Page:Caledonia (Defoe).djvu/84

Why ſtill on Natures Common Bounty live?
And why ſo ſoon content with what She'll give?
For where Contentment makes Endeavour leſs,
'Tis then a Vice, and not a Happineſs.
So the ^[1] fam'd ſluggard ſtarv'd, and reaſon good,
For want of feeding, not for want of Food;

Bear the Reproof, the fruitful Climate's known,
Not Heaven or Nature blame, the Fault's your own;
The Earth Adapt to bear, the Air, the Sea,$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$
All fruitful, all to Plenty ſhow the way;
No Barrenneſs, but in your Induſt'ry.

'Tis Blaſphemy to ſay the Climates curſt,
Nature will ne're be fruitful till ſhe's forc't;
'Twas made her Duty from her firſt Decay,$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$
The ſweating Brow alone, and labouring hand t' obey,
And theſe ſhe never does, nor dares deny.

And yet this Sloth is not their proper Crime,
'Tis due to Poverty, and that to Time.
Hail SLOTH and POVERTY from Stygian Air,
Uſhers to Death, and Handmaids to Deſpair.

Strange Birth, themeer Perfection of a Curſe,
That find Men Miſ'rable, and make them worſe,
Of ill connected ſelf ingendring Birth,

Firſt circulate themſelves, and then the Earth;

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1. Prov. The Sluggard would not pull his Hand out of his Bosom to put it to his Mouth.