University of Virginia Library

Hence melancholy, care and sorrow,
My heart defers you till to-morrow;
I have no room within my breast
For any dull, cold, lifeless guest—
But hither come, life raising joy,
In likeness of a laughing boy.
Thy temples crown'd with op'ning flow'rs,
The late produce of vernal show'rs;
Around thy shoulders let there be
An azure mantle light and free;
Part shall thy graceful body bind,
And part shall loosely flow behind;
With thee let soft breezes bring
Choicest odours of the spring.

Frolic, frisky, wanton, gay,
Round and round thee let them play;
Toss thy garment high in air;
Wave thy loose luxuriant hair,
Or court the flow'rs that crown thy head
Enliv'ning sweets around to spread.
As thou thus approach'st me nigher
Let me hear the warbling lyre;
Graceful use the springy quill,
Touch it with superior skill;
But not to such soft languid airs,
Soothing sorrows, soothing cares,
With which the silly singing swain
Proclaims imaginary pain.
But strike me up sounds brisk and gay,
Sounds that may steal my soul away;
Make a soft glow of gladness rise,
And show thee sparkling in mine eyes.

Thus attend me whilst I stray;
Wild as fancy leads the way,
Over valley, hill, and plain
To the ocean's wild domain:
O'er the wild seas far extending
Let me see the world's arch bending,
And behold with wond'ring eye
The rounded globe, the meeting sky;
Where the white clouds swimming low
Drink the waters as they go;
Where the sun soft dews and rain
Exhales to shed on earth again;
Whence skim the dusky shades away
Before the splendid source of day;
Or where the silver queen of night,
First tips the trembling deep with light.

Or let me stray through the waving groves
Where the turtle cooes her loves.
Where the linnet's warbling lay
Still attends my flow'ry way;
And the lark's melodious song
Charms me as I go along:
Or let me pause and view the scene,
The blooming vales, the hillocks green;
The stream, that winding in meanders,
Thro' the tufted meadow wanders;
The fields where flocks in safety stray,
And harmless lambkins sport and play.

Behold far off, with roaming eye,
Between two oaks a cot I spy,
Where Darby sits beside the door,
Nor envies kings their royal store:
Whilst Joan, a matron staid and sage,
Remains the comfort of his age;
And Phillis near, with voice so sweet,
Phillis their hand-maid, spruce and neat,
Cheers their old hearts with merry song,
And spins and sings the whole day long.

And here beneath a friendly shade
The am'rous swain is careless laid:
On oaten pipe he loves to play
And wear the tedious hours away;
Till Dolly leaves her flock behind
Her faithful Thyrsis here to find:
And there behold with anxious look
The wiley shepherd baits his hook:
The sportive fish, that nimbly glide
And cut with silver fins the tide,
Caught by his art, now helpless lie,
And flutter, pant, and gasp and die.

Thus let me pass the summer days
In blithsome scenes and jocund ease:
But when bleak winter comes amain,
With all his sullen vap'ry train,
Abroad his snowy mantle spreads,
And rattles hail stones o'er our heads;
Then, when the groves delight no more
Nor songsters warble as before,
But ev'ry verdant shelter's lost,
Nipt by the blasting wind and frost;
Soon as the stream thro' flow'ry ways
No more in pleasing murmurs strays,
But firmly bound to either side
In icy chains, forgets to glide;
Quick let me shun the horrid sight,
And to the city take my flight;
Where mirth knows one continual round
And pleasures ever gay abound:
Attend me, joy, attend me there,
And let thy presence banish care.
Oh! lead me where the chearful fire
Doth burn, and jest and wit inspire;
Whilst the slow revolving night
Leaves ample room for long delight.
Meanwhile let Bacchus, jolly boy!
Be found thy bon-companion, joy:
Let num'rous friends surround the hearth,
Devoted all to glee and mirth;
Where never sorrow dare appear,
Or thought intense, or gloomy care:
But all airy light and free—
Glad vot'ries all to jollity:
Whilst wit doth still with laughter join,
And open hearts are caus'd by wine.

Or whilst the rigid winter yields,
Prospects of ice and snowy fields,
Soon as the hasty short-liv'd day
In the red west withdraws her ray,
And glitt'ring stars with feeble light,
Bedeck the sable garb of night.

Quick to the ball-room, joy, repair,
For thou wilt hardly miss me there;
Where the promiscuous sparkling throng
The gayly jocund scene prolong:
Where art with native beauty joins,
And each victorious fair one shines
In all the pomp, in all the show,
That dress can give and mirth bestow.
Here in full glory may be seen
Zaphyria riv'ling beauty's queen;
Around her press the less'ning throng
To hear the music of her tongue
And whilst in Celia's robes we find
A noble air, a taste refin'd;
More pow'rful charms her features wear,
For Cupid keeps his revels there:
Soft blushes in her cheeks arise,
And love looks languid in her eyes.

Meanwhile gay wit the time beguiles,
With humours quaint and simp'ring smiles.
Dick flaunts it in his tinsel'd coat,
And Ned speaks tender lines by rote;
Chloe with blushes seems to hear
Her love-sick Damon sighing near;
Whilst Mira both their thoughts descries,
And reads soft souls in tell-tale eyes.

But hark! the music's sudden sound
Spreads universal gladness round;
Joy lightens quick in ev'ry face,
An instant buz fills all the place:
And now prepared on either hand,
The beaux and belles in order stand:
And now they trip the merry dance,
And to quick movements smoothly glance.
Each fair her partner leads astray,
Thro' a long labyrinthian way;
Each swain his flying fair pursues,
Who still the pleasing toil renews.

Me the shrill soaring sounds inspire,
With transports that can rise no higher;
My body skims along the floor,
I feel my willing feet no more:
The music lends me wings; and I
In waving motions seem to fly:
And beaux and belles and tapers bright,
Swim undistinguish'd in my sight.

If such thy pleasures, smiling joy,
Oh! may'st thou e'er my mind employ;
Dawn in my breast perpetual day,
And chase intruding care away.