Ah me! how much I fear left pride it be! But if that pride it be, which thus inspires, Beware ye dames, with nice discernment fee Ye quench not too the sparks of nobler fires : Ah! better far than all the mufes' lyres, All coward arts, is valour's gen'rous heat; The firm fixt breast which fit and right requires, Like Vernon's patriot foul, more justly great Than craft that pimps for ill, or flow'ry falfe deceit. Yet nurs'd with skill, what dazling fruits appear! Or bard fublime, if bard may e'er be so, And this, perhaps, who, cens'ring the defign, Low lays the house which that of cards doth build, Shall Dennis be! if rigid fates incline, And many an epic to his rage shall yield; And many a poet quit th' Aonian field; And, four'd by age, profound he shall appear, As he who now with 'fdainful fury thrill'd Surveys mine work; and levels many a fneer, And furls his wrinkly front, and cries, "What stuff is here ?" But But now Dan Phoebus gains the middle skie, And, like a rushing torrent, out they fly; And now the graffy cirque han cover'd o'er With boist'rous revel-rout and wild uproar ; A thousand ways in wanton rings they run, Heav'n fhield their short-liv'd pastimes, I implore! For well may freedom, erft fo dearly won, Appear to British elf more gladsome than the fun. Enjoy, poor imps! enjoy your fportive trade; And chafe gay flies, and cull the fairest flow'rs, For, when my bones in grafs-green fods are laid; For never may ye taste more careless hours In nightly caftles, or in ladies bow'rs. O vain to feek delight in earthly thing! But most in courts, where proud ambition tow'rs! Deluded wight! who weens fair peace can spring Beneath the pompous dome of kefar or of king. See in each sprite fome various bent appear! Some builden fragile tenements of clay; Some to the standing lake their courses bend, With pebbles smooth at duck and drake to play ; Thilk to the huxter's fav'ry cottage tend, In pastry kings and queens th' allotted mite to spend. Here, as each feason yields a diff'rent store, Each feafon's ftores in order ranged been ; Apples with cabbage-net y-cover'd o'er, Galling full fore th' unmoney'd wight, are feen; And goofe-b'rie clad in liv'ry red or green; And here, of lovely dye, the cath'rine pear, Fine pear! as lovely for thy juice, I ween: O may no wight e'er pennylefs come there, Left, fmit with ardent love, he pine with hopeless care! See! cherries here, ere cherries yet abound, With thread fo white in tempting pofies ty'd, Scatt'ring like blooming maid their glances round, With pamper'd look draw little eyes afide; And must be bought, though penury betide. The plumb all azure, and the nut all brown, And here, each feafon, do thofe cakes abide, Whofe honour'd names th' inventive city own, Rend'ring thro' Britain's ifle Salopia's praifes known. Admir'd Salopia! that, with venial pride, Eyes her bright form in Severn's ambiant wave, Fam'd for her loyal cares in perils try'd, Her daughters lovely, and her ftriplings brave: Ah! midft the reft, may flow'rs adorn his grave, Whofe art did first thefe dulcet cates display! A motive fair to learning's imps he gave, Who chearless o'er her darkling region firay; Till reafon's morn arife and light them on their way. COOPER' COOPER's HILL. This poem, by Denham, though it may have been exceeded by later attempts in defcription, yet deferves the highest applaufe, as it far furpaffes all that went before it: the concluding part, though a little too much crowded, is very mafterly. URE there are poets which did never dream SURE Upon Parnaffus, nor did tafte the stream Of Helicon; we, therefore, may fuppofe Those made not poets, but the poets those. And, as courts make not kings, but kings the court, Nor wonder, if (advantag'd in my flight, Paul's, the late theme of fuch a * mufe, whose flight And, like a mist, beneath a hill doth rife; No other in effect than what it seems ; Mr. Waller, Thy |