Serene, the faint in fmiling filver fhines, Thus Cleopatra in your charms refines ; ૩૦ Say, fweet infpirer! were each annal known, 35What living greatnefs fhines there not your own! If the griev'd Muse by some lov'd empress rofe, New ftrength, new grace, it to your influence owes! If power by war distinguish'd height reveals, Your nobler pride the wounds of fortune heals! 40 Then could an empire's caufe demand your care, “ The foul, that justly thinks, would greatly dare. Long has feign'd Venus mock'd the Mufe's praise, You dart, divine Ophelia! genuine rays! Warm through thofe eyes enlivening raptures roll!45 Sweet through each striking feature ftreams your foul! The foul's bright meanings heighten beauty's fires: Your looks, your thoughts, your deeds, each grace inspires! Know then, if rank'd with monarchs, here you WHI THILE to your charms unequal verfe I raife, Aw'd, I admire, and tremble as I praise : Here Art and Genius new refinement need, Liftening, they gaze, and, as they gaze, recede! Can Art, or Genius, or their powers combin'd, 5 But from corporeal organs, fketch the mind? When found embody'd can with shape surprize, The Mufe may emulate your voice and eyes. Mark rival arts perfection's point purfue! Each rivals each, but to excel in you! The Buft and Medal bear the meaning face, And the proud Statue adds the posture's grace! Imag'd at length, the bury'd Heroine, known, Still feems to wound, to fmile, or frown in stone! As art would art, or metal stone surpass, Hersoul strikes, gleaming through Corinthian brass! ΤΟ VERSES, OCCASIONED BY READING MR. AARON HILL'S POEM, L CALLED GIDEON. The lines marked thus'' are taken from GIDEON. ET other poets poorly fing Their flatteries to the vulgar great! Her airy flight let wandering fancy wing, And rival nature's most luxuriant store, To fwell fome monfter's pride, who fhames a state, 5 Or form a wreath to crown tyrannic power! Thou, who inform'd'ft this clay with active fire?! Do thou, Supreme of Powers! my thoughts refine, And with thy pureft heart my 'foul infpire, [10 That with Hilarius' worth my verse may shine! THE POET's DEPENDANCE ON A STATESMA N. OME feem to hint, and others proof will bring, Seek the great man! they cry-'tis then decreed, Say, fhall I turn where lucre points my views ; 15 At first defert my friends, at length abuse? But, on lefs terms, in promife he complies: Years bury years, and hopes on hopes arife; I trust, am trusted on my fairy gain; And woes on woes attend, an endless train. 20 25 Be pofts difpos'd at will!-I have, for these, No gold to plead, no impudence to teaze. All fecret fervice from my foul I hate ; All dark intrigues of pleafure, or of state. I have no power, election-votes to gain; No will to hackney out polemic strain ; To fhape, as time fhall ferve, my verfe, or profe, To flatter thence, nor flur, a courtier's foes; Nor him to daub with praise, if I prevail; Nor fhock'd by him with libels to affail. Where these are not, what claim to me belongs? Though mine the Muse and rtue, birth and wrongs. 30 Where lives the statesman, so in honour clear, To ftarve an hope; or, like camelions, fare 40 [45 But ftill, undrooping, I the crew difdain, Who, or by jobs. or libels, wealth obtain. Ne'er let me be, through those, from want exempt; In one man's favour, in the world's contempt: Worfe in my own through those, to posts who rife, Themselves, in fecret, must themselves despise ; What though I hourly fee the fer vile herd, 55 A scene will fhew, all-righteous vifion hafte: AN EPISTLE TO DAMON AND DELIA. H EAR Damon, Delia hear, in candid lays, Truth without anger, without flattery, praise! A bookish mind, with pedantry unfraught, Oft a fedate, yet never gloomy thought: Prompt to rejoice, when others pleasure know, 3 And prompt to feel the pang for others woe; To foften faults, to which a foe is prone, And, in a friend's perfection, praise your own: A will fincere, unknown to selfish views; A heart of love, of gallantry a Mufe; A delicate, yet not a jealous mind; A paffion ever fond, yet never blind, Glowing with amorous, yet with guiltless fires, In ever-eager, never grofs defires: A modest honour, facred to contain From tattling vanity, when fmiles you gain ; Conftant, moft pleas'd when beauty moft you please: Damon! your picture's shewn in tints like thefe. ΤΟ 35 20 25 Say, Delia! muft I chide you or commend? Say, muft I be your flatterer or your friend? To praise no graces in a rival fair, Nor your own foibles in a fifter fpare; Each lover's billet, bantering, to reveal, And never known one fecret to conceal; Young, fickle, fair, a levity inborn, To treat all fighing flaves with flippant fcorn; An eye, expreffive of a wandering mind: Nor this to read, nor that to think inclin'd; Or when a book, or thought, from whim retards, Intent on fongs or novels, drefs or cards; 30 Choice to felect the party of delight, To kill time, thought, and fame, in frolic flight; To futter here, to flurry there on wing; To talk, to teaze, to fimper, or to fing; To prude it, to coquet it—him to trust, Whofe vain, loole life, fhould caution or difguft; Him to dislike, whose modeft worth fhould please.Say, is your picture fhewn in tints like these? Your's!-you deny it-Hear the point then tried, Let judgment, truth, the Mufe, and love decide. 40 35 What your's!-Nay, faireft trifler, frown not fo: TO MISS M... H..., SENT WITH MR. POPE'S WORKS. EE female vice and female folly here, SFR Raillied with wit polite, or lafh'd fevere: He fings the modeft charms of fylvan maids; 5 10 New health, new youth, infpirits all my veins. ON THE RECOVERY OF Phœbus, unseen, arrests the threatening lance! 40 My lov'd Hill, O thou by heaven defign'd A LADY OF QUALITY Or leagues fubverfive of all focial right: L FROM THE SMALL-POX. ONG a lov'd fair had blefs'd her confort's fight Alluding to the beautiful Episode of Lodlona, Afpring near Burford. O fay, my Hill, in what propitious fphere, Oft when you faw my youth wild error know, 20 I i 30 When fome, with cold, fuperior looks, redress, 35 40 While warm you act th' obliger, seem th' oblig'd. That worthy woe, they fhun, attracts your eye. O trace that friend with me !—he 's yours!-he's mine! The world's-beneficent behold him shine! Is wealth his fphere? If riches, like a tide, From either India pour their golden pride; Rich in good works, him others wants employ; He gives the widow's heart to fing for joy. To orphans, prisoners, fhall his bounty flow; The weeping family of want and woe. Is knowledge his? Benevolently great, In leisure active, and in care fedate; 50 55 60 165 Is power his orb? He then, like power divine, On all, though with a varied ray, will shine. Ere power was his, the man he once carefs'd, Meets the fame faithful fmile, and mutual breaft: But asks his friend fome dignity of state; AUTHOR OF GRONGAR-HILL. In Answer to his from the Country. TOW various birds in melting concert fing, And hail the beauty of the opening fpring: Now to thy dreams the nightingale complains, Till the lark wakes thee with her cheerful ftrains; Wakes, in thy verse and friendship ever kind, § Melodious comfort to my jarring mind. 10 Oh could my fonl through depths of knowledge fee, Could I read nature and mankind like thee, I fhould o'ercome, or bear the shocks of fate, And e'en draw envy to the humblest state. Thou canst raise honour from each ill event, From fhocks gain vigour, and from want content. Think not light poetry my life's chief care! The Mufe's manfion is, at best, but air; But, if more folid works my meaning forms, 15 Th'unfinish'd ftructures fall by fortune's storms. Oft have I faid we falfely thofe accuse, Whose god-like fouls life's middle state refuse. Self-love, I cry'd, there seeks ignoble reft; Care fleeps not calm, when millions wake unbleft; Mean let me shrink, or spread sweet shade o'er all, Low as the fhrub, or as the cedar tall!'Twas vain! 'twas wild!-I fought the middle ftate, And found the good, and found the truly great. [25 Though verfe can never give my foul her aim; Though action only claims fubftantial fame; Though fate denies what my proud wants require, Yet grant me, heaven, by knowledge to afpire: Thus to enquiry let me prompt the mind; [20 Thus clear dimm'd truth, and hid her blefs mankind; From the pierc'd orphan thus draw fhafts of griet His friend, unequal to th' incumbent weight? 70 Armi want with patience, and teach wealth relief! Afks it a stranger, one whom parts inspire He fhields his country, when for aid the calls; 75 To ferve lov'd liberty infpire my breath! But, as proud Rome, with guilty conqueftTitles, when worn by fools, I dare despise; crown'd, (4 Yet they claim homage, when they crown the wile. Spread flavery, death and defolation round, This, this the fpirit, which informs thy breast. Through fortune's cloud thy genuine worth can shine; What would't thou not, were wealth and greatnefs thine? The great I would not envy nor deride; Nor floop to fwell a vain Superior's pride; Nor view an Equal's hope with jealous eyes; Nor crush the wretch beneath who wailing lies, My sympathizing breast his grief can feel, And my eye weep the wound I cannot heal. * See Dyer's Premie Ne'er among friendships let me fow debate, 55 | How fine your Bastard! why so soft a strain? What fuch a Mother? fatirize again! In wealth and want true minds preserve their weight; Meek, though exalted; though difgrac'd, elate; 60 Generous and grateful, wrong'dor help'd they live; Grateful to ferve, and generous to forgive. This may they learn, who clofe thy life attend; Which, dear in memory, ftill inftructs thy friend. Though cruel diftance bars my groffer eye, 65 My soul, clear-fighted, draws thy virtue nigh; Thro her deep woe that quickening comfort gleams, And lights up Fortitude with Friendship's beams. VERSES OCCASIONED BY THE VICE-PRINCIPAL of St. MARY-HALL, OXFORD, Being prefented by the Hon. Mrs. KNIGHT, to the Living of GODSFIELD in ESSEX. W HILE by mean arts and meaner patrons rife Priefts, whom the learned and the good defpife; 5 This fees fair Knight, in whose transcendent mind, thine. FUL V I A. A POE M. ΙΟ 15 L' 5 10 On her poor kindred deigns fhe word or look? 30 Oft I object-but fix'd is Fulvia's willAh! though unkind, fhe is my mother ftill! [25 The verfe now flows, the manufcript fhe clainrs. 'Tis fam'd-The fame, each curious fair enflames: The wild-fire runs; from copy, copy grows: The Brets, alarm'd, a feparate peace propose. 'Tis ratified-How alter'd Fulvia's look! My wit's degraded, and my cause forfook. Thus fhe: What 's poetry but to amuse? Might I advife-there are more folid views. With a cool air fhe adds: This tale is old: Were it my cafe, it fhould no more be told. Complaints-had I been worthy to adviseYou know-But when are wits, like women, wife? True it may take; but, think whate'er you lift, All love the fatire, none the fatirift. I start, I ftare, ftand fix'd, then pause awhile; Madam-a penfion loft-and where's amends! Then hesitate, then ponder well, then smile. Sir (the replies) indeed you 'll lofe your friends. Why did I ftart? 'twas but a change of windOr the fame thing-the lady chang'd her mind. I bow, depart, defpife, difcern her all : Nanny revifits, and difgrac'd I fall. 35 40 45 Let Fulvia's friendship whirl with every whim! A reed, a weather-cock, a fhade, a dream: No more the friendship shall be now difplay'd By weather-cock, or reed, or dream, or fhade; 50 To Nanny fix'd unvarying fhall it tend, For fouls, fo form'd alike, were form'd to blend. |