TW TO MRS. AFRA BEHN, Pintus again shall hear, again rejoice, "WO warrior * chiefs the voice of Fame divide, And Hemus too, as when th' enchanting voice Of tuneful Orpheus charın'd the grove, Nor Venus, nor Diana will we name ; Myra is Venus and Diana too, And none can tell the charm by which he's loft. All that was faign'd of them, apply'd to her, is true; The bow and quiver does Diana bear ; Then fing, my Muse, let Myra be our theme. Venus the dove ; Pallas the shield and spear : As when the shepherds would a garland make, Poets foch emblems to their Gods aflign, They search with care the fragrant meadows round; Heuts bleeding by the dart, and pen be thine. Plucking but here and there and only take The choicest flow'rs with which some nymph 1 crown'd. THE DESERTION. In framing Myra so divinely fair, Nature has taken the same care; All that is lovely, noble, good, we see, Ali, beauteous Myra, all bound up in thee. In all the pomp of love array'd; Where Myra is, there is the Queen of Love, Th’ Arcadian pastures, and th' Idalian grove. Let Myra dance, so charming is her mien, In every movement every grace is seen ; Let Myra fing, the notes so sweetly wound, Advent'rous, terrible, and strong, The syrens would be filent at the found. Place me on mountains of cternal Inow, Where all is ice, all winters winds that blow; Or cast me underneath the burning line, Add from her lips, her cheeks and eyes, Where everlasting sun does fine ; All opposition he defies. Where all is scorch'd-whatever you decree, Reason, Love's old inveterate foe, Ye Gods! wherever I shall be, Myra shall still be lov'd, and still ador'd by me. Τ' Ο M Y R A. ATURE indulgent, provident and kind, In all things that excell, some use design'd; Refon proclaims them all his foes, The radiant fun, of every heavenly light Who such refiftless charms oppose. The firit (did Myra not dispute that right) Sends from above ten thousand blefings down; My very borom friends make war Nor is he set so high for show alone, His beams reviving with auípicious fire, Freely we all enjoy what all admire : The moon and stars, those faithful guides of night, All, all conspiring with the foe. Are placed to help, not entertain the right: Plants, fruits, and flowers the fertile field, produce, Ah! whither shall I fly to hide Not for vain ornament, but wholesome use; My weakness from the conqu’ror's pride ? Health they restore, and nourishment they give, Now, nw, Discrefion be my guide. We see with pleasure, but we taste to live. Then think not, Myra, that thy form was meant More to create defire, than to content; Would the just gods so many charms provide Only to gratify a mortal's pride? Would they have form’d thee ro above thy sex, Only to play the tyrant, and to vex? And Beauty should be kind as well as charm. M Y RA. At a Review of the Guards in Hyde-fark. Whose praises ling? What charmer's name ET meaner beauties conquer singly fill, Tranfmit immortal down to Fame? But haughty Myra will by thousands kill; Serike, strike thy ftrings, let Echo take the found, Through armed ranks triumphantly the drives, Aad bear it far, to all the mountains round; And with one glance commands a thousand lives : The trembling heroes, nor refift, nor fly, • Alexander and Cæfar. But at the head of all their squadrons die. VOL. V. с SONG N T L W SONG. I. To vex a tender heart? II. For pay, let armies move ; III. The value that's their due, IV. Without disguise or art, Behold it in my heart. } MYRA SINGING. HE syrens, once deluded, vainly charm’d, Had Myra's voice entic'd his listening car, Like soldiers fo in battle we succeed, The happy Trojan gloriously pofleft, The Gods, entic'd by ro divine a birth, In those first times, ere charming womankind grew. From Greece to Afric Beauty takes her fight, Hers } TH THE PROGRESS OF BEAUTY. Mixt with the sea, and got the Queen of love. Helen was next from Greece to Phrygia brought, With much expence of blood and empire fought : Beauty and Love the noblest cause afford, That can try valour, or employ the sword. Not men alone incited by her charms, But Heaven's concern'd, and all the Gods take arms. Here Cleopatra, with a liberal heart, Pleas'd in such happy climates, warm and bright, Thus Aourith'd Love, and Beauty reign'd in state, Love driven thence, to colder Britain Aies, Our gallant kings of whom large annals prove Thy Rosamond, great Henry, on the stage, Of Scots and Gauls defeated, and their kings, If such their fame who gave these rights divine To sacred Love, O! what dishonour's thine, Forgetful Queen, who sever'd that bright | head Which charm'd two mighty monarchs to her bed? Hadit thou been born a man, thou hadît not err'd, Thy fame had liv’d, and Beauty been preferr'd; But O! what mighty magic can assuage A woman's envy, and a bigot's rage? Love tir'd at length, Love, that delights to smile, Then Waller in immortal verse proclaims And now, my Muse, a nobler flight prepare, All for Love; or, The World well Loft: written by Mr. Dryden. † The Conquest of Granada; written by Mr. Dryden. 1 The part of Almahide, performed by Mrs. Elezzor Gwyn, Mistress to King Charles Il. § A famous actress. || Mary Queen of Scots, beheaded by Queen Elizabeth. The Rebellion; and death of King Charles I. + The Lady Dorothy Sydney, celebrated by Mr. Waller under the name of Sachariffa. Thou Thou who hast never yet put on disguise As when our eye fome prospect would pursue, Descending from a hill, looks round to view, Passes n'er lawns and meadows tili it gains Some favourite spot, and fixing there, remains : With equal rapture my transported Muse Flies other objects, this bright theme to choose. } Queen of our hearts, and charmer of our fight, A monarch's pride, his glory and delight, Princess ador'd and lov'd! If verse can give A deathless name, thine shall for ever live; Invok'd where-e'er the British lion roars, Extended as the seas that gird the British ihores. The wise immortals in their seats above, To emwn their labours, fill appointed Love; Phæbus enjoy'd the Goddess of the sea, Alcides had Omphale, James h2, Thee. O happy James ! content thy mighty mind, Grudge not the world, for still iny Queen is kind, To lie but at whose feet more glory brings Than 'tis to tread on sceptres, and on kings : Secure of empire in that beauteous brein, Who would not give their crowns to be so bleft? Was Helen half so fair, fo form’d for joy, Well chore the Trojan, and well burnt was Troy. But ah! what strange vicissitudes of fate, What chance attends on every worldly state? As when the skies were sack'd, the conqaerd Gods Compellid from heaven, forrnok their bleft abodes; Wandering in woods, they hid from den to den, And fought their safety in the shapes of men. As when the winds with kindling names conspire, The blaze encreases, as they fan the fire ; From roof to roof the burning torrent pours, Nor spares the palace, nor the loftiest towers : Or, as the stately pine, erecting high Her lofty branches, footing to the sky, If riven by the thunderbolt of Jove, Down falls at once the pride of all the grove, Level with lowest shrubs lies the tall head 'That rear'd aloft, as to the clouds was spread. So But cease, my Muse, thy colours are too faint, Hide with a veil those griefs which none can paint ; This fun is set.-But see in bright array What hosts of heavenly light recruit the day. Love, in a shining Galaxy, appears Triumphant still, and Grafton leads the stars. Ten thousand loves, ten thousand several ways Invade adoring crowds, who die to gaze ; Her eyes refiftless as the syrens voice, So sweet's the charm, we make our fate our choice. Wbo moft res mbles let her next be nam'd, Villiers * for wisdom and deep judgment famid, Of a high race, victorious Beauty brings To grace our courts, and captivate our kings. With what delight my Muse to Sandwich fies! Richmond's a title, that but nam’d, implies By Bentinck and fair Rutenber; we find, Rupert of royal blood, with modeft grace, Bluthes to hear the triumphs of her face. Not Hele, with St. Alban's might compare : Nor let the Muse omit Scrocp, Holms, and Hare: Hyde, Venus is; the Graces are Kildare. Soft and delicious as a southern sky, The skilful Muse's earlieft care has been Yet || dawning in her infancy of light, Fain would my Muse to Cecil i bend her sight, o Kneller! like thy pictures were my song, Clear like thy paint, and like thy pencil trong ; These matchless Beauties should recorded be, Immortal in my verse, as in thy Gallery S. * Lady Catharine Darnley, Duchess of Buckinghara. Lady Gower. 1 Monsieur St. Evremont. || Lady Molyncaux. Lady Ranelagh. ☆ The Gallery of Beauties in Hampton-Court, drawn by Sis Godfrey Kneller. * Countess of Orkney. TO OUR tipag carnijiy to be told who I meant by M vefarir , THOOh, the pains that we endure ! WH TO THE TO MY RA, COUNTESS OF NEWBOURG, 1. HOUGHTFUL nights, and restless waking, Broken faith, unkind forsaking, II. Hopes deceiving, vain endeavours, What a race has love to run! False protesting, freeting favours, Ev'ry, ev'ry way undone. III. O'erflowing far and near, its head unfound. Myra berself, touch'd with the moving song, Still complaining, and defending, Would needs be told to whom those plaints belong ; Both to love, yet not agree; My timorous congue not daring to confess, Fears tormenting, Passion rending, Trending to nane, would fain have had her guess ; Oh! the Pangs of jealousy! Inpatient of excuse, the urges still, IV. Pin her demand, she must, she will; From such painful ways of living, If fien', I am threaten'd with her hate; Ah! how sweet could love be free! If I mbey-Ah! what may be my fate? Still presenting, still receiving, l'acertain to conceal, or to unfold, Fierce, immortal ecstacy. Sie !niles-the goddefs (miles- and I grow bold. My vows to Myra, all were meant to thee, The prile, the love, the matchless constancy. SONG TO MYR A. "Tur thus of old, when all th' immortal dames Wire trac'd with poets, each by several names ; HY should a heart fo tender, break ? From l'erus, Cisterea was invok'd; O Myra! give its anguilh ease; Arors for Pallas, to Iritonia Imok'd. The use of beauty you mistake, Suomes were theirs; and thou the moft divine, Not meant to vex, but please. pot lov'd of heav'nly beauties--Myra's thine. Those lips for smiling were designd; That bosom to be prest; Your eyes to languish, and look kind; For amorous arms, your waist. Each thing has its appointed right, Establish'd by the Pow'rs above, The sun to give us warmth, and light, TO MY RA. INCE truth and constancy are vain, When on her pity I depend, Since neither love nor sense of pain, My airy hope she foon beguiles, Nor force of reason can persuade, Then let example be obey'd. In courts and cities, could you see How well the wanton fools agree ; The weighty stone is rollid in vain, Were all the curtains drawn, you'd find Which having touchd the top, recoils, Not one, perhaps, but who is kind. Minerva, naked from above, Exposing ev'ry Beauty bare, Descending to the Trojan heir ; Yet this was she whom poets name Penelope, her lord away, Now round the bowl the suitors sit, Now proff'ring mercy, now presenting death. With wine, provoking mirth and wit, Thus hoping, thus despairing, never sure, Then down they take the stubborn bow, How various are the torments I endure ! Their strength, it seems, the needs must know. Cruel eftate of Doubt! Ah, Myra, try Thus twenty chearful winters past, Once to resolve or let me live, or dię. She's yet immortaliz'd for chatte. Smile II. 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