26

Pleas'd to be pleas'd they took what Heav'n be-
Nor were too curious of the giv'n good. [ftow'd,
At length, like Indians fond of fancy'd toys,
We loft being happy to be thought more wife.
In one curs'd age to punish verfe and fin
Criticks and hangmen both at once came in.
Wit and the laws had both the fame ill fate,
And partial tyrants fway'd in either state.
Illnatur'd cenfure would be fare to damn
An alien wit of independent fame,

While Bays grown old and harden'd in offence
Was fuffer'd to write on in spite of sense.
Back'd by his friends, th' invader brought along
A crew of foreign words into our tongue
To ruin and enflave the freeborn English fong;
Still the prevailing faction propt his throne,
And to four volumes let his Plays run on ;
Then a lewd tide of verfe with vicious rage
Broke in upon the morals of the age.

30

35

40

45

The flage (whofe art was once the mind to move
To noble daring and to virtuous love)
Precept with pleasure mix'd no more profest,
But dealt in double-meaning bawdy jest;
The fhocking founds offend the blufhing fair,
And drive them from the guilty theatre.
Ye wretched Bards! from whom thefe ills have
Whom the avenging pow'rs have fpar'd too long, 50
Well may you fear the blow will furely corne;
Your Sodom has no Ten t' avert its doom,

G

[fprung,

Unless the fair Ardelia will alone

To heav'n for all the guilty tribe atone;

Nor can Ten faints do more than fuch a One: 55 Since the alone of the poetick crowd

To the falfe gods of Wit has never bow'd,

The empire which fhe faves fhall own her fway,
And ali Parnaffus her blefs'd laws obey.

65

Say from what facred fountain, Nymph divine! 60
The treafures flow which in thy verse do fhine?
With what strange inspiration art thou bleft!
What more than Delphick ardour warms thy breaft!
Our fordid earth ne'er bred fo bright a flame,
But from the fkies, thy kindred fkies, it came.
To numbers great like thine th' angelick quire
In joyous concert tune the golden lyre;
Viewing with pitying eyes our cares, with thee
"They wifely own that
"All is vanity;"
Ev'n all the joys which mortal minds can know, 70
And find Ardelia's verfe the least vain thing below.
If Pindar's name to thofe blefs'd manfions reach,
And mortal Muses may immortal teach,

In verfe like his the heav'nly nation raise
Their tuneful voices to their Maker's praise :

Nor shall celeftial harmony difdain
For once to imitate an earthly strain,
Whose fame fecure no rival e'er can fear,
But thofe above and fair Ardelia here.

She who undaunted could his raptures view,
And with bold wings his facred heights purfue,
Safe thro' the Dithyrambick stream she fleer'd,
Nor the rough deep in all its dangers fear'd:

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80

Not fo the reft, who with fuccefslefs pain
Th' unnavigable torrent try'd in vain.

So Clelia leap'd into the rapid flood

While the Etrufcans ftruck with wonder stood
Amidfl the waves her rafh purfuers dy'd; .
The matchlefs dame could only stem the tide,
And gain the glory of the farther fide.

See with what pomp the antick mask comes in,
The various forms of the fantastick spleen!
Vain empty laughter, howling grief and tears,
Falfe joy, bred by falfe hope and falfer fears,
Each vice, each paffion, which pale Nature wears 95
In this odd monstrous medley mix'd appears.
Like Bays's dance confus'dly round they run,
Statefman, coquette, gay fop and penfive nun,
Spectres and heroes, hufbands and their wives,
With Monkith drones that dream away theirlives.co
Long have labour'd with the dire difeafe,
Nor found but from Ardelia's numbers cafe:
The dancing verfe runs thro' my fluggish veins,
Where dull and cold the frozen blood remains.
Pale cares and anxious thoughts give way in hafte, 105
And to returning joy refign my breaft;

Then free from ev'ry pain I did endure
I blifs the charming author of my cure.
So when to Saul the great musician play'd
'The fullen fiend unwillingly obey'd,

109 [hade.

And left the monarch's breast to feek fome fafer

STANZAS

TO LADY WARWICK,

On Mr. Addifon's going to Ireland.

I.

Ye Gods and Nereid nymphs who rule the fea,
Who chain loud ftorms and ftill the raging main!
With care the gentle Lycidas convey,

And bring the faithful lover fafe again.

II.

When Albion's fhore with cheerless heart he left,
Penfive and fad upon the deck he stood,

Of ev'ry joy in Chloe's eyes bereft,

And wept his forrows in the fwelling flood.

III.

Ah, faireft Maid! whom, as I well divine,

The righteous gods his just reward ordain,

For his return thy pious wishes join,

8

That thou at length mayst pay him for his pain. 12 IV.

And fince his love does thine alone purfue,

In arts unpractis'd and unus'd to range,
I charge thee be by his example true,
And fhun thy fex's inclination, change.

V.

When crowds of youthful lovers round thee wait,
And tender thoughts in sweetest words impart,
When thou art woo'd by titles, wealth, and state,
Then think on Lycidas and guard thy heart.

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20

When the

VI.

gay theatre fhall charm thy eyes, When artful wit fhall fpeak thy beauty's praife, When harmony fhall thy foft foul furprise, Sooth all thy fenfes and thy paffions raise;

VII.

Amidst whatever various joys appear,

Yet breathe one figh, for one fad minute mourn,
Nor let thy heart know one delight fincere
Till thy own trueft Lycidas return.

TO LORD WARWICK,

ON HIS BIRTHDAY.

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28

WHENfraught with all that grateful minds can move
With friendship, tenderness, respect, and love,
The Mufe had with'd on this returning day
Something moft worthy of herself to say,
To Jove the offer'd up an humble pray'r
To take the noble Warwick to his care:
"Give him," fhe faid, "whate'er diviner grace
"Adorns the foul or beautifies the face;

"Let manly conftancy confirm his truth,

"And gentleft manners crown his blooming youth: "Give him to fame, to virtue, to afpire,

46

Worthy our fongs and thy informing fire; "All various praife, all honours let him prove, "Let men admire, and fighing virgins love; "With honeft zeal inflame his gen'rous mind “To love his country and protect mankind.”

II

IS