mine They delv'd , or did with rubies shine . There grew the lips , and in that place Where now appears a vacant space , Was fix'd the tongue , an organ shrill , Employ'd extremely Well or ill ;
I know not if it could retort , Or speak the language of the court ; But this I will presume t ' aver , That , if it was no flatterer , If it traduc'd no man [ s repute , I / when it could not praise ' twas mute , 'Twas abless'd tongue , and shall prevail "When wit and eloquence shall fail .
Prime instances of nature ' s skill , The eyes did once these hollows fill . Were they quick-sighted , sparkling , clear , As those of hawks and eagles are ; Or say , did they with moisture swim , Or were distorted , blear'd , or dim ; Yet if they were from envy free
, Nor lov'd to gaze on vanity ; If none with scorn they did behold , Nor yet with spiteful glances roll'd , Those eyes more bright anil piercing grown , Shall view the great Creator ' s throne . See , not the least remains appear To shew where nature lac'd the ear :
p Who knows if it were musical , Or could not judge of sounds at all ? Yet if to worthy counsel bent , To caution and reproof attent , That-ear shall with these sounds be blest , " Well done ! " and , " Enter into rest . "