Say, in these latter Days of ours,
When Love exerts his ufual Powers,
What difference lies between us?
In CHLOE's felf at once I boast,
What Bards of every age might toast,
A MUSE, A GRACE, a VENUS.
In CHLOE are a thousand charms,
Though Envy call her fex to arms,
And giggling Girls may flout her,
The MUSE inhabits in her Mind,
A VENUS in her form we find,
The GRACES all about her..
LL hail! majestic Queen of Night,
Bright Cynthia! sweetest Nymph, whose presence { brings
The penfive pleasures, calm delight,
While Contemplation smooths her ruffled wings,
Which Folly's vain tumultuous joys,
Or business, care, and buzz of lusty day
Have all too ruffled. · Hence, away
Stale Jeft, and flippant Mirth, and Strife-engend'ring Noise.
When Evening dons her mantle grey,
I'll wind my folitary way,
And hie me to fome lonely grove
(The haunt of Fancy and of love)
Whofe focial branches, far outfpread,
Poffefs the mind with pleafing dread.
While Cynthia quivers through the trees
That wanton with the fummer breeze,
And the clear brook, or dimpled ftream,
Reflects oblique her dancing beam.
How often, by thy filver light,
Have Lovers' tongues beguil'd the Night?
When forth the happy pair have ftray'd,
The amorous fwain and tender maid,
And as they walk'd the groves along,
Cheer'd the still Eve with various fong.
While ev'ry Artful strain confeft
The mutual Paffion in their breaft.
The lovers' hours fly fwift away,
And Night reluctant yields to Day.
Thrice happy Nymph, thrice happy Youth, When Beauty is the meed of Truth!
Yet not the happy Loves alone,
Has thy celeftial prefence known.
To thee complains the Nymph forlorn,
Of broken faith, and Vows forfworn;
And the dull Swain, with folded Arms,
Still mufing on his false one's charms,
Frames many a fonnet to her name,
(As Lovers ufe to express their flame)
Or pining wan with thoughtful care,
In downcaft filence feeds Despair;
Or when the Air dead ftillness keeps,
And Cynthia on the water fleeps;
Charms the dull ear of fober night,
With love-born Mufic's fweet delight.
Oft as thy Orb performs its round,
Thou lift'neft to the various found
Of thepherds' hopes and Maidens' fears
(Thofe confcious Cynthia filent hears
While Echo which ftill loves to mock,
Bears them about from Rock to Rock.)
But shift we now the pensive scene,
Where Cynthia filvers o'er the green.
Mark yonder Spot, whose equal rim
Forms the green circle quaint and trim;
Hither the Fairies blith advance,
And lightly trip in mazy dance;
Beating the panfie-paven ground
In frolic measures round and round;
Thefe Cynthia's Revels gayly keep,
While lazy mortals fnore asleep;
Whom oft they visit in the night,
Not vifible to human fight;
And as old prattling Wives relate,
Though now the fashion's out of date,
Drop fixpence in the Housewife's fhoe,
And pinch the Slattern black and blue.
They fill the mind with airy fchemes,
And bring the Ladies pleasant dreams.
Who knows not Mab, whofe chariot glides,
And athwart men's noses rides?
While OBERON, blith Fairy, trips,
And hovers o'er the Ladies Lips;
And when he fteals ambrofial blifs,
And foft imprints the charming Kifs,
In Dreams the Nymph her fwain purfues,
Nor thinks 'tis OBERON that woes.
Yet fportive Youth, and lovely Fair, From hence, my Leffon read, beware, VOL. LXVIII.
While Innocence and Mirth prefide,
We care not where the Fairies glide;
And OBERON will never mifs
his fav'rites with a Kifs;
Nor ever more Ambrofia fips,
Than when he vifits
When all things elfe in filence fleep,
The blithfome Elfs their vigils keep;
And always hover round about,
To find our worth or frailties out,
Receive with joy these Elfin fparks,
Their Kiffes leave no tell-tale Marks,
But breathe fresh beauty o'er the face,
Where all is Virtue, all is grace.
Not only elfin Fays delight
To hail the fober Queen of Night,
But that sweet Bird, whofe gurgling Throat
Warbles the thick melodious note,
Duely as Evening Shades prevail,
Renews her foothing love-lorn tale.
And as the Lover penfive goes,
Chaunts out her fymphony of Woes,
Which in boon Nature's wilder tone,
Beggar all founds which Art has known.
the melancholy bird Among the Groves no more is heard;
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