Here you will find the Long Poem Concerning Resolution of poet Thomas Parnell
Happy the man whose firm resolves obtain Assisting Grace to burst his sinfull chain For him the Days with golden minutes glow Tis his the Land where milk & hony flow Justice & mercy piety & peace Attend his workes & crown them with success He hopes the best that is for heavn prepard & wants no bliss while virtue can reward That purpled hour which ushers in the light & that which shuts its beautys up in night Still hears him pray still sees his actions right For him they still on easy minutes speed & as they move for him the rest succeed But most Alas by vain opinion lead Ore the wild maze of erring passions tread & now to this & now to that we go & each desire & neither rightly know & act irresolute in all we do & seldom stay to search our objects through Desire is vain & wanton free to range Fond of a Chace & fond the Chace to Change By turns a thousand inclinations rise & each by turns as impotently dies Now thought grows wild if loose Aminta's kind Shee spreads her Charms & captivates the mind Anon Aminta leaves the thought at ease No more her aires & soft Allurements please We love reclining in ye shady bowers by running waters near sweet banks of flowrs To surfeit nature with full bowles of wine & with forcd appetites on bliss refine Then buisy then fantastically wise Then to be some thing else we streight devise For Fancy still undreind affors supplys tis thus if reason from the throne be gon The madd affections bear their master on His life proves restless & his labour vain By hurrying after Phantomes of the brain So the brave Falcon when its glorys fade When its strong wings their generous forces shed The vacant holds ignobler birds supply With Ravens feathers impd she mounts on high & weak or giddy strayes along the sky In Every Change indeed resolves we make But those resolves to settle newer break By contradictions thus we seem to live Nor want the colour of a cause to give Kind heav'n forgive us when for what we do We woud debauch our knack of reasning too When int'rest does on thought its force dispence When pleasure beats upon the dazzled sence Our resolutions oft in vain are made Kind heavn forgive the fault & lend thine aid. If by thy law we must temptations find If these must try the temper of the mind We begg thee not to change thy good decree We begg for pardon or support from thee Our wisdome never shoud thy ways confine but thus confess & humbly rest in thine Tis well theres tryalls since the mans so proud & since he's weak tis well theres Grace allowd.