The Works of John Hookham Frere In Verse and Prose ::

You that from the mother's side,
Lead the lingering, blushing bride,
Fair Urania's son—
Leave awhile the lonely mount,
The haunted grove and holy fount
Of chilling Helicon.

II

With myrtle wreaths enweave thy hair—
Wave the torch aloft in air—
Make no long delay:
With flowing robe and footsteps light,
And gilded buskins glancing bright,
Hither bend thy way.

III

Join at once, with airy vigour,
In the dance's varied figure,
To the cymbal's chime:
Frolic unrestrain'd and free—
Let voice, and air, and verse agree,
And the torch beat time.

IV

Hymen come, for Julia
Weds with Manlius to-day,
And deigns to be a bride.
Such a form as Venus wore
In the contest famed of yore,
On Mount Ida's side;

V

Like the myrtle or the bay,
Florid, elegant, and gay,
With foliage fresh and new;

459

Which the nymphs and forest maids
Have foster'd in sequester'd shades,
With drops of holy dew.

VI

Leave, then, all the rocks and cells
Of the deep Aonian dells,
And the caverns hoar;
And the dreary streams that weep
From the stony Thespian steep,
Dripping evermore.

VII

Haste away to new delights,
To domestic happy rites,
Human haunts and ways;
With a kindly charm applied,
Soften and appease the bride,
And shorten our delays.

VIII

Bring her hither, bound to move,
Drawn and led with bands of love,
Like the tender twine
Which the searching ivy plies,
Clinging in a thousand ties
O'er the clasping vine.

IX

Gentle virgins, you besides,
Whom the like event betides,
With the coming year;
Call on Hymen! call him now!
Call aloud! A virgin vow
Best befits his ear.

X

“Is there any deity
“More beloved and kind than he—
“More disposed to bless;
“Worthy to be worshipp'd more;
“Master of a richer store,
“Of wealth and happiness?

460

XI

“Youth and age alike agree,
“Serving and adoring thee,
“The source of hope and care:
“Care and hope alike engage
“The wary parent sunk in age
“And the restless heir.

XII

“She the maiden, half afraid,
“Hears the new proposal made,
“That proceeds from Thee;
“You resign and hand her over
“To the rash and hardy lover
“With a fixt decree.

XIII

“Hymen, Hymen, you preside,
“Maintaining honour and the pride
“Of women free from blame,
“With a solemn warrant given,
“Is there any power in heaven
“That can do the same?

XIV

“Love, accompanied by thee,
“Passes unreproved and free,
“But without thee, not:
“Where on earth, or in the sky,
“Can you find a deity
“With a fairer lot?

XV

“Heirship in an honour'd line
“Is sacred as a gift of thine,
“But without thee, not:
“Where on earth, or in the sky,
“Can you find a deity
“With a fairer lot?

XVI

“Rule and empire—royalty,
“Are rightful, as derived from thee,
“But without thee, not:

461

“Where on earth, or in the sky,
“Can you find a deity
“With a fairer lot?”

XVII

Open locks! unbar the gate!
Behold the ready troop that wait
The coming of the bride;
Behold the torches, how they flare!
Spreading aloft their sparkling hair,
Flashing far and wide.

XVIII

Lovely maiden! here we waste
The timely moments;—Come in haste!
Come then. . . . Out, alack!
Startled at the glare and din,
She retires to weep within,
Lingering, hanging back.

XIX

Bashful honour and regret,
For a while detain her yet,
Lingering, taking leave:
Taking leave and lingering still,
With a slow, reluctant will,
With grief that does not grieve.

XX

Aurunculeia, cease your tears,
And when to-morrow's morn appears,
Fear not that the sun
Will dawn upon a fairer face,—
Nor in his airy, lofty race
Behold a lovelier one.

462

XXI

“Mark and hear us, gentle bride;
“Behold the torches nimbly plied,
Waving here and there;
“Along the street and in the porch,
“See the fiery tressed torch,
“Spreads its sparkling hair.

XXII

“Like a lily, fair and chaste,
“Lovely bride, you shall be placed
“In a garden gay,
“A wealthy lord's delight and pride;
“Come away then, happy bride,
“Hasten, hence away!

XXIII

“Mark and hear us—he your Lord,
“Will be true at bed and board,
“Nor ever walk astray,
“Withdrawing from your lovely side;
“Mark and hear us, gentle bride,
“Hasten, hence away!

XXIV

“Like unto the tender vine,
“He shall ever clasp and twine,
“Clinging night and day,
“Fairly bound and firmly tied;
“Come away then, happy bride,
“Hasten, hence away!

XXV

Happy chamber, happy bed,
Can the joys be told or said
That await you soon;
Fresh renewals of delight,
In the silent fleeting night
And the summer noon.

463

XXVI

Make ready. There I see within
The bride is veiled; the guests begin
To muster close and slow:
Trooping onward close about,
Boys, be ready with a shout—
“Hymen! Hymen! Ho!”

XXVII

Now begins the free career,—
For many a jest and many a jeer,
And many a merry saw;
Customary taunts and gibes,
Such as ancient use prescribes,
And immemorial law.

XXVIII

“Some at home, it must be feared,
“Will be slighted and cashiered,
“Pride will have a fall;
“Now the favourites' reign is o'er,
“Proud enough they were before,—
“Proud and nice withal.

XXIX

“Full of pride and full of scorn,
Now you see them clipt and shorn,
“Humbler in array;
“Sent away, for fear of harm,
“To the village or the farm,—
“Packed in haste away.

XXX

“Other doings must be done,
“Another empire is begun,
“Behold your own domain!
“Gentle bride! Behold it there!
“The lordly palace proud and fair:—
“You shall live and reign,

XXXI

“In that rich and noble house,
“Till age shall silver o'er the brows,
“And nod the trembling head,

464

“Not regarding what is meant,
“Incessant uniform assent,
“To all that's done or said.

XXXII

“Let the faithful threshold greet,
“With omens fair, those lovely feet,
“Lightly lifted o'er;
“Let the garlands wave and bow
“From the lofty lintel's brow
“That bedeck the door.”

XXXIII

See the couch with crimson dress—
Where, seated in the deep recess,
With expectation warm,
The bridegroom views her coming near,—
The slender youth that led her here
May now release her arm.

XXXIV

With a fixt intense regard
He beholds her close and hard
In awful interview:
Shortly now she must be sped
To the chamber and the bed,
With attendance due.

XXXV

Let the ancient worthy wives,
That have past their constant lives
With a single mate,
As befits advised age,
With council and precaution sage
Assist and regulate.

XXXVI

She the mistress of the band
Comes again with high command,
“Bridegroom, go your way;
“There your bride is in the bower,
“Like a lovely lily flower,
“Or a rose in May.

465

XXXIX

“Ay, and you yourself in truth,
“Are a goodly comely youth,
“Proper, tall, and fair;
“Venus and the Graces too,
“Have befriended each of you
“For a lovely pair.

XL

“There you go! may Venus bless,
“Such as you with good success
“In the lawful track;
“You that, in an honest way,
“Purchase in the face of day,
“Whatsoe'er you lack.”

XLI

Sport your fill and never spare—
Let us have an infant heir
Of the noble name;
Such a line should ever last,
As it has for ages past,
Another and the same.

XLII

Fear not! with the coming year,
The new Torquatus will be here,
Him we soon shall see
With infant gesture fondly seek
To reach his father's manly cheek,
From his mother's knee.

XLIII

With laughing eyes and dewy lip,
Pouting like the purple tip
That points the rose's bud;
While mingled with the mother's grace,
Strangers shall recognise the trace
That marks the Manlian blood.

466

XLIV

So the mother's fair renown
Shall betimes adorn and crown
The child with dignity,
As we read in stories old
Of Telemachus the bold,
And chaste Penelope.

XLV

Now the merry task is o'er
Let us hence and close the door,
While loud adieus are paid;
“Live in honour, love and truth,
“And exercise your lusty youth,
“In matches fairly played.”

University of Virginia Library

Carm. LXI.—Collis o Heliconei, &c.

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