The works of Allan Ramsay :: :: University of Virginia Library

Joy to the Bridegroom, Prince of Clyde,
Lang may his Bliss and Greatness blossom;
Joy to his virtuous charming Bride,
Who gains this Day his Grace's Bosom.

Appear, great Genius of his Line,
And bear a Part in the Rejoicing;
Behold your Ward, by Powers Divine,
Join'd with a Mate of their ain choosing.

Forsake a while the Cyprian Scene,
Fair Queen of Smiles and saft Embraces,
And hither come, with a' your Train
Of Beauties, Loves, and Sports, and Graces.

Come, Hymen, bless their Nuptial Vow,
And them with mutual Joys inspire.
Descend, Minerva, for 'tis you
With Virtue beets the haly Fire.

At the Close of this Song, enters the Genius of the Family, clad in a Scarlet Robe, with a Duke's Coronet on his Head, a Shield on his left Arm, with the proper Bearing of Hamilton.

GENIUS.
Fair Mistris of harmonious Sounds, we hear
Thy Invitation gratefu' to the Ear;
Of a' the Gods, who from the Olympian Height
Bow down their Heads, and in thy Notes delight,
Jove keeps this Day in his Imperial Dome,
And I to lead th'invited Guests am come.

Enter Venus, attended by three Graces, with Minerva and Hymen, all in their proper Dresses.
CALLIOPE.
Welcome, ye bright Divinities, that guard
The Brave and Fair, and faithfu' Love reward;
All hail, immortal Progeny of Jove,
Who plant, preserve and prosper sacred Love.

GENIUS.
Be still auspicious to th'united Pair,
And let their purest Pleasures be your Care;
Your Stores of genial Blessings here employ,
To crown th'Illustrious Youth and Fair-ane's Joy.

VENUS.
I'll breathe eternal Sweets in ev'ry Air;
HE shall look always Great, SHE ever Fair;
Kind Rays shall mix the Sparkles of his Eye,
Round her the Loves in smiling Crowds shall fly,
And bear frae ilka Glance, on douny Wings,
Into his ravish'd Heart the saftest Things:
And soon as Hymen has perform'd his Rites,
I'll show'r on them my hale Idalian Sweets
They shall possess,
In each Caress,
Delights shall tire
The Muses Sire,
In highest Numbers to express.

HYMEN.
I'll busk their Bow'r, and lay them gently down,
Syne ilka langing Wish with Raptures crown;
The gloomy Nights shall ne'er unwelcome prove,
That leads them to the silent Scenes of Love.

The Sun at Morn shall dart his kindest Rays,
To chear and animate each dear Embrace:
Fond of the Fair, he falds her in his Arms;
She blushes secret, conscious of her Charms.
Rejoice, brave Youth,
In sic a Fouth
Of Joys the Gods for thee provide;
The rosy Dawn,
The flow'ry Lawn,
That Spring has dress'd in a' its Pride,
Claim nae Regard
When they're compar'd
With blooming Beauties of thy Bride.

MINERVA.
Fairest of a' the Goddesses, and thou
That links the Lovers to be ever true,
The Gods and Mortals awn your mighty Power,
But 'tis not you can make their Sweets secure:
That be my Task, to make a Friendship rise,
Shall raise their Loves aboon the vulgar Size.
Those near related to the brutal Kind,
Ken nathing of the Wedlock of the Mind;
'Tis I can make a Life a hinny Moon,
And mould a Love shall last like that aboon.
A' these sma' Springs, whence cauld Reserve and Spleen
Take their first Rise, and favour'd flow mair keen,
I shall discover in a proper View,
To keep their Joys unmix'd, and ever new.
Nor Jealousy, nor envious Mouth,
Shall dare to blast their Love;
But Wisdom, Constancy and Truth,
Shall ev'ry Bliss improve.

GENIUS.
Thrice happy Chief, sae much the Care
Of a' the Family of Jove,
A thousand Blessings wait the Fair,
Who is found worthy of his Love.
Lang may the fair Attractions of her Mind
Make Her still lovelier, Him for ever kind.

MINERVA.
The Ancestors of mightiest Chiefs and Kings,
Nae higher can derive than humane Springs;
Yet frae the common Soil each wondrous Root,
Aloft to Heaven their spreading Branches shoot:
Bauld in my Aid, these triumph'd over Fate,
Fam'd for unbounded Thought or stern Debate,
Born high upon an undertaking Mind,
Superior raise, and left the Crowd behind.

GENIUS.

Frae these descending, laurel'd with Renown,
My Charge throw Ages draws his Lineage down.
The Paths of sic Forbeers lang may He trace,
And She be Mother to as fam'd a Race.

When blew Diseases fill the drumly Air,
And red het Bowts throw Flaughts of Lightning rair,
Or madning Faction shakes the sanguine Sword,
With watchfu' Eye I'll tent my darling Lord,
And his lov'd Mate,—tho' Furies shou'd break loose,
Awake or sleeping, shall enjoy Repose.

I. GRACE.
While Gods keep Haly-day, and Mortals smile,
Let Nature with Delights adorn the Isle:
Be hush, bauld North, Favonius only blaw,
And cease, bleak Clouds, to shed or Weet or Snaw;
Shine bright, thou radiant Ruler of the Year,
And gar the Spring with earlier Pride appear.

II. GRACE.
Thy Month, great Queen of Goddesses, make gay,
Which gains new Honours frae this Marriage Day.
On Glotta's Banks, ye healthfu' Hynds, resort,
And with the Landart Lasses blythly sport.

III. GRACE.
Wear your best Faces and your Sunday's Weeds,
And rouse the Dance with your maist tunefu' Reeds;
Let tunefu' Voices join the rural Sound,
And wake responsive Echo all around.

I. GRACE.
Sing your great Master, Scotia's eldest Son,
And the lov'd Angel that his Heart has won;
Come, Sisters, let's frae Arts hale Stores collect
Whatever can her native Beauties deck,
That in the Day she may eclipse the Light,
And ding the Constellations of the Night.

VENUS.
Cease, busy Maids, your artfu' Buskings raise,
But small Addition to her genuine Rays;
Tho' ilka Plain and ilka Sea combine
To make her with their richest Product shine,

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Her lip, her Bosom, and her sparkling Een,
Excel the Ruby, Pearl, and Diamond sheen:
These lesser Ornaments, illustrious Bride,
As Bars to safter Blessings, fling aside,
Steal frae them sweetly to your Nuptial Bed,
As frae its Body slides the sainted Shade;
Frae loath'd Restraint to Liberty above,
Where all is Harmony, and all is Love:
Haste to these Blessings,—kiss the Night away,
And make it ten times pleasanter than Day.

HYMEN.
The Whisper and Caress shall shorten Hours,
While kindly as the Beams on dewy Flowers;
Thy Sun, like him who the fresh Bevrage sips,
Shall feast upon the Sweetness of thy Lips:
My haly Hand maun chastly now unloose
That Zone which a' thy Virgin Charms enclose:
That Zone shou'd be less gratefu' to the Fair
Than easy Bands of safter Wedlock are.
That lang unbuckled grows a hatefu' thing,
The langer These are bound, they mair of Honour bring.

MINERVA.
Yes, happy Pair, what e'er the Gods inspire,
Pursue, and gratify each just Desire:
Enjoy your Passions, with full Transports mixt;
But still observe the Bounds by Vertue fixt.

Enter
BACCHUS.
What brings Minerva here this rantin Night?
She's good for nathing but to preach or fight:
Is this a Time for either!—Swith away,
Or learn like us to be a thought mair gay.

101

MINERVA.
Peace, Theban Roarer, while the milder Powers
Give Entertainment, there's nae need of yours;
The pure Reflection of our calmer Joys
Has mair of Heaven than a' thy flashy Noise.

BACCHUS.
Ye canna want it, Faith! You that appear
Anes at a Bridal but in twenty Year:
A Ferly 'tis your Dortiship to see;
But where was e'er a Wedding without me?
Blew Een, remember, I'm baith Hap and Saul
To Venus there, but me she'd starve o' Caul.

VENUS.
We awn the Truth,—Minerva, cease to check
Our jolly Brother with your Disrespect;
He's never absent at the Treats of Jove,
And shou'd be present at this Feast of Love.

GENIUS.
Maist welcome Power, that chears the vital Streams,
When Pallas guards thee frae thy wild Extremes;
Thy rosy Visage at these solemn Rites,
My generous Charge with open Smiling greets.

BACCHUS.
I'm nae great Dab at Speeches that maun clink,
But there's my Paw I shall fou tightly drink
A hearty Health to thir same lovely Twa,
That are sae meikle dauted by you a';
Then with my Juice a reeming Bicquor crown,
I'll gie the Toast, and see it fairly round.

102

Enter Ganymed, with a Flagon in one Hand, and a Glass in the other,—speaks.
[GANYMED.]
To you, blyth Beings, the benign Director
Of Gods and Men,—to keep your Sauls in tift,—
Has sent you here a Present of his Nectar,
As good as e'er was browen aboon the Lift.

BACCHUS.

Ha, Gany! Come, my dainty Boy,
Skink 't up, and let us prive;
Without it Life wad be a Toy:
Here, gi'e me't in my Nive.

(Takes the Glass)

Good Health to Hamilton, and his
Lov'd Mate:—O Father Jove, we crave
Thou'lt grant them a lang Tack of Bliss,
And Rowth of bonny Bairns and brave.

Pour on them, frae thy endless Store,
A' Bennisons that are divine,
With as good Will as I waught o'er
This flowing Glass of heav'nly Wine.

(Drinks, and causes all the Company to drink round.)

Come, see 't about, and syne let's all advance,
Mortals and Gods be Pairs, and tak a Dance;
Minerva mim, for a' your Morals stoor,
Ye shall with Billy Bacchus fit the Floor:
Play up there, Lassie, some blyth Scottish Tune,
Syne a' be blyth, when Wine and Wit gae round.

The Health about, Musick and Dancing begin.—The Dancing over before her Grace retires with the Ladies to be undress'd; Calliope sings the

EPITHALAMIUM.

Bright is the Low of Lawfu' Love,
Which shining Sauls impart;
It to Perfection mounts above,
And glows about the Heart.

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It is the Flame gives lasting Worth,
To Greatness, Beauty, Wealth, and Birth,—
On You, illustrious youthfu' Pair,
Who are high Heavens Delight and Care;
The blessfu' Beam darts warm and fair,
And shall improve the rest
Of a' these Gifts baith great and rare,
Of which ye are possest.

BACCHUS, bear off your dinsome Gang,
Hark, frae yon Howms the rural Thrang
Invite you now away;
While ilka Hynd,
And Maiden kind,
Dance in a Ring,
While Shepherds sing
In Honour of the Day;
Gae drink and dance
Till Morn advance,
And set the twinkling Fires,
While we prepare
To lead the Fair
And Brave to their Desires.

Gae, Loves and Graces, take your Place,
Around the Nuptial Bed abide;
Fair Venus heighten each Embrace,
And smoothly make their Minutes slide.
Gae, Hymen, put the Couch in Case,
Minerva thither lead the Bride;
Neist, all attend his youthfu' Grace,
And lay him sweetly by her Side.

An unknown ingenious Friend did me the Honour of the following Introduction to the London Edition of this Masque; and being a Poet, my Vanity will be pardoned for incerting of it here.

“The present Poem being a Revival of a good old Form of Poetry in high Repute with us, it may not be amiss to say something of a Diversion once so agreeable, and so long interrupted, or disused. The Original of Masques seems to be an Imitation of the Interludes of the Ancients, presented on Occasion of some Ceremony performed in a great and noble Family. The Actors in this Kind of Half-Dramatic Poetry have formerly been even Kings, Princes, and the first Personages of the Kingdom; and in private Families, the noblest and nearest Branches. The Machinery was of the greatest Magnificence; very shewy, costly, and not uncommonly contrived by the ablest Architects, as well as the best Poets. Thus we see in Ben. Johnson the Name of Inigo Jones, and the same in Carew; whether as the Modeller only, or as Poet in Conjunction with them, seems to be doubtful, there being nothing of our English Vitruvius left (that I know of) that places him in the Class of Writers. These Shews we trace backwards as far as Henry VIII, from thence to Q. Elizabeth, and her Successor K. James, who was both a great Encourager and Admirer of them. The last Masque, and the best ever written, was that of Milton, presented at Ludlow Castle, in the Praise of which no Words can be too many: And I remember to have heard the late excellent Mr Addison agree with me in that Opinion. Coronations, Princely Nuptials, Public Feasts, the Entertainment of foreign Quality, were the usual Occasions of this Performance, and the best Poet of the Age was courted to be the Author. Mr. Ramsay has made a noble and successful Attempt to revive this kind of Poesy, on a late celebrated Account, And tho' he is often to be admired in all his Writings, yet, I think, never more than in his present Composition. A particular Friend gave it a Second Edition in England, which, I fancy, the Public will agree that it deserved.”