O thou of bards supreme, Mæonides! What well-fed heroes grace thy hallow'd page! Laden with glorious spoils, and gay with blood. Of slaughter'd hosts, the victor chief returns. Whole Troy before him fled, and men and gods Opposed in vain. For the brave man, whose arm Repell'd his country's wrong, even he, the great Atrides, king of kings, even he prepares With his own royal hand the sumptuous feast. Full to the brim the brazen cauldrons smoke, Through all the busy camp the rising blaze Attests their joy; heroes and kings forego Their state and pride, and at his elbow wait Obsequious. On a polish'd charger placed, The bulky chine, with plenteous fat inlaid, Of golden hue, magnificently shines. The choicest morsels sever'd to the gods, The hero next, well paid for all his wounds, The rich repast divides with Jove; from out The sparkling bowl he draws the generous wine,
Unmix'd, unmeasured; with unstinted joy
His heart o'erflows. In like triumphant port
Sate the victorious Hobbinol; the crowd
Transported view and bless their glorious chief:
All Kiftsgate sounds his praise with joint acclaim.
Him every voice, him every knee confess'd,
In merit as in right their king. Upon
The flowery turf, earth's painted lap, are spread
The rural dainties; such as nature boon
Presents with lavish hand, or such as owe
To Ganderetta's care their grateful taste,
Delicious. For she long since prepared
To celebrate this day, and with good cheer
To grace his triumphs. Crystal gooseberries
Are piled on heaps; in vain the parent tree
Defends her luscious fruit with pointed spears.
The ruby-tinctured corinth clustering hangs,
And emulates the grape; green codlings float
In dulcet creams; nor wants the last year's store.
The hardy nut, in solid mail secure,
Impregnable to winter frosts, repays
Its hoarder's care. The custard's gelid flood
Impatient youth, with greedy joy, devours.
Cheesecakes and pies, in various forms upraised,
In well-built pyramids, aspiring stand.
Black hams, and tongues, that speechless can persuade
To ply the brisk carouse, and cheer the soul
With jovial draughts. Nor does the jolly god
Deny his precious gifts; here jocund swains,
In uncouth mirth delighted, sporting quaff
Their native beverage; in the brimming glass
The liquid amber smiles. Britons, no more
Dread your invading foes; let the false Gaul,
Of rule insatiate, potent to deceive,
And great by subtile wiles, from the adverse shore
Pour forth his numerous hosts; Iberia! join
Thy towering fleets, once more aloft display
Thy consecrated banners, fill thy sails
With prayers and vows, most formidably strong
In holy trumpery, let old Ocean groan
Beneath the proud Arnıada, vainly deem'd
Invincible; yet fruitless all their toils,
Vain every rash effort, while our fat glebe,
Of barley grain productive, still supplies
The flowing treasure, and with sums immense
Supports the throne; while this rich cordial warms
The farmer's courage, arms his stubborn soul
With native honour, and resistless rage.
Thus vaunt the crowd, each freeborn heart o'erflows
With Britain's glory, and his country's love.
Here, in a merry knot combined, the nymphs
Pour out mellifluous streams, the balmy spoils
Of the laborious bee. The modest maid
But coyly sips, and blushing drinks, abash'd:
Each lover, with observant eye beholds
Her graceful shame, and at her glowing cheeks
Rekindles all his fires; but matrons sage,
Better experienced, and instructed well
In midnight mysteries, and feast-rites old,
Grasp the capacious bowl; nor cease to draw
Healths of gay import
Fly merrily about: now Scandal sly
Insinuating gilds the specious tale
With treacherous praise, and with a double face
Ambiguous wantonness demurely sneers,
Till circling brimmers every veil withdraw,
And dauntless impudence appears unmask'd.
Others apart, in the cool shade retired,
Silurian cyder quaff, by that great bard
Ennobled, who first taught my groveling Muse
To mount aërial. O! could I but raise
My feeble voice to his exalted strains,
to the height of this great argument,"
The generous liquid in each line should bounce
Spiritous, nor oppressive cork subdue
Its foaming rage; but to the lofty theme
Unequal, Muse decline the pleasing task.
Thus they luxurious on the grassy turf
Revell'd at large; while nought around was heard
But mirth confused, and undistinguish'd joy,
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