But fee! a living profpect drawing near At once transports, and raises awful fear! Love's favourite band, felected to maintain His choiceft triumphs, and fupport his reign. Mufe, pay thy homage here-Yet oh beware! And draw the glorious scene with artful care, For foolish praise is satire on the fair.

Behold where bright Urania does advance,
And lightens through the trees with every glance !
A careless pleasure in her air is feen;

Diana shines with fuch a graceful mien,

When in her darling woods fhe's feign'd to rove,
The chace purfuing, and avoiding love.
At flying deer the goddess boasts her aim,

But Cupid fhews the nymph a nobler game.
Th' unerring fhafts fo various fly around,
'Tis hard to fay which gives the deepest wound.
Or if with greater glory we submit,
Pierc'd by her eyes, her humour, or her wit.

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See next her charming fifter, young and gay,
In beauty's bloom like the fweet month of May!
The fportful nymph once in the neighbouring grove
Surpriz'd by chance the sleeping god of love;
His head reclin'd upon a tuft of green,

And by him fcatter'd lay his arrows bright and keen;
She ty'd his wings, and stole his wanton darts,
Then, laughing, wak'd the tyrant lord of hearts;
He fmil'd, and faid-'Tis well, infulting fair!
Yet how you fport with fleeping Love beware!
My lofs of darts quickly can supply,
Your looks fhall triumph for Love's aeity:

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And

And though you now my feeble power disdain,
You once perhaps may feel a lover's pain.

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Though Helen's form, and Cleopatra's charms, The boast of fame, once kindled dire alarms : Thofe dazzling lights the world no more must view, And scarce would think the bright description true, Did not that ray of beauty, more divine, In Mira's eyes by tranfmigration shine. Her fhape, her air, proportion, lovely face, And matchlefs skin content with rival grace; And Venus' self, proud of th' officious aid, With all her charms adorns th' illuftrious maid. But hark!-what more than mortal founds are

thefe ?

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Be ftill, ye whispering winds, and moving trees! 65 A fecond Mira does all hearts furprize,

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At once victorious with her voice and eyes.
Her eyes alone can tendereft love infpire,
Her heavenly voice improves the young defire.
So western gales in fragrant gardens play
On buds produc'd by the fun's quickening ray,
And spread them into life, and gently chide their
ftay.

We court that kill, by which we're fure to die,
The modeft fair would fain our fuit deny,
And fings unwillingly, with trembling fear,
As if concern'd our ruin is fo near;
So generous victors foftest pity know,

And with reluctance ftrike the fatal blow.

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Engaging

Engaging Cynthia `s arm'd with every grace ; Her lovely mind fhines chearful through her face, A facred lamp in a fair crystal cafe,

}

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Not Venus-ftar, the brightest of the sphere,
Smiles fo ferene, or cafts a light fo clear.
O happy brother of this wondrous fair!
The best of fifters well deferves thy care;
Her fighing lovers, who in crouds adore,
Would wish thy place, did they not wish for more.
What angels are, when we defire to know,

We form a thought by fuch as the below,

And thence conclude they're bright beyond compare,
Compos'd of all that's good, and all that's fair.

There yet remains unnam'd a dazzling throng
Of nymphs, who to these happy shades belong.
O Venus! lovely queen of foft defires!
For ever dwell where fuch fupply thy fires!
May Virtue ftill with Beauty share the sway,
And the glad world with willing zeal obey!

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то

MOL IND A.

TH' infpiring Mufes and the God of Love,
Which most should grace the fair Molinda ftrove
Love arm'd her with his bow and keenest darts,
The Mufes more enrich'd her mind with arts.

Through

Though Greece in fhining temples heretofore
Did Venus and Minerva's powers adore,
The ancients thought no fingle goddess fit,
To reign at once o'er Beauty and o'er Wit;
Each was a separate claim; till now we find
The different titles in Molinda join'd.

From hence, when at the court, the park, the play,
She gilds the evening, or improves the day,

All eyes regard her with transporting fire,

One sex with envy burns, and one with fierce defire:
But when, withdrawn from public show and noise, 15
In filent works her fancy she employs,

A smiling train of Arts around her stand,
And court improvement from her curious hand.
She, their bright patroness, o'er all prefides,
And with like skill the pen and needle guides;
By this we see gay filken landskips wrought,
By that the landskip of a beauteous thought:
Whether her voice in tuneful airs fhe moves,
Or cuts diffembled flowers and paper groves,
Her voice transports the ear with foft delight,
Her flowers and groves furprize the ravish'd fight;
Which ev'n to Nature's wonders we prefer ;
All but that wonder Nature, form'd in her.

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25

H

A LETTER

то

A FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY.

HILST thou art happy in a blest retreat,

WH

And free from care dost rural fongs repeat,
Whilst fragrant air fans thy poetic fire,
And pleasant groves with sprightly notes inspire,
(Groves, whofe receffes and refreshing shade
Indulge th' invention, and the judgment aid)
1, 'midst the finoke and clamours of the town,
That choke my Mufe, and weigh my fancy down,
Pafs my unactive hours ;—————

In fuch an air, how can soft numbers flow,
Or in fuch foil the facred laurel grow?

All we can boaft of the poetic fire,

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15

Are but fome sparks that foon as born expire.
Hail happy woods! harbours of peace and joy !
Where no black cares the mind's repose destroy!
Where grateful Silence unmolefted reigns,
Affifts the Mufe, and quickens all her strains.
Such were the fcenes of our firft parents' love,
In Eden's groves with equal flames they strove,
While warbling birds, foft whifpering breaths of

wind,

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And murmuring ftreams, to grace their nuptials join'd. All Nature fmil'd; the plains were fresh and green, Unftain'd the fountains, and the heavens ferene.

Ye