A Collection of Miscellany poems and letters Comical and Serious. By Jo. Harvey |
 |
To the Illustrious Assembly of Ladies at Edinburgh; A POEM Humbly inscrib'd, To the Right Honourable The Ladies Directresses. |
 | A Collection of Miscellany poems and letters |  |
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To the Illustrious Assembly of Ladies at Edinburgh; A POEM Humbly inscrib'd, To the Right Honourable The Ladies Directresses.
Qualis in Eurotæ ripis, aut per juga Cynthi
Exercet Diana choros; quam mille secutæ
Hine atque hinc glomerantur OREADES.—
VIRG.
Exercet Diana choros; quam mille secutæ
Hine atque hinc glomerantur OREADES.—
VIRG.
Shall Heav'n o'er Albion shed so kind a Ray,
And not one Bard salute the blissful Day?
Muses attend! Our zealous Rancour scorn,
And hail, in softest Notes, the joyful Morn!
See! how the Dawn teems with a beauteous Train
Of Angel-Forms, descending on the Plain.
In Sylvan Shapes the Nymphs divine appear,
Out-bloom the Spring, and brighten all the Year.
And not one Bard salute the blissful Day?
Muses attend! Our zealous Rancour scorn,
And hail, in softest Notes, the joyful Morn!
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Of Angel-Forms, descending on the Plain.
In Sylvan Shapes the Nymphs divine appear,
Out-bloom the Spring, and brighten all the Year.
Their sacred Souls Celestial Vertue arms;
Awful their Beauties, and severe their Charms!
By Heav'n commission'd to instruct our Dames,
Direct their Thoughts, and regulate their Flames;
To guide the unexperienc'd Virgin o'er
Those Shelves o' Life their Virtue shun'd before;
To calm our Heats, allay seditious Jars,
And finish all our dire religious Wars.
Awful their Beauties, and severe their Charms!
By Heav'n commission'd to instruct our Dames,
Direct their Thoughts, and regulate their Flames;
To guide the unexperienc'd Virgin o'er
Those Shelves o' Life their Virtue shun'd before;
To calm our Heats, allay seditious Jars,
And finish all our dire religious Wars.
Hail, happy Day! For ever white appear,
Great Festival, and Glory of our Year!
Thrice happy Day! in which kind Heav'n takes Care
T'unite all Principles amongst the Fair!
No more shall Whig and Tory kindle Wars,
Distract our Morals, and divide our Pray'rs,
Names here on Earth to diff'rent Int'rests giv'n,
But all our Int'rests are the same in Heav'n.
Great Festival, and Glory of our Year!
Thrice happy Day! in which kind Heav'n takes Care
T'unite all Principles amongst the Fair!
No more shall Whig and Tory kindle Wars,
Distract our Morals, and divide our Pray'rs,
Names here on Earth to diff'rent Int'rests giv'n,
But all our Int'rests are the same in Heav'n.
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Hail, Goddesses! Behold th'attending Train
Of Nymphs and Swains that grace th'enamel'd Plain!
In various Pastimes roam amidst the Shades,
Sport on the Lawns, or trip alongst the Glades.
Each Goddess here her heav'nly Gifts imparts,
And fills with gen'rous Thoughts their Virgin-hearts.
Amidst Ambrosial Repasts, in the Groves,
Refines their Tastes, and all their Souls improves:
Or where the Choirs on yonder Plains advance,
And in bright Measures grace the num'rous Dance;
A guardian Goddess still attends the Fair,
Corrects their Motions, and improves their Air,
With conscious Worth their Virgin-bosoms warms,
Exalts each Grace, and doubles all their Charms!
Of Nymphs and Swains that grace th'enamel'd Plain!
In various Pastimes roam amidst the Shades,
Sport on the Lawns, or trip alongst the Glades.
Each Goddess here her heav'nly Gifts imparts,
And fills with gen'rous Thoughts their Virgin-hearts.
Amidst Ambrosial Repasts, in the Groves,
Refines their Tastes, and all their Souls improves:
Or where the Choirs on yonder Plains advance,
And in bright Measures grace the num'rous Dance;
A guardian Goddess still attends the Fair,
Corrects their Motions, and improves their Air,
With conscious Worth their Virgin-bosoms warms,
Exalts each Grace, and doubles all their Charms!
Go on, kind Guardian-Powers, let Albion's Fair
Your Thoughts employ, and be your heav'nly Care.
As the bright Stars, in shining Rounds above,
Guided by their Intelligences, move;
Inform'd by Angel-Pow'rs, unerring roll
Round the vast Circle of the azure Pole:
Guided by you, so shall our Stars below,
(That with more bright, more heav'nly Radiance glow)
The shining Rounds of Virtue nobly run,
And greatly finish what you have begun;
By you inform'd, shall grace each Scene of Life,
The lovely Virgin, and more lovely Wife.
'Till late, with yours, their Souls shall upward fly,
The Earth abandon, to adorn the Sky.
Your Thoughts employ, and be your heav'nly Care.
As the bright Stars, in shining Rounds above,
Guided by their Intelligences, move;
Inform'd by Angel-Pow'rs, unerring roll
Round the vast Circle of the azure Pole:
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(That with more bright, more heav'nly Radiance glow)
The shining Rounds of Virtue nobly run,
And greatly finish what you have begun;
By you inform'd, shall grace each Scene of Life,
The lovely Virgin, and more lovely Wife.
'Till late, with yours, their Souls shall upward fly,
The Earth abandon, to adorn the Sky.
| A Collection of Miscellany poems and letters | |