But dreams of thee long, livelong nights and days, By Beauty led through all Love's rosy-thornyways. "To heal his pains soft music does divide Most heavenly melody in soothing strains; Nor heavenly melody, nor aught beside, Save thee, ah dearest Dread! can heal his pains. Thy form too deeply in his breast remains. So ever and anon he chides the gales, That slowly seem to brush the liquid plains; Oh! fly on all the wings of Heav'n, ye sails, Oh fly! he crys; and lo! a lover's pray'r prevails. "Now cease thy sighs. She comes, (oh blessed day!) She comes, by all the Loves and Graces drest, To stretch the sails and fan the royal guest. "O blessed youth! receive thy bonnibel, Eternal fount of virtue, love and grace! O kneel to all the gods and pray to all, Who sparkle so divinely in her face, And with celestial fires her bosom bless. So shines Aurora in her rich attire, When she Hyperion wou'd fain caress: Gaze all the host of stars, and ail admire, Then twinkle in their urns, and into night retire. "O blessed maid! receive thy belamour3, With glee receive him and o'erflowing heart: Ne in high monarch's court, ne lady's bow'r, A youth so form'd by Nature and by Art, Conspiring both, e'er cherish'd Cupid's dart. So Phoebus, lusty bridegroom of the sky, With native splendours shines on every part; From east to west his pointed glories fly, He warmeth every heart, he dazzleth every eye.” Here Thamis ended. Now the goodly train Of all the Naïds, in most comely wise, A present make of myrtle-girland green, For she, and Modesty, sweet blushing, guide the Entrail'd with flowrets and with rare device. steer. "Not Venus, queen of beauty and of bliss So goodly shone, when erst 8 the goddess sprung From Ocean's sparkling foam; sweet nakedness! A thousand Smiles and Loves upon her hung, And all the gods for joy and wonder sung. The Waves so proud the beamy burthen bore Exulting; she, around her, odours flung, And bade the Billows laugh and cease to roar; They gladly her obey, and gently kiss the shore. "So fair she looks, nay fairer, could it be; Did never mortal man such charms behold In bow'r or hall. Spring waits upon her eye; Lo! Flora has her richest stores out-roli'd Of variable flow'rs and blooming gold. The meadows smile, the birds renew their love And throw themselves in pairs the young and old; All nature glows where-c'er her glances move, And Beauty paints each field, and music fills each grove. The Graces eke, with laughter-swelling eyes, A rosy-chaplet, steep'd in nectar bring, (The roses gather'd in the morning skies) Then, joining with the Naids, form a ring, And round them deftly daunce, and round them blithly sing. "As roses and as myrtles kindly weave Their sweets in one, much sweeter as they blend; Emblem of marriage-love! So you, receive Sweets interchang'd, and to each other lend; Then, in a blest perfume, to Heav'n ascend, And mingle with the gods! While here below, New myrtles, roses new, withouten end, From your luxurious stock, full plenteous, grow, And with their parent-sweets, and parent-beauty glow." Next Albion's Genius came, bedite in gold, An oaken chaplet nodded on his head; The crown he held was glorious to behold, And royally he taught his feet to tread. Soon as he spy'd the prince's goodly head, He pointed to the crown, and rais'd his voice To hail the royal pair and bless their bed: The jolly Chorus catch the grateful noise, Echo the woods and vales, and Heav'n and Earth rejoice. Next Liberty, the fairest nymph on ground; The flowing plenty of her golden hair Diffusing lavishly ambrosia round; Her hands a flow'ry cornucopia bear, Which scatters joy and pleasaunce through the air. Earth smil'd, and Gladness danc'd along the sky; Before her vanish'd Grief and pale-ey'd Care, And eft, in courteous guise, she cast her eye On that same gentle twain, her glory and her joy. And these beside, a sacred pers'nage came, Immaculate and sweet as Sharon-rose: Upon her breast a bloody cross did flame, Aumail'd with gold and gems in goodly rows: A pall of lawn adown her shoulders flows: 2 Beautiful virgin. 3 Charming lover. 4 Often. Yelep'd' Eusebia. She pray'd aloud, Fair Fame behind a silver trumpet blew, Her rain-bow wings pouder'd with many an eye, The Muses clos'd this intellectual scene Nathless thy tuneful sons, O Oxford dear! On caten pipe, content to please the humble plain. And, as th' harmonious charmer sings, A list'ning, wond'ring deity; While Silence softly chain'd her tongue, AIR III, Beauty, sacred beauty sing, Flowing from the wond'rous spring Of uncreated and primeval light! Beauty the first best work of God, Spoke into being in his high abode, And next his own eternal essence bright! AIR IV. With Beauty Music join, The breath of Heav'n To mortals given To swell their bliss to bliss divine! CHORUS. Beauty, silent Harmony! Smiles into the breast a dart. Music, fine proportion'd sounds! Pours balm upon the lover's wounds Through the ear into the heart. RECITATIVE. Thus once Cecilia, (tuneful Dryden sings,) AIR V. Sweetest mortal, to befriend thee, Angels from their quires attend thee, Angels leave their thrones to hear Music with devotion glowing, Music heavenly joys bestowing, Worthy a seraphic ear! RECITATIVE. Again she trembles o'er the silver strings, And thus again the angel sings: AIR VI. Harmony, the soul refining! 1 RECITATIVE. Rapt'rous thus the angel sung, The blended pow'rs of harmony And mingled with the seraph's flaming quire. CHORUS. How sweet the music, how divine, AIR VII. Skill'd the softest notes to sing, CHORUS. Happy, O beyond expressing! Bliss improving! He'll enjoy a heav'n below! THE DESPAIRING MAIDEN. WITHIN on unfrequented grove At distance, made her moan. She cropt the blue-ey'd violet, Bedew'd with many a tear; And ever and anon her sighs Stole sadly on my ear. "Ah faithless man! how cou'd he leave So fond and true a maid? Can so much innocence and truth "Alas, my mother (if the dead Can hear their children groan,) What ills your helpless orphan feels, To sorrow left alone! "To sorrow left by him I lov'd; Ah perjur'd and ingrate! Ye virgins, learn the wiles of men, And learn to shun my fate. "For whom do I these flourets crop, For whom this chaplet twine? Say, shall they glow on Damon's brow, Or fade away on mine? "But he the blooming wreath will scorn, Who scorn'd my virgin-bloom: And me-alas! they suit not me, "How oft the dear perfidious youth Invok'd each pow'r above! How oft he languish'd at my feet, And vow'd eternal love! "How sweet the minutes danc'd away, All melted in delight! With him each summer-day was short, And short each winter-night. "Twas more than bliss I felt:-and now Alas! 'tis more than pain. Ye soft, ye rosy hours of love, "Ah no.-Let blackness shade the night, "How cou'd I think so sweet a tongue Cou'd e'er consent to lye?— 'Twas easy to deceive a maid "And yet he lays the fault on me, Unless my loving him too well) And calls me perjur'd maid. "The nymphs, who envious saw my charms, Rejoice to see my woe, And taunting cry, Why did you leave "But oh, believe me, lovely youth, Far dearer than my eye, I love you still, and still will love, Till oh, for you, I die! "Ev'n though you hate, I doat to death; She ceas'd:-(while Pity from the clouds Then faintly" Damon!" cry'd :—and breath'd THE DESPAIRING LOVER. WHEN gloomy November, to Nature unkind, "In vain the wind blows, and in vain the rains beat, [heat; They fan but my flame, without quenching the For so fierce is the passion which Stella inspires, | Horrid with gold, and formidably bright Why gaz'd ye, my eyes, with such aking delight, He lightens and he thunders through the fight; If blest immortals bend their thoughts below, Heav'n knows with what fondness her heart I ad- What new-felt raptures through the hero roll, drest, What passionate tenderness bled in my breast: Yet so far was my truth from engaging belief, That she frown'd at my vows, tho' she smil'd at my grief. Sure never was love so ill-fated as mine; If a friend shall demand her, what, must I resign?- And how blest must he be?-Otolive on her charms! To the chambers of darkness I gladly will go, Ye virgins of Isis, the fair and the young, Perhaps the dear, beautiful cause of my doom TO THE AUTHOR OF LEONIDAS, A POEM. AN EPISTLE. WARM'D with thy verse, which Liberty inspires, The honest praise a friend may dare to give. Next brave Leonidas, with virtue warm'd, How much he lov'd his Greece, how great he fell. His arm how dreadful, how compos'd his mien! Fierce as a god, and as a god serene. To find his deeds immortal as his soul! Did Homer, say, thy glowing breast inspire Blest is thy fancy which durst first despise Nor Tasso's points, but Virgil's sober rage. When Ariana grasps th' abhorred dart, To draw one tear from dear lanthe's eye. Let Agincourt, let Cressy's well-fought plain Born on the wings of verse their names shall rise, Hail, Poetry! whose life infusing lays Glover! thy mind, in various virtue wise, The merchant thus, by heav'nly wisdom led, (Each kingdom noted, and each law survey'd) On Britain pours whate'er can serve mankind, Adorn the body, or delight the mind. Spices which blow'd in Araby the blest, And breath'd a Paradise around the east. Unclouded sapphires show their azure sky, Em'ralds with smiling green refresh the eye: Here bleeds the ruby, diamonds sparkle there, To tremble on the bosoms of our fair. Yet shou'd the Sun with ten-fold lustre shine, Exalt with deeper dies the flaming mine, Shou'd softer breezes and more genial skies Bid sweeter spice, in blooming order, rise, Nor gems nor spice cou'd Nature know to name, Bright as thy wit, or fragrant as thy fame. ODE BRUMALIS: AD AMICUM OXONIENSEM. EHEU! sereni mollia tempora Conduntur anni. Fila, puer, lyræ Lascivientis frange: Bruma Fiebilis officium Camoenæ Pullata poscit; non salis Attici Hæc flore gaudet. Præterit ocyor Equo Maronis, nec scit uno Stare loco saliens voluptas. Quò cessit Umbræ gloria frondeæ ? Quò Serta, mixtis viva coloribus, Ornare non indigna Popi Marmora, sive comas Ianthæ. Heu Veris ætas occidit aurea, Estatis atque argentea, & ærea Recessit Autumni, severæ Ferrea sola Hyemis remansit. Sic vita transit nostra! volantibus Urgetur horis. Quid Sapiens aget, Quid ergo Prudens? Ille, certè, Dona rapit fugientis horæ, Gratus Deorum cultor. Hyems Virum, Intrepidum feriet procellis. Nigrescat æther, pectore candido Pax alba ridet: mugiat Africus, Eurusque; tu, tranquilla Virtus, Vere tumens, Zephyros reduces. Tranquilla Virtus, nescia criminis, Mente quatit placidâ Novembris. Nec me November mente hilari quatit, Dulcè vices subeunte Baccho. Si grandis inflet Calliope Tubam, Mentem illa semper cantu Heliconio Accendit: Io! me jam aperto Virgilius dedit ire cœlo. Pompam Theatri visere sæpiùs Garrickus urget, Dramatis Arbiter! Decore, gestu, voce, vultu Ille oculos capit, ille mentes. Odi profanos, pace tuâ, jocos, Vanburge,-odi: me gravis attrahit Shakespear, Cothurnati per ævum Omue Pater, Columenque Regni. Heus!-deme Soccos:-alta Tragadia Jubet:-Cothurnos induit aureos;— Orchestra, majestate adaucta, Sub pedibus Gradientis horret. Quod fulmen aures non imitabile Et corda sternit: Terror amabilis Pervadit intùs nos:-Othello!— En rabido tonat ore Othello! Proh! quantus iræ gurges inæstuat Ah! gemit-ah! trepidat-ruensque, Ferre animus timet hos tumultus. Mutare Scenam jam lubet.-Ibimus, Quo suavis Otway nos vocat, ibimus, lantba! quamvis, pulchra fletu, Turgidulis redeas ocellis. Planctus gementum planctibus addere O quæ paventum murmura Virginum Questusque mulcent aera Odoribus!— Tu vincis, Otway! corda vincis; Euripidis renovans triumphos. |