'Tis art, and knowledge, which draw forth
The hidden feeds of native worth:
They blow those sparks, and make them rise
Into fuch flames as touch the skies:
To the old Heroes hence was given
A pedigree, which reach'd to heaven :
Of mortal feed they were not held,
Which other mortals fo excell'd.
And beauty too, in fuch excess
As yours, Zelinda! claims no less:
Smile but on me, and you fhall fcorn
Henceforth to be of Princes born.
I can defcribe the shady grove,
Where your lov'd mother slept with Jove:
And yet excufe the faultless dame,
Caught with her spouse's fhape and name:
Thy matchlefs form will credit bring
To all the wonders I shall fing.
To my Lady MORTON, on NEW-YEAR'S-DAY, at the LOUVRE in PARIS.
ADAM! new-years may well expect to find Welcome from you, to whom they are so kind; Still as they pass, they court and smile on you; And make your beauty, as themselves, seem new. To the fair Villars we Dalkeith prefer ; And faireft Morton now as much to her: So like the fun's advance your titles show, Which, as he rifes, does the warmer grow.
But thus to ftyle you fair, your fex's praise, Gives you but myrtle, who may challenge bays ; From armed foes to bring a Royal prize,
Shews your brave heart victorious as your eyes.
If Judith, marching with the General's head,
Can give us paffion when her story 's read;
What may the living do, which brought away
Though a lefs bloody, yet a nobler prey?
Who from our flaming Troy, with a bold hand,
Snatch'd her fair charge, the Princefs, like a brand:
A brand! preserv'd to warm some Prince's heart;
And make whole kingdoms take her † Brother's part.
So Venus, from prevailing Greeks, did fhrowd
The hope of Rome, and sav'd him in a cloud.
This gallant act may cancel all our rage,
Begin a better, and abfolve this age.
Dark fhades become the portrait of our time;
Here weeps Misfortune, and there triumphs Crime!
Let him that draws it hide the rest in night;
This portion only may endure the light,
Where the kind Nymph, changing her faultlefs fhape,
Becomes unhandsome, handsomely to scape,
When through the guards, the river, and the sea,
Faith, beauty, wit, and courage, made their way.
As the brave eagle does with forrow fee
The forest wafted; and that lofty tree
* Henrietta Maria, youngest Daughter to K. Ch. I. + K. Charles II.
Which holds her neft about to be oe'rthrown,
Before the feathers of her young are grown;
She will not leave them, nor she cannot stay,
But bears them boldly on her wings away:
So fled the dame, and o'er the ocean bore
Her princely burthen to the Gallic fhore.
Born in the ftorms of war, this Royal Fair,
Produc'd like lightning in tempestuous air,
Though now she flies her native ifle (less kind,
Lefs fafe for her than either fea or wind!)
Shall, when the bloffom of her beauty 's blown,
See her great Brother on the British throne:
Where peace shall smile, and no dispute arise,
But which rules moft, his fceptre, or her eyes.
TO A FAIR LADY,
Playing with a Snake.
TRANGE! that fuch horror, and fuch grace,
Should dwell together in one place;
A Fury's arm, an Angel's face!
'Tis innocence, and youth, which makes
In Chloris' fancy fuch mistakes,
To start at love, and play with snakes.
By this, and by her coldnefs, barr'd,
Her fervants have a task too hard:
The tyrant has a double guard!
Thrice happy fnake! that in her fleeve
May boldly creep; we dare not give
Our thoughts fo unconfin'd a leave.
Contented in that neft of fnow
He lies, as he his blifs did know;
And to the wood no more would go.
Take heed, fair Eve! you do not make
Another tempter of this fnake:
A marble one, fo warm'd, would speak.
Or, a Picture drawn in the Dark.
DARKNESS, which fairest nymphs difarms,
Defends us from Mira's charms:
Mira can lay her beauty by,
Take no advantage of the eye;
Quit all that Lely's art can take,
And yet a thousand captives make.
Her fpeech is grac'd with sweeter found,
Than in another's fong is found:
And all her well-plac'd words are darts,
Which need no light to reach our hearts.
As the bright stars, and Milky Way,
Shew'd by the night, are hid by day :
So we, in that accomplish'd mind,
Help'd by the night, new graces find,
Which by the fplendor of her view,
Dazzled before, we never knew.
While we converfe with her, we mark
No want of day, nor think it dark :
Her fhining image is a light
Fixt in our hearts, and conquers night.
Like jewels to advantage fet,
Her beauty by the shade does get:
There, blushes, frowns, and cold difdain,
All that our paffion might restrain,
Is hid, and our indulgent mind
Prefents the fair idea kind.
Yet, friended by the night, we dare
Only in whispers tell our care :
He that on her his bold hand lays
With Cupid's pointed arrows plays;
They with a touch (they are so keen!)
Wound us unfhot, and the unfeen.
All near approaches threaten death,
We may be ship-wreck'd by her breath:
Love, favour'd once with that fweet gale,
Doubles his hafte, and fills his fail;
Till he arrive where she must prove
The haven, or the rock, of love.
So, we th' Arabian coaft do know
At distance, when the spices blow ;
By the rich odour taught to steer,
Though neither day nor stars appear.
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