The three tours of Doctor Syntax In search of 1. The picturesque, 2. Of consolation, 3. Of a wife. The text complete. [By William Combe] With four illustrations |
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 | The three tours of Doctor Syntax |  |
—The afternoon they stroll'd away, In various chit-chat, grave and gay,
And time brought on the close of day;
When Syntax begg'd she would make known
“Any commands she had in town,
As early on the following day, Thither he must direct his way.”
“O,” she replied, “I will commend
Your Rev'rence to my charming friend
Dear Mrs. Briskit, whom I've known
Since I was taught to walk alone.
In her I know that you will find Good manners and a fashion'd mind:
But if she has a fault, Heav'n bless her,
'Tis the high spirits which possess her:
She'll laugh with you in endless glee At my high-flown Astronomy!
Though, as her husband's lately sent On business to the Continent,
She sees 'till his return but few: Yet this I know, with honour due,
Her door will open be to you.
—And now I think on't there's another
To whom without or form or pother
I must, dear Doctor, introduce you:
O how that dear girl will amuse you!
My sweet Miss Pallet, she is one,
To whom, my friend, you must be known,
A female Artist, whose fair name Is rising rapidly to fame,
And all the paintings round the room
Did from her earliest pencil come:
Her works you will with pleasure view,
Nay, you can give instruction too.
My fond hopes wait on her success, As I was her first patroness;
And she my friendship will commend,
When I present her such a friend.”
While she these kindly passports wrote,
He did the passing time devote
To a small volume, whose rich page Would his delighted mind engage,
And when her scribbling work was done,
He thus his farewell thoughts made known:
“—As your pen mov'd, by chance I took
From off your shelves a fav'rite book,
Of solemn bards the boasted pride,
You know him well, 'tis Akenside—
And in his high-wrought work you'll see
Fancy rob'd in Philosophy, What that pow'r is and ought to be;
And in its page the Muses show What Fancy does to reason owe:
Nay, there a lesson may be known
How you, fair dame, may guide your own.
—And as my grateful thanks I tell, And while I humbly say, farewell,
Your gracious kindness may receive
The faithful counsel which I give.—
Like poor Sir John's advising friend, I would not dare to recommend
That you should venture to destroy The apparatus you employ,
But lock the door of that high story,
Which forms your learn'd Observatory;
Against the stars at once rebel, And throw the KEY into a WELL.”
And time brought on the close of day;
When Syntax begg'd she would make known
“Any commands she had in town,
As early on the following day, Thither he must direct his way.”
“O,” she replied, “I will commend
Your Rev'rence to my charming friend
Dear Mrs. Briskit, whom I've known
Since I was taught to walk alone.
In her I know that you will find Good manners and a fashion'd mind:
But if she has a fault, Heav'n bless her,
'Tis the high spirits which possess her:
She'll laugh with you in endless glee At my high-flown Astronomy!
Though, as her husband's lately sent On business to the Continent,
She sees 'till his return but few: Yet this I know, with honour due,
Her door will open be to you.
—And now I think on't there's another
To whom without or form or pother
I must, dear Doctor, introduce you:
O how that dear girl will amuse you!
My sweet Miss Pallet, she is one,
To whom, my friend, you must be known,
332
And all the paintings round the room
Did from her earliest pencil come:
Her works you will with pleasure view,
Nay, you can give instruction too.
My fond hopes wait on her success, As I was her first patroness;
And she my friendship will commend,
When I present her such a friend.”
While she these kindly passports wrote,
He did the passing time devote
To a small volume, whose rich page Would his delighted mind engage,
And when her scribbling work was done,
He thus his farewell thoughts made known:
“—As your pen mov'd, by chance I took
From off your shelves a fav'rite book,
Of solemn bards the boasted pride,
You know him well, 'tis Akenside—
And in his high-wrought work you'll see
Fancy rob'd in Philosophy, What that pow'r is and ought to be;
And in its page the Muses show What Fancy does to reason owe:
Nay, there a lesson may be known
How you, fair dame, may guide your own.
—And as my grateful thanks I tell, And while I humbly say, farewell,
Your gracious kindness may receive
The faithful counsel which I give.—
Like poor Sir John's advising friend, I would not dare to recommend
That you should venture to destroy The apparatus you employ,
But lock the door of that high story,
Which forms your learn'd Observatory;
Against the stars at once rebel, And throw the KEY into a WELL.”
| The three tours of Doctor Syntax | |