Anne Kingsmill Finch, Countess of Winchilsea - All is Vanity (Chap.7) lyrics

But hold my Muse! thy farther Flight restrain, Exhaust not thy declining Force, Nor in a long, pursued, and breathless Course, Attempt, with slackened speed, to run Through every Vanity beneath the Sun, Lest thy o'erweary'd Reader, should complain, That of all Vanities beside, Which thine, or his Experience e'er have try'd, Thou art, too tedious Muse, most frivolous and vain; Yet, tell the Man, of an aspiring Thought,Of an ambitious, restless Mind, That can no Ease, no Satisfaction find, Till neighboring States are to Subjection brought, Till Universal Awe, enslaved Mankind is taught; That, should he lead an Army to the Field,For whose still necessary Use,The extended Earth could not enough produce, Nor Rivers to their Thirst a full Contentment yield; Yet, must their dark Reverse of Fate Roll round, within that Course of Years, Within the short, the swift, and fleeting Date Prescribed by Xerxes,7 when his falling Tears Bewailed those Numbers, which his Sword employed, And false, Hyena-like, lamented and destroyed. Tell Him, that does some stately Building raise, A Windsor or Versailles erect, And thorough all Posterity expect, With its unshaken Base, a firm unshaken Praise; Tell Him, Judea's Temple is no more, Upon whose Splendour, Thousands heretofore Spent the astonish'd Hours, forgetful to Adore: Tell him, into the Earth agen is hurled, That most stupendous Wonder of the World, Justly presiding o'er the boasted Seven, By humane Art and Industry designed, This! the rich Draught of the Immortal Mind, The Architect of Heaven. Remember then, to fix thy Aim on High, Project, and build on to other side the Sky, For, after all thy vain Expense below, Thou canst no Fame, no lasting Pleasure know; No Good, that shall not thy Embraces fly; Or thou from that be in a Moment caught,Thy Spirit to new Claims, new Int'rests brought,Whilst unconcern'd thy secret Ashes lye, Or stray about the Globe, O Man ordained to Dye! NOTES : 7 [AF] Xerxes reviewing his most numerous Army, wept upon the Reflection that within 100 Years not One of them would be left alive.