From the towering eagle's plume
The generous hearts accept their doom :
Shot by the peacock's painted eye,
The vain and airy lovers die :
For careful dames and frugal men,
The shafts are speckled by the hen.
The
pyes
and
parrots deck the darts,
When prattling wins the panting hearts;
When from the voice the passions spring,
The warbling finch affords a wing:
Together, by the sparrow. ftung,
Down fall the wantan and the young:
And fiedg’d by geese the weapons fly,
When others love they know not why.
All this (as late I chanc'd to rove)
I learn’d in yonder waving grove,
And see, says Love, who call'd me neas,
How much I deal with Nature here;
How both support a proper part,
She gives the feather, I the dart :
Then cease for souls averse to figh,
If Nature cross you, so do I;
My weapon there unfeather’d flies,
And shakes and thuffles through the skies.
But if the mutual charms I find
By which she links you mind to mind,
They wing my shafts, I poize the darts,
And strike from both, through both your hearts.
(AY Bacchus, liking Efteourt's * wines
A noble meal bespoke us;
And for guests that were to dine,
Brought Comus, Love, and Jocus.
The God near Cupid drew his chair,
Near Comus, Jecus plac'd ;
For wine makes Love forget its care,
And mirth exalts.a feast.
The more to please the sprightly God,
Each sweet engaging Grace
Put on some cloaths to come abroad,
And took a waiter's place.
Then Cupid nam’d. at every glass
A lady of the sky;
While. Bacchus swore he'd drink the lafaz
And had it bumper-high.
Fat Comus toft his brimmers.o'er,
And always got the molt;
Jocus took care to fill him more,
Whene'er he. miss'd the toalt.
They call’d, and drank at every touch;
He fillid and drank again;
And if the Gods can take too much,
'T is said, they did so then.
A celebrated comedian and tavern-keeper.
Gay Bacchus little Cupid ftung,
By reckoning his deceits;
And Cupid mock'd his stammering tongue,
With all his staggering gaits :
And Jocus drollid on Comus' ways,
And tales without a jest;
While Comus call'd his witty plays
But waggeries at best.
Such talk foon set them all at oddss
And had I Homer's pen,
I'd ling ye, how they drank like Gods,
And how they fought like Men.
To part the fray, the Graces fly,
Who make them soon agree;
Nay, had the Furies felves been nigh,
They still were three to three.
Bacchus appeas’d, rais’d Cupid up,
And
gave
him back his bow ; But kept some darts to stir the cup,
Where fack and sugar flow.
Jocus took Comus' rosy crowil,
And gayly wore the prize,
And thrice, mirth, he puth'd him down,
As thrice he strave to rife..
Then Cupid fought the myrtle grove,
Where Venus did recline;
And Venus close embracing Love,
They join'd to rail at wine.
And Comus loudly cursing wit,
Roll'd off to fome retreat ; Where boon companions gravely fit
In fat unweildy state. Bacchus and Jocus still behind,
For one fresh glass prepare ;
They kiss, and are exceeding kind,
And vow to be sincere.
But part in time, whoever hear -
This our inftructive fong ;
Fór though such friendships may be dear,
They can't continue long.
IN THE ANCIENT ENGLISH STILE.
I N ,
N Britain's ifle, and Arthur's days,
When midnight Fairies daunc'd the maze,
Liy'd Edwin of the Green;
Edwin, I wis, a gentle youth,
Endow'd with courage, sense, and truth;
Though badly shap'd he'd been.
His mountain back mote well be said,
To measure height against his head,
And lift itself above;
Yet, spite of all that Nature did
To make his uncouth form forbid,
This creature dar'd to love.
He felt the charms of Edith's eyes,
Nor wanted hope to gain the prize,
Could ladies look within;
But one Sir Topaz dress’d with arty,
And, if a shape could win a heart,
He had a shape to win.. Edwin, if right I read my fong, With flighted paflion pac'd along
All in the moony light;,
'T was near an old enchanted court;.
Where sportive fairies made resort.
To revel out the night. -
His heart was drear, his hope was cross'd,
- late, 't was far, the path was loft
That reach'd the neighbour-town;. With weary steps he quits the shades, Resolv'd, the darkling dome he treads,
And drops his limbs adown.
But fcant he lays him on the floor,
When hollow winds remove the door,
And, trembling, rocks the ground:
And, well I ween to count aright,
At once a hundred tapers light
On all the walls around.
Now sounding tongues assail his ear,
Now founding feet approachen near,
And now the sounds increase:
|