The works, in verse and prose, of William Shenstone, Esq In two volumes. With Decorations. The fourth edition |
 | I. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
|
|
|
|
| 1. | PART the FIRST. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| II. |
 | The works, in verse and prose, of William Shenstone, Esq |  |
1. PART the FIRST.
Perhaps some cloud eclips'd the day,
When thus I tun'd my pensive lay.
“The ship is launch'd—we catch the gale—
On life's extended ocean sail:
For happiness our course we bend,
Our ardent cry, our general end!
Yet ah! the scenes which tempt our care
Are like the forms dispers'd in air,
Still dancing near disorder'd eyes;
And weakest his, who best descries!
When thus I tun'd my pensive lay.
“The ship is launch'd—we catch the gale—
On life's extended ocean sail:
For happiness our course we bend,
Our ardent cry, our general end!
Yet ah! the scenes which tempt our care
Are like the forms dispers'd in air,
Still dancing near disorder'd eyes;
And weakest his, who best descries!
Yet let me not my birth-right barter,
(For wishing is the poet's charter;
All bards have leave to wish what's wanted,
Tho' few e'er found their wishes granted;
Extensive field! where poets pride them
In singing all that is deny'd them.)
(For wishing is the poet's charter;
All bards have leave to wish what's wanted,
Tho' few e'er found their wishes granted;
Extensive field! where poets pride them
In singing all that is deny'd them.)
For humble ease, ye pow'rs! I pray;
That plain warm suit for ev'ry day!
And pleasure, and brocade, bestow;
To flaunt it—once a month, or so.
The first for constant wear we want;
The first, ye pow'rs! for ever grant!
But constant wear the last bespatters,
And turns the tissue into tatters.
That plain warm suit for ev'ry day!
And pleasure, and brocade, bestow;
To flaunt it—once a month, or so.
252
The first, ye pow'rs! for ever grant!
But constant wear the last bespatters,
And turns the tissue into tatters.
Where'er my vagrant course I bend,
Let me secure one faithful friend.
Let me, in public scenes, request
A friend of wit and taste, well dress'd:
And, if I must not hope such favour,
A friend of wit and taste, however.
Let me secure one faithful friend.
Let me, in public scenes, request
A friend of wit and taste, well dress'd:
And, if I must not hope such favour,
A friend of wit and taste, however.
Alas! that wisdom ever shuns
To congregate her scatter'd sons;
Whose nervous forces well combin'd,
Would win the field, and sway mankind.
The fool will squeeze, from morn to night,
To fix his follies full in sight;
The note he strikes, the plume he shows,
Attract whole flights of fops and beaux;
And kindred-fools, who ne'er had known him,
Flock at the sight; caress, and own him,
But ill-star'd sense, nor gay nor loud,
Steals soft on tip-toe, thro' the crowd:
Conveys his meagre form between;
And slides like pervious air, unseen:
Contracts his known tenuity,
As though 'twere ev'n a crime, to be;
Nor ev'n permits his eyes to stray,
And win acquaintance in their way.
To congregate her scatter'd sons;
Whose nervous forces well combin'd,
Would win the field, and sway mankind.
The fool will squeeze, from morn to night,
To fix his follies full in sight;
The note he strikes, the plume he shows,
Attract whole flights of fops and beaux;
And kindred-fools, who ne'er had known him,
Flock at the sight; caress, and own him,
But ill-star'd sense, nor gay nor loud,
Steals soft on tip-toe, thro' the crowd:
Conveys his meagre form between;
And slides like pervious air, unseen:
Contracts his known tenuity,
As though 'twere ev'n a crime, to be;
Nor ev'n permits his eyes to stray,
And win acquaintance in their way.
In company, so mean his air,
You scarce are conscious he is there:
'Till from some nook, like sharpen'd steel,
Occurs his face's thin profile.
Still seeming, from the gazer's eye,
Like Venus, newly bath'd, to fly.
Yet while reluctant he displays
His real gems before the blaze,
The fool hath, in its center, plac'd
His tawdry stock of painted paste.
Disus'd to speak, he tries his skill;
Speaks coldly, and succeeds but ill;
His pensive manner, dulness deem'd;
His modesty, reserve esteem'd;
His wit unknown, his learning vain,
He wins not one of all the train.
And those who, mutually known,
In friendship's fairest list had shone,
Less prone, than pebbles, to unite,
Retire to shades from public sight;
Grow savage, quit their social nature;
And starve, to study mutual satire.
You scarce are conscious he is there:
253
Occurs his face's thin profile.
Still seeming, from the gazer's eye,
Like Venus, newly bath'd, to fly.
Yet while reluctant he displays
His real gems before the blaze,
The fool hath, in its center, plac'd
His tawdry stock of painted paste.
Disus'd to speak, he tries his skill;
Speaks coldly, and succeeds but ill;
His pensive manner, dulness deem'd;
His modesty, reserve esteem'd;
His wit unknown, his learning vain,
He wins not one of all the train.
And those who, mutually known,
In friendship's fairest list had shone,
Less prone, than pebbles, to unite,
Retire to shades from public sight;
Grow savage, quit their social nature;
And starve, to study mutual satire.
But friends, and fav'rites, to chagrin them,
Find counties, countries, seas, between them:
Meet once a year, then part, and then
Retiring, wish to meet again.
Find counties, countries, seas, between them:
Meet once a year, then part, and then
Retiring, wish to meet again.
Sick of the thought, let me provide
Some human form to grace my side;
At hand, where'er I shape my course;
An useful, pliant, stalking-horse!
Some human form to grace my side;
At hand, where'er I shape my course;
An useful, pliant, stalking-horse!
No gesture free from some grimace;
No seam, without its share of lace;
But, mark'd with gold or silver either;
Hint where his coat was piec'd together.
His legs be lengthen'd, I advise,
And stockings roll'd abridge his thighs.
What tho' Vandyck had other rules,
What had Vandyck to do with fools?
Be nothing wanting, but his mind;
Before, a solitare; behind,
A twisted ribbon, like the track
Which nature gives an ass's back.
Silent as midnight! pity 'twere
His wisdom's slender wealth to share!
And, whilst in flocks our fancies stray,
To wish the poor man's lamb away.
No seam, without its share of lace;
254
Hint where his coat was piec'd together.
His legs be lengthen'd, I advise,
And stockings roll'd abridge his thighs.
What tho' Vandyck had other rules,
What had Vandyck to do with fools?
Be nothing wanting, but his mind;
Before, a solitare; behind,
A twisted ribbon, like the track
Which nature gives an ass's back.
Silent as midnight! pity 'twere
His wisdom's slender wealth to share!
And, whilst in flocks our fancies stray,
To wish the poor man's lamb away.
This form attracting ev'ry eye,
I strole all unregarded by:
This wards the jokes of ev'ry kind,
As an umbrella sun or wind;
Or, like a spunge, absorbs the sallies,
And pestilential fumes of malice;
Or like a splendid shield is fit
To screen the templar's random wit;
Or what some gentler cits lets fall,
As wool-packs quash the leaden ball.
I strole all unregarded by:
This wards the jokes of ev'ry kind,
As an umbrella sun or wind;
Or, like a spunge, absorbs the sallies,
And pestilential fumes of malice;
Or like a splendid shield is fit
To screen the templar's random wit;
Or what some gentler cits lets fall,
As wool-packs quash the leaden ball.
Allusions these of weaker force,
And apter still the stalking-horse!
And apter still the stalking-horse!
O let me wander all unseen,
Beneath the sanction of his mien!
As lilies soft, as roses fair!
Empty as air-pumps drain'd of air!
With steady eye and pace remark
The speckled flock that haunts the park ;
Level my pen with wond'rous heed
At follies, flocking there to feed:
And, as my satire bursts amain,
See, feather'd fopp'ry strew the plain.
Beneath the sanction of his mien!
As lilies soft, as roses fair!
Empty as air-pumps drain'd of air!
255
The speckled flock that haunts the park ;
Level my pen with wond'rous heed
At follies, flocking there to feed:
And, as my satire bursts amain,
See, feather'd fopp'ry strew the plain.
But when I seek my rural grove,
And snare the peaceful haunts I love,
Let none of this unhallow'd train
My sweet sequester'd paths profane.
Oft may some polish'd virtuous friend
To these soft-winding vales descend;
And, love with me inglorious things,
And scorn with me the pomp of kings:
And check me, when my bosom burns
For statues, paintings, coins and urns.
For I in Damon's pray'r cou'd join,
And Damon's wish might now be mine—
But all dispers'd! the wish, the pray'r,
Are driv'n to mix with common air.
And snare the peaceful haunts I love,
Let none of this unhallow'd train
My sweet sequester'd paths profane.
Oft may some polish'd virtuous friend
To these soft-winding vales descend;
And, love with me inglorious things,
And scorn with me the pomp of kings:
And check me, when my bosom burns
For statues, paintings, coins and urns.
For I in Damon's pray'r cou'd join,
And Damon's wish might now be mine—
But all dispers'd! the wish, the pray'r,
Are driv'n to mix with common air.
| The works, in verse and prose, of William Shenstone, Esq | |