In vain with friendship's flattering name Thy paffion veils its inward shame; Friendship, the treacherous fuel of thy flame!
Once I remember, new to love,
And dreading his tyrannic chain,
I fought a gentle maid, to prove
What peaceful joys in friendship reign :
Whence we forfooth might safely stand,
And pitying view the love-fick band,
And mock the winged boy's malicious hand.
Thus frequent pafs'd the cloudless day,
To smiles and sweet discourse refign'd;
While I exulted to furvey
One generous woman's real mind:
Till friendship foon my languid breast
Each night with unknown cares poffefs'd, Dash'd my coy flumbers, or my dreams diftrefs'd.
Fool that I was!-And now, even now
While thus I preach the Stoic strain,
Unless I fhun Olympia's view,
An hour unfays it all again.
O friend!-when love directs her
To pierce where every paffion lies,
Where is the firm, the cautious, or the wise ?
TO SIR FRANCIS HENRY DRAKE, BARONET.
BEHOLD; the balance in the sky
Swift on the wintery scale inclines
To earthy caves the Dryads fly,
And the bare paftures Pan refigns.
Late did the farmer's fork o'erfpread
With recent foil the twice-mown mead,
Tainting the bloom which autumn knows :
He whets the rufty coulter now,
He binds his oxen to the plough,
And wide his future harvest throws.
Now, London's busy confines round,
By Kenfington's imperial towers,
From Highgate's rough defcent profound,
Effexian heaths, or Kentish bowers,
Where'er I pafs, I fee approach
Some rural statefman's eager coach
Hurried by fenatorial cares :
Where rural nymphs (alike within,
Afpiring courtly praise to win)
Debate their drefs, reform their airs.
Say, what can now the country boast,
O Drake, thy footsteps to detain,
When peevish winds and gloomy frost
The funshine of the temper ftain ?
Say, are the priests of Devon grown
Friends to this tolerating throne,
Champions for George's legal right?
Have general freedom, equal law,
Won to the glory of Naffau
Each bold Weffexian squire and knight ?
I doubt it much; and guefs at least
That when the day, which made us free,
Shall next return, that facred feast
Thou better may'ft obferve with me..
With me the fulphurous treafon old
A far inferior part shall hold
In that glad day's triumphal ftrain;
And generous William be rever'd,
Nor one untimely accent heard
Of James or his ignoble reign.
Then, while the Gafcon's fragrant wine
With modeft cups our joy fupplies,
We'll truly thank the power divine
From Belgium to her favior fon)
Rife with the fame unconquer'd zeal
For our Britannia's injur'd weal,
Her laws defac'd, her fhrines o'erthrown.
The tyrant from our shore,
Like a forbidden demon, fled d;
And to eternal exile bore
Pontific rage and vaffal dread.
There funk the mouldering Gothic reign:
New years came forth, a liberal train,
Call'd by the people's great decree.
That day, my friend, let bleffings crown :
-Fill, to the demigod's renown
From whom thou haft that thou art free.
Then, Drake, (for wherefore fhould we part
The public and the private weal ?)
In vows to her who sways thy heart,
Fair health, glad fortune, will we deal.
Whether Aglaia's blooming cheek,
Or the foft ornaments that speak
So eloquent in Daphne's finile,
Whether the piercing lights that fly
From the dark heaven of Myrto's eye,
Haply thy fancy then beguile.
For fo it is. Thy stubborn breast,
Though touch'd by many a slighter wound,
Hath no full conquest yet confess'd,
Nor the one fatal charmer found.
While I, a true and loyal swain,
My fair Olympia's gentle reign
Through all the varying seasons own.
Her genius ftill my bofom warms :
No other maid for me hath charms,
Or I have eyes for her alone.
NCE more I join the Thefpian choir,
And taste the inspiring fount again :
O parent of the Grecian lyre,
Admit me to thy powerful strain-
And lo, with ease my step invades
The pathless vale and opening shades,
Till now I fpy her verdant feat:
And now at large I drink the found,
While these her offspring, liftening round,
By turns her melody repeat.
I fee Anacreon smile and fing,
His filver treffes breathe perfume;
His cheek difplays a fecond spring
Of roses taught by wine to bloom.
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