Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

EPISTLE TO DAMON AND DELIA. 153
To foften faults, to which a foe is prone,
And, in a friend's perfection, praise your own:
A will fincere, unknown to felfish views;

A heart of love, of gallantry a Muse;

A delicate, yet not a jealous mind ;

A paffion ever fond, yet never blind,

Glowing with amorous, yet with guiltless fires,
In ever-eager, never grofs defires :

A modeft honour, facred to contain

[ocr errors]

15

20

From tattling vanity, when fmiles you gain;
Conftant, most pleas'd when beauty most you please:
Damon! your picture 's fhewn in tints like thefe.
Say, Delia, muft I chide you or commend?
Say, muft I be your flatterer or your friend?
To praise no graces in a rival fair,
Nor your own foibles in a fifter fpare;
Each lover's billet, bantering, to reveal,
And never known one fecret to conceal;
Young, fickle, fair, a levity inborn,

25

To treat all fighing flaves with flippant scorn;

An eye, expreffive of a wandering mind:
Nor this to read, nor that to think inclin'd;

Or when a book, or thought, from whim retards,
Intent on fongs or novels, drefs or cards;
Choice to felect the party of delight,

30

To ki¶ time, thought, and fame, in frolic flight;

To flutter here, to flurry there on wing;

To talk, to teaze, to fimper, or to fing;

To prude it, to coquet it-him to trust,

35

Whose vain, loose life, should caution or disgust;

Him to diflike, whose modest worth should please.—
Say, is your picture shown in tints like these?
Your's!-you deny it-Hear the point then tried,
Let judgment, truth, the Mufe, and love decide. 40
What your's!-Nay, faireft trifler, frown not fo:
Is it the Mufe with doubt-Love answers NO:
You smile-Is 't not? Again the question try!-
Yes, judgment thinks, and truth will YES, reply.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

SE

SENT WITH

POPE's

WORK S.

EE female vice and female folly here, Raillied with wit polite, or lafh'd fevere: Let Pope prefent such objects to our view;

Such are, my fair, the full reverse of you.

Rapt when, to Loddon's ftream* from Windfor's

fhades,

He fings the modeft charms of fylvan maids;

Dear Burford's hills in memory's eye appear,
And Luddal's fpring § still murmurs in my ear:

5

But

Alluding to the beautiful Epifode of Loddona, in Windfor Foreft.

A fpring near Burford.

[ocr errors]

10

But when you ceafe to bless my longing eyes,
Dumb is the fpring, the joyless prospect dies :
Come then, my charmer, come! here transport reigns!
New health, new youth, infpirits all my veins.
Each hour let intercourfe of hearts employ,
Thou life of lovelinefs! thou foul of joy!

Love wakes the birds-oh, hear each melting lay! 15
Love warms the world-come charmer, come away!
But hark!-immortal Pope resumes the lyre!
Diviner airs, diviner flights, infpire:

Hark where an angel's language tunes the line!
See where the thoughts and looks of angels fhine! 20.
Here he pour'd all the mufic of your tongue,
And all your looks and thoughts, unconscious, fung.

ON THE

RECOVERY OF A

LADY OF QUALITY
FROM THE SMALL-POX.

LONG a lov'd fair had blefs'd her confort's fight

With amorous pride, and undisturb'd delight;

Till Death, grown envious with repugnant aim,
Frown'd at their joys, and urg'd a tyrant's claim.

He

5

10

He fummons each difeafe!-the noxious crew,
Writhing, in dire distortions, ftrike his view!
From various plagues, which various natures know,
Forth rushes beauty's fear'd and fervent foe.
Fierce to the fair, the miffile mifchief flies,
The fanguine ftreams in raging ferments rife!
It drives, ignipotent, through every vein,
Hangs on the heart, and burns around the brain!
Now a chill damp the charmer's luftre dims!
Sad o'er her eyes the livid languor swims!
Her eyes, that with a glance could joy inspire,
Like fetting stars, scarce shoot a glimmering fire.
Here ftands her confort, fore, with anguish, preft,
Grief in his eye, and terror in his breast.

The Paphian Graces, fmit with anxious care,
In filent forrow weep the waining fair.
Eight funs, fucceffive, roll their fire away,

35

20

And eight flow nights fee their deep fhades decay. While these revolve, though mute each Muse appears, Each speaking eye drops eloquence in tears.

-

On the ninth noon, great Phoebus, listening bends! 25
On the ninth noon, each voice in
afcends!
prayer
Great God of light, of song, and phyfic's art,
Restore the languid fair, new soul impart !
Her beauty, wit, and virtue, claim thy care,
And thine own bounty's almost rival'd there.

30

Each paus'd. The God affents. Would Death ad

vance?

Phoebus, unfeen, arrefts the threatening lance!

Down

35

Down from his orb a vivid influence streams,
And quickening earth imbibes falubrious beams;
Each balmy plant, encrease of virtue knows,
And art, infpir'd, with all her patron, glows.
The charmer's opening eye, kind hope, reveals,
Kind hope, her confort's breaft enlivening feels.
Each grace revives, each Muse refumes the lyre,
Each beauty brightens with re-lumin'd fire.
As Health's aufpicious powers gay life display,
Death, fullen at the fight, ftalks flow away.

[blocks in formation]

My lov'd Hill, O thou by heaven defign'd

To charm, to mend, and to adorn mankind! To thee my hopes, fears, joys, and forrows tend, Thou brother, father, nearer yet!

thou friend!
If worldly friendships oft cement, divide,
As interests vary, or as whims prefide;
If leagues of luxury borrow friendship's light,
Or leagues fubverfive of all focial right:

O fay,

« PreviousContinue »