Poems upon Various Occasions Written for the Entertainment of the author, And Printed for the Amusement Of a few friends, Prejudic'd in his Favour [by William Shenstone] |
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The QUILL.
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 | Poems upon Various Occasions |  |
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The QUILL.
I
Renown'd Machine! important Trifle!To whom each Art some Tribute owes,
Who to the World thy Praise can stifle?
Or who without thy Aid disclose?
II
How just Thou prov'st to injur'd Merit,When Courts neglect it, hence we find;
Thro' Thee does Pope Fame's Hill inherit,
And circling Bays his Temples bind.
III
Yet are the dull, as well as brightest,Indebted to Thy various Use:
When flatter'd Noble's Praise Thou writest,
Or gayly deck'st Thy Parent Goose.
IV
When Peggy's Cleanly Hand Thou gracest,The ill-plac'd Web Thy Presence flies:
As Thou by Young's Direction chacest
The mis-becoming Stains of Vice.
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V
In Chevy-chace, so fam'd in Story,Thou taught'st th' unerring Shafts to fly;
When, fatal to the Scotish Glory,
Thy Down imbib'd the purple Dye.
VI
When Chloe form'd the Silken Flower,(Which, by Thy aid, the Artist drew;)
And felt the guilty Needle's Power,
Such was her lovely Finger's Hue.
VII
When hostile Rage, and Fury lingers,And Vengeance comes but slowly on;
Thou plac'd between Machaon's Fingers,
Far, Far excell'st both Sword and Gun!
VIII
While ev'ry grateful Tongue rehearses,The Monarch's praise; each rolling Year,
How dext'rous Thou, in Squibs, or Verses,
C---r, or, Black-shoe-boy declare.
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IX
Unhappy Tooth Thy Aid requiring,Thou can'st from Fragments vile refine;
Then, from the gen'rous Work retiring,
Enjoy'st alone the Silver Shrine.
X
Kneller, to distant Times and Places,(While Thou confin'dst each stragling Hair,)
Cou'd tell his Art, and Myra's Graces,
How skillful he, and she how fair.
XI
In Silvia's Spinnet, ever-pleasing,Thy tributary Aid is known:
When, Poet's Harmony increasing,
His Fame Thou raisest,—and Thy own.
XII
Potent, when Handel's Touch obeying,Thou can'st to Heav'n exalt the Mind:
Yet more, when, Charming Silvia playing,
In her alone an Heav'n we find!
| Poems upon Various Occasions | |