In vain the glittering orbs, each ftarry night,
With mingling blazes fhed a flood of light:
Each nymph with cold indiff'rence faw 'em rise;
And, taught by fops, to them preferr'd her eyes.
None thought the stars were funs fo widely fown,
None dreamt of other worlds, befides our own.
Well might they boast their charms, when ev'ry fair
Thought this world all; and her's the brightest here.
Ah! quit not the large thoughts this book inspires,
For those thin trifles which your fex admires;
Affert your claim to fenfe, and fhew mankind,
That reafon is not to themselves confin'd.
The haughty belle, whose beauty's awful shrine,
"Twere facrilege t'imagine not divine,
Who thought fo greatly of her eyes before,
Bid her read this, and then be vain no more.
How poor ev'n You, who reign without controul,
If we except the beauties of your foul!
Should all beholders feel the fame surprize;
Should all who see you, fee you with my eyes;
Were no fuch blafts to make that beauty less;
Should you be what I think, what all confefs:
'Tis but a narrow space those charms engage;
One Island only, and not half an Age!
AY FLORIMEL, of gen'rous birth,
The most engaging fair on earth,
To please a blind gallant,
Has much of wit, and much of worth,
And much of tongue to fet it forth,
How oft, alas! in vain I've try'd,
To tempt her from her guardian's fide,
And trap her in love's hook!
like a little wanton lamb,
That frisks about the careful dam,
And fhuns the shepherd's crook.
Like wretched DIVES am I plac'd,
To fee the joys I cannot taste,
Of all my hopes bereav'n :
Her AUNT the dismal gulph betwixt,
By all the powers of malice fixt,
To cheat me of my heaven.
SIR DAVID LYNDESAY'S DREAM.
WRITTEN IN THE REIGN OF KING JAMES V.
IN the kalendies of Januarie
When fresche PHOEBUS by moving circulair
From Capricorn was enter'd in Aquarie,
With blaftis that the branches made full bare,
The fnow and fleet perturbit all the air,
And flemit FLORA from everie bank and bus,
Throuch fupport of the aufteir Eolus.
Efter that I the lang wynteris night
Had lyne waking in my bed allone
Throw hevy thought, that na way fleep I micht,
Remembering of divers thingis gone:
Sa up I rois, and cleithit me anone
By this fair Titan with his lemis licht
O'er all the land had fpred his baner bricht.
With cloke and hude I dreffit me belive,
With dowbill schone, and myttains on my handis,
Howbeit the air was richt penetratyve,
Zet fure I forth lanfing ourthort the landis,
Towards the fea, to schort me on the fandis
Becaus unblomit was baith bank and bray,
And fa as I was paffing by the way,
I met dame FLORA in dule weid difagyfit,
Quilk into May was dulce and delectabill,
With ftalwart stormis hir sweetness was surprisit,
Hir heavinlie hewis war turnit into fabill,
Quilkis umquile war to Luffaris amiabill,
Fled from the froift, the tender flouris I faw
Under dame Nature's mantill lurking law.
The fmall fowlis in flockis faw I flee
To nature makand lamentatioun,
They lichtit down befide me on ane tree,
Of thair complaint I had compaffioun,
And with ane piteous exclamation
They faid "blyffit be fomer with his flouris,
"And waryit be thou wynter with thy schowris.
"Allace AURORE, (the fillie lark did cry) "Quhair has thou left thy balmy liquour fweit, "That us rejoifit mounting in the sky? "Thy filver dropps are turned into sleit. "Of fair PHEBUS quhair is the holfum heit, "Qhuy tholis thow thy hevinlie plesand face, With myftie vapouris to be obfcurit, allace!
"Qhuair art thou May, with June thy fifter schene "Weill bordourit with dafeis of delyte?
"And gentill Julie, with thy mantill grene,
"Enamelit with rofis reid and quhyte ?
"Now auld and cauld Januar in dispyte
“Reiffis from us all paftime and plesure
"Allace! quhait gentill hart may this indure?
"Ovirfilit ar with cloudis odious "The goldin fkyis of the orient,
"Changeing in forrow our fing melodious,
Quhilk we had wont to fing with gude intent, "Refoundand to the hevinnis firmament, "But now our day is changed into the nicht," With that they rose and flew furth of my ficht.
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