Britannia smiles, nor fears a foreign lord;
Her fafety to fecure, two powers accord,
Her Neptune's trident, and her Monarch's fword.
Like him, shall his Auguftus fhine in arms,
Though captive to his Carolina's charms.
Ages with future heroes she shall bless;
And Venus once more found an Alban race.
Then fhall a Clare in honour's caufe engage:
Example must reclaim a graceless age.
Where guides themselves for guilty views mif-lead;
And laws even by the legislators bleed ;
His brave contempt of state shall teach the proud,
None but the virtuous are of noble blood:
For Tyrants are but Princes in difguife,
Though fprung by long defcents from Ptolemies.
Right he fhall vindicate, good laws defend;
The firmeft patriot, and the warmest friend.
Great Edward's order early he fhall wear;
New light restoring to the fully'd star.
Oft' will his leifure this retirement chufe,
Still finding future fubjects for the Mufe;
And, to record the Sylvan's fatal flame,
The place fhall live in fong, and Claremont be the name.
TO THE LADY LOUISA LENOS::
N moving lines thefe few Epiftles tell
What fate attends the Nymph that likes too well
How faintly the fuccefsful lovers burn;
And their neglected charms how ladies mourn.
The Fair you'll find, when foft intreaties fail,
Affert their uncontefted right, and rail.
Too foon they liften, and refent too late;
'Tis fure they love, whene'er they strive to hate.
Their fex or proudly fhuns, or poorly craves;
Commencing tyrants, and concluding flaves.
In differing breafts what differing paffions glow!
Ours kindle quick, but yours extinguish flow.
The fire we boaft, with force uncertain burns,
And breaks but out, as appetite returns:
But yours, like incenfe, mounts by foft degrees,,
And in a fragrant flame confumes to please.
Your fex, in all that can engage, excel;
And ours in patience, and perfuading well.
Impartial Nature equally decrees:
You have your pride, and we our perjuries.
Though form'd to conquer, yet too oft' you fall
By giving nothing, or by granting all.
But, Madam, long will your unpractis'd years
Smile at the tale of lovers' hopes and fears.
Though infant graces footh your gentle hours,
More foft than fighs, more fweet than breathing flowers;
Let rash admirers your keen lightning fear;
Tis bright at diftance, but destroys if near.
The time ere long, if verse prefage, will come,.
Your charms fhall open in full Brudenell bloom.
All eyes fhall gaze, all hearts fhall homage vow,
And not a lover languish but for you.
The Muse shall string her lyre, with garlands crown'd,.
And each bright Nymph fhall ficken at the found.
So, when Aurora first falutes the fight,
Pleas'd we behold the tender dawn of light;
But, when with riper red she warms the skies,
In circling throngs the wing'd Musicians rise :
And the gay groves rejoice in fymphonies.
Each pearly flower with painted Beauty fhines;
And every star its fading fire resigns.
TO RICHARD EARL OF BURLINGTON,. WITH OVID'S ART OF LOVE..
UR Poet's rules, in eafy numbers, tell,
He felt the paffion he defcribes fo well..
In that foft art fuccefsfully refin'd,
Though angry Cæfar frown'd, the fair were kind.
More ills from love, than tyrants malice, flow
Jove's thunder ftrikes lefs fure than Cupid's bow.
Ovid both felt the pain, and found the case :
Physicians study most their own disease.
The practice of that age in this we try,
Ladies would listen then, and lovers lye.
Who flatter'd moft the fair were most polite,
Each thought her own adınirer in the right:
To be but faintly rude was criminal,
But to be boldly fo, aton'd for all.
Breeding was banish'd for the fair-one's fake,
The fex ne'er gives, but suffers ours should take..
Advice to you, my lord, in vain we bring;
The flowers ne'er fail to meet the blooming fpring.
Though you poffefs all Nature's gifts, take care;
Love's queen has charms, but fatal is her fnare.
On all that Goddess her falfe fmiles beftows;
As on the feas fhe reigns, from whence the rofe.
Young Zephyrs figh with fragrant breath, foft gales
Guide her gay barge, and fwell the filken fails:
Each filver wave in beauteous order moves,
Fair as her bofom, gentle as her doves;
But he that once embarks, too furely finds
A fullen fky, black storms, and angry winds;
Cares, fears, and anguish, hovering on the coaft,
And wrecks of wretches by their folly loft.
When coming Time shall blefs you with a bride,,
Let paffion not perfuade, but reason guide;
Inftead of gold, let gentle Truth endear;
She has moft charms who is the moft fincere.
Shun vain variety, 'tis but disease ;
Weak appetites are ever hand to please.
The nymph muft fear to be inquifitive;
'Tis for the fex's quiet, to believe.
Her air an eafy confidence muft show,
And fhun to find what he would dread to know;
Still charming with all arts that can engage,
And be the Juliana of the age.
To the Dutchefs of BOLTON, on her ftaying all the Winter in the Country.
EASE rural conquefts, and fet free your fwains, To Dryads leave the groves, to Nymphs the plains. In penfive dales alone let Echo dwell,
And each fad figh fhe hears with forrow tell.
Hafte, let your eyes at Kent's pavilion * shine,
It wants but stars, and then the work 's divine.
Of late, Fame only tells of yielding towns,
Of captive generals, and protected crowns:
Of purchas'd laurels, and of batiles won,
Lines forc'd, ftates vanquifh'd, provinces o'er-run,
And all Alcides' labour fumm'd in one.
The brave must to the fair now yield the prize,
And English arms fubmit to English eyes :
In which bright lift among the first you
Though each a Goddefs, or a Sunderland.
* A Gallery at St. James's.
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