Not faints in heav'n a purer warmth exprefs, Than reason feels, when touch'd by tenderness. Relenting wildom dignifies defire, And rais'd ideas fan the bright'ning fire; Till the white flame, afcending to the fky, Spreads its low fmoke in envy's darken'd eye. Whence grew fociety, fo wish'd an art, Af the mind's elegance betrays the heart? Were it a crime in flafhing fouls to rife, And strike each other through the meeting eyes? Thofe op'ning windows had not let in light, Nor ftream'd ideas out, to voice the fight.
Why are you form'd fo pow'rful in your charms, f beauty ought to fly the wish it warms? Jainly did heav'n infpire that tuneful tongue, With notes more fweet than ever seraph fung! f, juftly, all that harmony you hide, four mufic ufelefs, and its pow'r untry'd. Have wit and eloquence in vain confpir'd, And giv'n you brightness, but to fhine retir'd? Muft you be lovelieft, yet be never shown? Than all be wifer, yet be heard by none? Oh, 'tis too delicate!-'tis falfely nice, To bar the heart against the mind's advice.
But you will fay that honour's call you hear; That fame is tender-reputation dear: That from the world's malignant blast you fly, Fear the fool's tongue, and the difcerner's eye. The spleen of difappointed withes dread, Or envy's whispers, by detraction spread? Alas! what bounds can limit your retreat? Where will fought fafety reft your flying feet? s there a corner in the globe fo new, That malice will not find as fure as you? The very flight that fhuns, attracts the wrong? And every cenfure fear'd, you force along. [fay, There's caufe, no doubt, for her retreat, they'll A fearless innocence had dar'd to stay!" Scandal has, either way, an edge to ftrike, And wounds diftinction every where alike : Superior excellence is doom'd to bear
The ftings of fland'rous hate, and rash despair : Tis the due tax your rated merit pays, And ev'ry judging car will call it praife.
You need not then the gentle found reject, Should love's fear'd name be given to foft refpect: When ill-diftinguish'd meanings are the fame, How poor the diff'rence which they draw from name!
There are, in love, th' extremes of touch'd defire, The nobleft brightness, or the coarsest fire! In vulgar bofoms vulgar wishes move; Nature guides choice, and, as men think, they love But when a pow'r like yours impels the wound, Like the clear caufe, the bright effect is found. In the loofe paffion, men prefane the name, Miftake the purpofe, and pollute the flame : In nobler bofoms, friendship's forní it takes, And fex alone, the lovely diff'rence makes. Love's generous warmth does reafon's pow'r dif play,
And fills defire, as light embodies day.
Love is to life what colour is to form : Plain drawings oft are juft, but never warm. Love, in a blaze of tints, his light'ning throws Then the form quickens, and the figure glows.
PLAYING ON A BASS VIOL.
WHILE o'er the dancing chords your fingers fly) And bid them live, till they have made us die; Trembling, in tranfport, at your touch they spring;
Think-and be kind-convert this fruitlefs pain As if there dwelt a heart in every firing.
To a fix'd firmnefs, and a calm difdain. Since cautious abfence can no more be free From falle reproach, than present smiles will be, Diffuse those gifts which heav'n design'd should
Nor let their greatness make their pity lefs. Indulging freedom ev'ry fear difarm,
And, with a conscious fcorn of flander, charm. Bold in your guarded ftrength your heart uubind, And to be fafe---fuppofe yourself all mind.
Yet needless that! since such respect you draw, That ev'n your tenderness is arm'd with awe : Permitted love would filently admire,
And a foft rev'rence tremble through defire; The warmest wishes, when infpir'd by you, Strike--but as heav'nly infpirations do.. The op'ning heart makes room for joys refin'd, And ev'ry grofs idea thrinks behind,
Your voice, foft rifing, through the lengthen'd notes,
The marry'd harmony, united, floats; Two charms, fo join'd, that they compose but one; Like heat and brightness from the felf-fame fun.
The wifhful viol would its wealth retain, And, fweetly confcious, hugs the pleasing pain, Envious, forbids the warbling joys to roll, And, murm'ring inward, fwells its founding foul. Proud of its charming pow'r, your tuncful bow Floats o'er the chords majestically flow;
Careless and foft, calls out a tide of art, And, in a form of music, drowns the heart.
So when that god, who gave you all your skill To angel forms (like yours) intrufts his will, Calm they defcend, fome new-meant world found,
And, fmiling, fee creation rifing round! など
TO THE LOVELY CAUSE OF IT.
SWEET enflaver! can you tell, Ere I learnt to love fo well,
How my hours had wings to move, All unbufied by my love! 'Tis amazement now to me, What could then a pleasure be!
But you, like God, new fenfe can give, And now, indeed, I feel live.
Oh! what pangs his breaft alarm, Whom foul and body join to charm! Endless tranfports dance along, Sweetly foft! or nobly strong! Flaming fancy! cool reflection! Fierce defire! and aw'd fubjection! Aching hope! and fear encreasing! Struggling paffions, never ceafing! Wishing trembling! foul adering! Ever bleft, and ftill imploring.
Let the dull, the cold, and tame, All thofe dear diforders blame; Tell 'em that in honour's race, Charm'd by fome fuch heav'nly face, Lovers always foremost ran; Love's a fecond foul to man. Eafe is languid, low, and base; Love excites a generous chase: Glory! wealth ambition! wit! Thoughts for boundless empire fit! All at love's approach are fir'd, Bent more ftrong, and never tir'd, He who feels not love's fweet pain Lives at cafe-but lives in vain! Little dream you what is due, Angel form! to love and you: 'Tis from you I joy poffefs; 'Tis by you my grief grows lefs: Sadly penfive, when alone, I the fhades of life bemoan; If fome voice your name impart, Care lies lighten'd at my heart; Ev'ry woe difarms its sting, And I look down on Britain's king.
When my fancy brings to view Works which wealth and pow'r can do; All my fpurr'd excitements wake, And fortune charms me for your fake. Oh! I cry-'twere heaven poffelt, To make her great who made me bleft. In the morning when I rife, If the fun-fhine ftrikes my eyes, All that pleafes in his view, Is my hope to look on you.
When the fable fweep of night Drowns diftinction from my fight, I no inward darkness find; You are day-light to my mind. All my dreams are lives of joy, Which, in waking, I destroy: You, a flave to custom made, Are of forms and rules afraid : But your happier image, free From fantastic tyranny
Oh my rapt foul fits trembling in my eyes, Starting, impatient, at her pow'rful name: Dearer than life, to that fweet found it flies, And health rides rofy on the living flame. Wak'd into fudden ftrength, I blaze again,
Love, the reftorer, drefs'd in Clio's smile, Triumph'd o'er nature, gave delight to pain, Sweeten'd affliction, and could death beguile. May joys unnumber'd, as the charmer's sweets, Blefs this revolving day's eternal round; Till the proud world its dawn with rapture greets, Confcious of her who made it first renown'd. Long-let 'em fay-long ere our father's days, Three thousand years ago, on this sweet day, That Clio, whom contending nations praife, Embloom'd, by her sweet birth, the first of May. Britain, illuftrious by the ftarry lot,
Far in the north, diftinguish'd island, lies, Now known by later names-oh, envy'd spot! Why did the not in our warm climates rife? jure fhe was heav'nly grac'd; for to this hour, After fuch length of ages roll'd away, Fame of her charms, augments her fexed pow'r, And her thought's luftre gives our wits their fway.
DESIRING HER LETTERS MIGHT NOT BE EXPOSED.
No! thou beft foul that e'er this body knew, Jnhappy I may be, but not untrue. Bleft, or unbleft, my love can ne'er decay, Nor could I, where I could not love, betray. Cold, and unjuft, the fhocking caution kills, And, in one meaning, fpots me o'er with ills. Silent, as facred lamps, in bury'd urns,
The confcious flame of lovers inward burns: Life should be torn, and racks be stretch'd in vain, And vary'd tortures tire their fruitless pain, Ere but a thought of mine fhould do thee wrong, Or spread thy beauties on the public tongue. Yet thou canst fear me-oh! be loft the fhame, Nor heap difhonour on my future name! Have I been never lov'd?-yet, cruel, tell, Whom I betray'd to thee, though lov'd fo well? Take thy fweet mischief back, their charms erafe, Oh! leave me poor, but never think me bafe. Not e'en when death fhall veil thy flarry eyes, Shall thy dear letters from my ashes rife; Fix'd to my heart, the grave fhall give 'em room To charm my waking foul in worlds to come. While in my verfe, with far more faint effay, Thy wonders I to after times convey; Tell thy vaft heav'n of fweets, and fing thy name, Till, fir'd by thee, whole kingdoms catch thy flame.
EPITAPH ON SIR ISAAC NEWTON. MORE than his name were lefs.-'Twould seem to fear, [here.
He who increas'd heav'n's fame could want it Yet when the funs he lighted up fhali fade, And all the worlds he found are first decay'd;
Then void and wafte eternity shall lie, And time and Newton's name together die.
TO MR. DYER, ON HIS ATTEMPTING CLIO's PICTURE.
SOUL of your honour'd art! what man can do In copying nature may be reach'd by you: Your peopling pencil a new world can give, And, like Deucalion, teach the stones to live. From your creating hand a war may flow, And your warm ftrokes with breathing action glow:
But, from that angel form to catch the grace And kindle up your ivory with her face; All unconfum'd to fnatch the living fire, And limn th' ideas which those eyes inspire; Strong to your burning circle to confine That awe-mix'd fweetness, and that air divine; That Sparkling foul, which lightens from within, And breaks in unspoke meanings through her skin. This, if you can-hard task, and yet unprov'd: Then fhall you be adorn'd, as now belov'd. Then shall your high-afpiring colours find The art to pi&ure thought and paint the wind: Then fhall you give air fhape, imprifon space, And mount the painter to the maker's place.
WHITEHALL STAIRS.
FROM Whitehall Stairs, whence oft, with diftant view,
I've gaz'd whole moon-fhine hours on hours away, Bleft but to fee thofe roofs which cover'd you, And watch'd beneath what star you fleeping lay. Launch'd on the smiling stream, which felt my hope,
And danc'd and quiver'd round my gliding boat, I came this day to give my tongue free scope, And vent the paffion which my looks denote.
To tell my dear, my foul-difturbing muse, (But that's a name can speak but half her charms) How my full heart does my pen's aid refuse, And bids my voice defcribe my foul's alarms.
To tell what transports your last letter gave, What heav'ns were open'd in your foft complaint; To tell what pride I take, to be your flave, And how triumphant love difdains restraint.
But when I mifs'd you, and took boat again, The fympathetic fun condol'd my woe; Drew in his beams, to mourn my pity'd pain And bid the fhadow'd ftream benighted flow.
Sudden, the weeping fkies unfluic'd their store, And torrents of big tears unceafing shed; Sad I drove downward to a flooded shore, And, difappointed, hung my dripping head.
Landed at length, 1 fable coffee drink, And ill furrounded by a noify tribe, Scornful of what they do, or fay, or think, I, rapt in your dear heav'n, my lofs defcribe.
Yrs---now 'tis time to die---defpair comes on; Who keeps the body when the foul is gone?
She fets--fair light, that show'd me all my joy, And, like the fun's, her abfence muft deftroy. She, who once wept my fancy'd lofs of breath, Now, crimeless murd'rer! gives me real death. Yet have a care, touch'd heart, nor figh one thought,
That stains such goodness with a purpos'd fault. Soft as her tears, her gentle meanings move; Her foul sheds sweetness though her look is love. Her voice is mufic, tun'd to heav'n's low note; Her touch bids tranfport, through each art'ry, float;
Her ftep is dignity, by pity check'd;
At once the fans defire and plants refpect. Unconscious of her charms, the dreams of none, And doubling other's praises fhuns her own. Modeft in pow'r, as kneeling angels pray, Noifelefs as night's foft fhade, though bright as day.
Wife unaffumingly; ferenely deep,
Eafy as air, and innocent as fleep:
Blooming like beauty, when adorn'd for fin; Yet like the bud unblown all blufh within.
O'tis impoffible, to quit fuch blifs, Yet live fuperior to a lofs like this! Where will she next her thousand conquefts make? On what new climate will her fun-fhine break? Where will the next ([weet tafker of my care!) Teach our charm'd fex, to hope, to wifh, to dare? Far from her fruitlefs guardian's watchful eye, What may the hear! what answer! oh! I'll die. Blefs'd by her fight-time's race were one hort stage;
She gone--one widow'd moment were an age.
CLIO fmiling, foul-invader!
Soft amufer of my days,
Be my filent paffion's aider,
Teach my tongue to speak thy praise. Thou, like heroes, scarr'd all over,
Wanting room to fuffer more: Pil'd with praise, can't hear no lover Tell thee ought, untold before. Truth, with modest bounds contented, Rightly praifing thee, must say, More than falfehood e'er invented, When the wideft went aftray.
WRIT ON A BLANK LEAF OF AN OB- SCENE POEM.
THE facred nine, first spread their golden wings, In praise of virtue, heroes, and of kings: Chafte were their lays, and ev'ry verfe defign'd To foften nature, and exalt the mind. Loosely the moderns live, and loosely write, And woo their mufe, as mistress, for delight. Thick in their lays obfcenities abound,
As weeds fpring plenteous in the rankeft ground; All who write verfe, to taint a guiltlefs heart, Are vile profaners of the facred art,
Cloy'd the fick reader from the work retires And e'er the writer dies his fame expires. TO MRS. T———T.
WHERE in this land (Alzira cry'd) Shall Indian virtues rest? Who will be here the stranger's guide, And lead her to be bleft?
Seek, faid the whispering mufe, fome fair Of England's beauteous race; Who does herself thofe virtues share Which moft Alzira grace.
One who has tafte as nobly ftrong, And charms as foftly fweet, Will guard her fifter foul from wrong, While graces graces meet.
I took the mufe's kind advice,
Look'd round the fair and bright, And found Alzira, in a trice, Was matchlefs T- ——t's right.
O CELIA! be wary when Celadon fuet, Thefe wits are the bane of your charms: Beauty play'd against reason will certainly lafe, Warring naked with robbers in arms. Young Damon, defpis'd for his plainnefs of parts, Has worth that a woman fhould prize; He'll run the race out, though he heavily farts And distance the fhort-winded wife. The fool is a faint in the temple of love, And kneels all his life there to pray: The wit but looks in, and makes hafte to remo 'Tis a stage he but takes in his way.
THE RECONCILIATION. Sick of the worthlefs world, and courting reft, My fullen foul, with penfive weight oppreft, Disturb'd and mournful fought the filent fhade, And fed reflection in the breezy glade : Stretch'd on the graffy margent of a brook, Whofe murm'ring fellowship my mind partook, Actively idle I repining lay,
Gaz'd on the flood and figh'd the stream away.
Who knows, I cry'd, what course thou haft te
pafs, [graf Sweet ftream, that thou creep'ft foftly through this How wilt thou flow!-Anon, perhaps, flid hence, Thy deep'ning channel fills fome moated fence, Hems in fome farm, where homely ruftics meet, And their sweet bread, prize of hard labour, car; Thence, through fome lord's delightful garden, jed, Thou may'ft thy vegetative influence fpread; Where, as through fragrant beds, thy purlings e The grateful flow'rs shall kifs 'em as they glice There, charm'd and ling'ring, thou may's wish to
Some precipice, that in close ambush lies, Thy virgin current fhall at once furprise, Crofs whofe broad fhoulders thrown, and tum- bling o'er, [roar. Thy frighted stream fhall rush with unavailing Next may thy filver current's brightness die, And muddily fame ftagnate fen fupply; Where fhadow'd reeds in thy flow ftream fhall shake, [make: And floods fly trembling from the gloom they❘ Frighted, are glad to 'fcape this horrid place, Thou may'ft wind fhort, and new-direct thy race, Through verdant meads, o'erjoy'd, may'st dan- cing go,
"Till cattle fip thy whirpools, as they flow: Thence, for protection of thy ruffled charms, Thou may'ft rush fwift to fome great lover's arms; Some ftately stream by keely courtship preft, And mark'd with wealth's proud furrows on his breaft: [brace, Grave Thames may next receive thy mix'd em- And fam'd Augufta fee thy fully'd face; From her wash'd foot thy fcatter'd flood may stray, And to the swallowing ocean roll away : There, wafted fiream, in wind-driv'n billows toft, Thy oft-chang'd being fhall be wholly loft.
So, gentle brook, I cry'd, does human life, 'Midft endless changes, and in endless strife, Glide, with impatience, through unknown events, 'Till nature afks repofe and death confents.
Why then is fuch a life fo much defir'd? By what purfuits is vain ambition fir'd? Friendship is loft on earth; love goes aftray; And men, like beafts, each on the other prey: Ev'n the foft fex their downy bofoms hide With inward artifice or outward pride. Beauty's spoil'd shafts no more the soul can hit, Dull'd by grofs folly or misguided wit. Nothing is now worth wifhing for on earth, And death is grown a much lefs woe than birth. While thus I mourn'd---back roll'd th' aftonish'd brook,
The trees bow'd down, the earth beneath me All heav'n defcended to the glowing ground, And radiant terror dazzling fhone around: Blind with the ftrong refulgence, fix'd I lay Buy'd in brightness and o'erwhelm'd with day. Liften, a found broke out---impatient youth, Liften and mark the voice of facred truth, Rous'd at that name, I would have blefs'd my fight, But ftrove in vain to ftem the tide of light; Still as I rais'd my eyes, their balls ftruck fire, And wat'ry gushings wept the rash desire : The unfeen phantom's voice, fudden and loud, Startled the ear as thunder rends a cloud;
But foft'ning more and more, grew fweet and kind,
And dy'd away like mufic in the wind: I come, continues fhe, to bring thee peace, To bid thy diffidence in friendship ceafe; Again to reconcile thee to mankind, New-wing thy transports, and unclog thy mind; To guide thy wand'ring choice, to find that joy Distrust of which does thy fad hours employ:
There lives a charmer, whom divinely fir'd E'en her whole fex's virtues have inspir'd; Where all that's manly joins with all that's sweet, And in whofe breath engrofs'd perfections meet; Her mind no confcious pride of merit stains; O'er her wide foul unfully'd reafon reigns: Blind to her worth, the feels not her own flame, Enriches merit, yet defpifes fame. Her unaffected charms what words can paint ? She looks an angel, and she speaks a faint: While fparkling gaynefs wantons in her eye, In her wife foul the laughing Cupids die. A thousand graces round her perfon play, And all the mufes mark her fancy's way: To hear her fpeak, the foul with rapture fills, Her looks alarm-but when the writes the kills Rife, then, and meet her, as the this way strays, And thy own wonder shall outspeak my praife. The goddefs vanish'd to her native skies, And the recover'd fhade unbarr'd my eyes; I look'd, and lo! within the honour'd wood, Lovely Cleora hid in bay leaves stood; Cleora-but her wonders to reveal, Were to defcribe what I can only feel! Now reconcil'd to the fhunn'd world I'll live: Her friendship-joys worth living for can give.
ON THE BIRTH-DAY OF MISS
CARE, be banish'd far away—,
Fly, be gone, approach not here: Mirth and joy demand this day, Happiest day of all the year! Summers three times fev'n have fhone, All outfhin'd by Delia's eyes: Winters three times fev'n are gone,
All whofe fnows her breaft fupplies! Dance we then the cheerful round,
Mufic might have stay'd away; She but fpeaking, organs found: She but smiling, angels play. 'Tis her birth-day-let it blaze;
Born to charm and form'd for blifs Live the lov'd a world of days,
Ev'ry day as blefs'd as this, Let her beauty not increase ;
Too, too strong, already there; But let heav'n augment her peace, 'Till fhe's happy as she's fair.
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