Progress of Vice
- 1Deep in the gulph of Vice and Woe
- 2Leaps Man at once with headlong throw?
- 3Him inborn Truth and Virtue guide,
- 4Whose guards are Shame and conscious Pride.
- 5In some gay hour Vice steals into the breast;
- 6Perchance she wears some softer Virtue's vest.
- 7By unperceiv'd degrees she tempts to stray,
- 8Till far from Virtue's path she leads the feet away.
- 9Then swift the soul to disenthrall
- 10Will Memory the past recall,
- 11And Fear before the Victim's eyes
- 12Bid future ills and dangers rise.
- 13But hark! the Voice, the Lyre, their charms combine--
- 14Gay sparkles in the cup the generous Wine--
- 15Th' inebriate dance, the fair frail Nymph inspires,
- 16And Virtue vanquish'd--scorn'd--with hasty flight retires.
- 17But soon to tempt the Pleasures cease;
- 18Yet Shame forbids return to peace,
- 19And stern Necessity will force
- 20Still to urge on the desperate course.
- 21The drear black paths of Vice the wretch must try,
- 22Where Conscience flashes horror on each eye,
- 23Where Hate--where Murder scowl--where starts Affright!
- 24Ah! close the scene--ah! close--for dreadful is the sight.