Human Life
What
mortal,
when
he
saw,
Life's
voyage
done,
his
heavenly
Friend,
Could
ever
yet
dare
tell
him
fearlessly:
"I
have
kept
uninfringed
my
nature's
law
;
The
inly-written
chart
thou
gavest
me,
To
guide
me,
I
have
steer'd
by
to
the
end"?
Ah!
let
us
make
no
claim,
On
life's
incognisable
sea,
To
too
exact
a
steering
of
our
way;
Let
us
not
fret
and
fear
to
miss
our
aim,
If
some
fair
coast
have
lured
us
to
make
stay,
Or
some
friend
hail'd
us
to
keep
company.
Ay!
we
would
each
fain
drive
At
random,
and
not
steer
by
rule.
Weakness!
and
worse,
weakness
bestow'd
in
vain
Winds
from
our
side
the
unsuiting
consort
rive,
We
rush
by
coasts
where
we
had
lief
remain;
Man
cannot,
though
he
would,
live
chance's
fool.
No!
as
the
foaming
swath
Of
torn-up
water,
on
the
main,
Falls
heavily
away
with
long-drawn
roar
On
either
side
the
black
deep-furrow'd
path
Cut
by
an
onward-labouring
vessel's
prore,
And
never
touches
the
ship-side
again;
Even
so
we
leave
behind,
As,
charter'd
by
some
unknown
Powers
We
stem
across
the
sea
of
life
by
night
The
joys
which
were
not
for
our
use
design'd;--
The
friends
to
whom
we
had
no
natural
right,
The
homes
that
were
not
destined
to
be
ours.
