Poems upon Various Occasions Written for the Entertainment of the author, And Printed for the Amusement Of a few friends, Prejudic'd in his Favour [by William Shenstone] |
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Verses to a Lady.
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 | Poems upon Various Occasions |  |
65
Verses to a Lady.
Together with some Colour'd Patterns of Flowers.
Madam!
Tho' rude the Draughts, tho' artless seem the Lines,
From one unskill'd in Verse, or in Designs;
Oft' has Good-Nature been the Fool's Defence,
And honest Meaning gilded Want of Sense.
From one unskill'd in Verse, or in Designs;
Oft' has Good-Nature been the Fool's Defence,
And honest Meaning gilded Want of Sense.
Fear not, tho' Flow'rs and Beauty grace my Lay,
To praise one Fair, another shall decay.
No Lilly, bright with painted Foliage, here,
Shall only languish, when Selinda's near:
A Fate revers'd no smiling Rose shall know,
Nor with reflected Lustre doubly glow—
Praises, which languish, when apply'd to You,
Where flatt'ring Schemes seem obviously true.
To praise one Fair, another shall decay.
No Lilly, bright with painted Foliage, here,
Shall only languish, when Selinda's near:
A Fate revers'd no smiling Rose shall know,
Nor with reflected Lustre doubly glow—
Praises, which languish, when apply'd to You,
Where flatt'ring Schemes seem obviously true.
Yet sure your Sex is near to Flow'rs ally'd,
Alike in Softness, and alike in Pride:
Foes to retreat, and ever fond to shine,
Both rush to Danger, and the Shades decline;
Expos'd, the short-liv'd Pageants of a Day,
To painted Flies, or glitt'ring Fops a Prey:
Chang'd with each Wind, nor one short Day the same,
Each clouded Sky affects their tender Frame.
In glaring Chloe's man-like Taste and Mien,
Are the gross splendors of the Tulip seen:
Distant they strike, inelegantly gay,
To the near View no pleasing Charms display.
To form the Nymph a vulgar Wit must join,
As coarser Soils will most the Flow'r refine.
Ophelia's Beauties let the Jasmine paint,
Too faintly soft, too nicely elegant.
Around, with seeming Sanctity, endu'd,
The Passion-flow'r may best express the Prude.
Like the gay Rose, too rigid Silvia shines,
While, like it's guardian Thorn, her Virtue joins—
Happy the Nymph! from all their Failures free,
Happy the Nymph! in whom their Charms agree.
Alike in Softness, and alike in Pride:
66
Both rush to Danger, and the Shades decline;
Expos'd, the short-liv'd Pageants of a Day,
To painted Flies, or glitt'ring Fops a Prey:
Chang'd with each Wind, nor one short Day the same,
Each clouded Sky affects their tender Frame.
In glaring Chloe's man-like Taste and Mien,
Are the gross splendors of the Tulip seen:
Distant they strike, inelegantly gay,
To the near View no pleasing Charms display.
To form the Nymph a vulgar Wit must join,
As coarser Soils will most the Flow'r refine.
Ophelia's Beauties let the Jasmine paint,
Too faintly soft, too nicely elegant.
Around, with seeming Sanctity, endu'd,
The Passion-flow'r may best express the Prude.
Like the gay Rose, too rigid Silvia shines,
While, like it's guardian Thorn, her Virtue joins—
Happy the Nymph! from all their Failures free,
Happy the Nymph! in whom their Charms agree.
Faint these Productions, till you bid disclose,
The Pink new Splendors, and fresh Tints the Rose:
And yet condemn not trivial Draughts like these,
Form'd to improve, and make ev'n Trifles please.
A Pow'r like Your's minuter Beauties warms,
And yet can blast the most aspiring Charms:
Thus at the Rays whence other Objects shine,
The Taper sickens, and it's Flames decline.
When by your Art the purple Vi'let lives,
And the pale Lilly sprightlier Charms receives:
Garters to me shall glow inferiour far,
And with less pleasing Lustre shine the Star.
The Pink new Splendors, and fresh Tints the Rose:
And yet condemn not trivial Draughts like these,
Form'd to improve, and make ev'n Trifles please.
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And yet can blast the most aspiring Charms:
Thus at the Rays whence other Objects shine,
The Taper sickens, and it's Flames decline.
When by your Art the purple Vi'let lives,
And the pale Lilly sprightlier Charms receives:
Garters to me shall glow inferiour far,
And with less pleasing Lustre shine the Star.
Let serious Triflers, fond of Wealth or Fame,
On Toils, like these, bestow too soft a Name;
Each gentler Art with wise Indiff'rence view,
And scorn one Trifle, millions to pursue:
More artful I, their specious Schemes deride,
Fond to please you, by you in these employ'd;
A nobler Task, or more sublime Desire
Ambition ne'er cou'd form, nor Pride inspire:
On Toils, like these, bestow too soft a Name;
Each gentler Art with wise Indiff'rence view,
And scorn one Trifle, millions to pursue:
More artful I, their specious Schemes deride,
Fond to please you, by you in these employ'd;
A nobler Task, or more sublime Desire
Ambition ne'er cou'd form, nor Pride inspire:
The Sweets of tranquil Life, and rural Ease
Amuse securely, nor less justly please.
Where gentle Pleasure shews her milder Pow'r,
Or blooms in Fruit, or sparkles in the Flow'r;
Smiles in the Groves, the raptur'd Poet's Theme,
Flows in the Brook, his Naiad of the Stream:
Dawns, with each happier Stroke the Pencil gives,
And, in each livelier Image, smiling lives;
Is heard, when Silvia strikes the warbling Strings,
Selinda speaks, or Philomela sings:
Breaths with the Morn; attends, propitious Maid,
The ev'ning Ramble, and the noon-day Glade:
Some visionary Fair she cheats our View,
Then only vig'rous, when she's seen like You.
Amuse securely, nor less justly please.
Where gentle Pleasure shews her milder Pow'r,
Or blooms in Fruit, or sparkles in the Flow'r;
Smiles in the Groves, the raptur'd Poet's Theme,
Flows in the Brook, his Naiad of the Stream:
Dawns, with each happier Stroke the Pencil gives,
And, in each livelier Image, smiling lives;
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Selinda speaks, or Philomela sings:
Breaths with the Morn; attends, propitious Maid,
The ev'ning Ramble, and the noon-day Glade:
Some visionary Fair she cheats our View,
Then only vig'rous, when she's seen like You.
Yet Nature some for sprightlier Joys design'd,
For brighter Scenes, with nicer Care, refin'd.
When the gay Jewel radiant Streams supplies,
And vivid Brilliants meet your brighter Eyes;
When Dress and Pomp around the Fancy play,
By Fortune's dazling Beauties born away:
When Theatres for you the Scenes forego,
And the Box bows, obsequiously low:
How dull the Plan which Indolence has drawn,
The mossy Grotto, or the flow'ry Lawn!
Tho' roseate Scents in ev'ry Wind exhale,
And silvan Warblers charm in ev'ry Gale.
Of these be HER'S the Choice, whom all approve,
For brighter Scenes, with nicer Care, refin'd.
When the gay Jewel radiant Streams supplies,
And vivid Brilliants meet your brighter Eyes;
When Dress and Pomp around the Fancy play,
By Fortune's dazling Beauties born away:
When Theatres for you the Scenes forego,
And the Box bows, obsequiously low:
How dull the Plan which Indolence has drawn,
The mossy Grotto, or the flow'ry Lawn!
Tho' roseate Scents in ev'ry Wind exhale,
And silvan Warblers charm in ev'ry Gale.
And whom, but those who envy, all must love:
By Nature model'd, by Experience taught,
To know, and pity ev'ry female Fault:
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And blind to none's Perfections, but her own:
Whilst, humble Fair! of these too few she knows,
Yet owns too many for the World's Repose:
From Wit's wild Petulance serenely free,
Yet blest in all that Nature can decree,
Not like a Fire, which, whilst it burns, alarms;
A modest Flame, that gently shines and warms:
Whose Mind, in ev'ry Light, can Charms display,
With Wisdom serious, and with Humour gay:
Just as her Eyes in each bright Posture warm,
And fiercely strike, or languishingly charm:
Such are your Honours—mention'd to your Cost,
Those least can hear them, who deserve them most:
Yet ah! forgive—the less inventive Muse,
If e'er she sing, a copious Theme must chuse.
HARBOROUGH. October 7th, 1736.
| Poems upon Various Occasions | |