 | Poems upon various subjects |  |
133
ON THE SAME [ON PHŒBE].
O early plant of tender years,Beauty that blooms at once, and bears!
Discretion mixt with sprightly wit,
And innocence with taste polite,
A chearful, yet discerning mind,
And dignity with softness join'd;
While these assembled charms are seen
All in the compass of fifteen,
Maturer age abash'd declares,
Wisdom is not the growth of years:
No, 'tis a ray that darts from heav'n,
Perfection is not taught, but giv'n.
Let others by degrees advance,
'Till folly ripen into sense;
Phœbe consummate from her birth
In artless charms, and native worth,
Has all the virtues years enjoy,
With all the graces they destroy.
| Poems upon various subjects | |