Above the clouds is plac'd this glorious light,
Nothing lies hid from her enquiring fight;
Athens and Rome for arts reftor'd rejoice,
Their language takes new mufic from her voice,
Learning and Love in the fame feat we find,
So bright her form, and fo adorn'd 's her mind.
Long has Minerva govern'd in the skies,
But now defcends, confeft to human eyes:
Behold in Delia that infpiring queen
Whom learned Athens fo ador'd unfeen.
DELIA, how long muft I defpair,
And tax you with difdain,
Still to my tender love fevere,
Untouch'd when I complain?
When men of equal merit love us,
And do with equal ardour sue,
Thyrfis, you know but one can move us;
Can I be yours and Strephon's too?
My eyes view both with mighty pleasure,
Impartial to your high defert,
To both alike efteem I measure,
To one alone can give my heart.
Myfterious guide of inclination,
Tell me, tyrant, why am I,
With equal merit, equal paffion,
Thus the victim chofe to die?
On Fate alone depends fuccefs,
And Fancy Reafon over-rules,
Or, why fhould virtue ever mifs
Reward, fo often given to fools!
'Tis not the valiant nor the witty,
But who alone is born to please,
Love does predeftinate our pity;
We chufe but whom he firft decrees.
'HEN fam'd Apelles fought to frame Some image of th' Idalian dame,
To furnish graces for the piece
He fummon'd all the nymphs of Greece;
So many mortals were combin'd,
To fhow how one immortal fhin'd.
Had Hyde thus fat by proxy too,
As Venus then was faid to do,
Venus herfelf, and all the train
Of goddeffes had fummon'd been
The painter must have search'd the skies
To match the luftre of her eyes.
Comparing then, while thus we view
The ancient Venus, and the new,
In her we many mortals fee,
As many goddeffes in thee.
UNSEASONABLE
FAireft Zelinda, ceafe to chide, or grieve,
Nor blush at joys that only you can give.
Who with bold eyes furvey'd thofe matchlefs charms,
Is punish'd, feeing in another's arms.
With greedy looks he views each naked part,
Joy feeds his fight, and envy tears his heart.
So caught was Mars, and Mercury aloud
Proclaim'd his grief, that he was not the god:
So to be caught was every god's defire;
Nor less than Venus can Zelinda fire.
Forgive him then, thou more than heavenly fair,
Forgive his rafhnefs, punish'd by defpair.
All that we know which wretched mortals feel
In those fad regions where the tortur'd' dwell,
Is that they see the raptures of the blest,
And view the joys that they must never taste.
HE Syrens, once deluded, vainly charm'd;
Ty'd to the maft, Ulyffes fail'd unharm'd :
Had Myra's voice entic'd his listening ear,
The Greek had stopt, and would have dy'd to hear.
When Myra fings, we feek th' inchanting found,
And bless the notes, that can fo fweetly wound:
What mufick needs muft dwell upon that tongue,
Whofe fpeech is tuneful as another's fong?
Such harmony, fuch wit, a face so fair,
So many pointed arrows who can bear?
Who from her wit, or from her beauty flies,
If with her voice fhe overtakes him, dies.
Like foldiers fo in battle we fucceed,
One peril 'scaping, by another bleed;
In vain the dart or glittering fword we fhun,
Condemn'd to perish by the flaughtering gun.
MYRA IN HER RIDING HABIT.
WHEN Myra in her fex's garb we fee,
The Queen of Beauty then the feems to be;
Now, fair Adonis, in this male-disguise,
Or Cupid, killing with his mother's eyes :
No ftile of empire chang'd by this remove,
Who feem'd the Goddess, seems the God of Love.
Orfaken of my kindly stars,
Within thy melancholy grove
I waste my days and nights in tears,
A victim to ungrateful love.
The happy ftill untimely end:
Death flies from grief; or why fhould I
So many hours in forrow spend,
Wishing, alas! in vain to die?
Ye powers! take pity of my pain,
This, only this, is my desire;
Ah! take from Myra her disdain,
Or let me with this sigh expire.
SONG TO MY R A.
WHY fhould a heart fo tender break?
O Myra! give its anguish case :
The use of beauty you mistake,
Not meant to vex, but please. Those lips for smiling were defign'd, That bofom to be prest,
Your eyes to languifh and look kind,
For amorous arms your waste : Each thing has its appointed right
Eftablish'd by the powers above;
The fun and stars give warmth and light,
The fair diftribute love.
|