The Works, In Verse and Prose, of Leonard Welsted ... Now First Collected. With Historical Notes, And Biographical Memoirs of the Author, by John Nichols |
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VERSES addressed to Mr. WELSTED,
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 | The Works, In Verse and Prose, of Leonard Welsted |  |
97
VERSES addressed to Mr. WELSTED,
From the Briton, Jan. 29, 1723–4.
When Priests usurp'd the offices of State,
And mean subjection was our Monarch's fate;
Then fabled Tales by British Bards were sung;
With roaring Lions every Forest rung:
Dragons and baleful Monsters haunt the plain,
On Virgins feast, nor spare the trembling Swain:
In towers of adamant, Urganda's charms
Detain the Princess from her Hero's arms;
'Till some adventurous Knight, in prowess bold,
By Fate conducted to the magic-hold,
Destroys the hideous Giant, frees the Fair;
And raises mourning Beauty from despair.
And mean subjection was our Monarch's fate;
Then fabled Tales by British Bards were sung;
With roaring Lions every Forest rung:
Dragons and baleful Monsters haunt the plain,
On Virgins feast, nor spare the trembling Swain:
In towers of adamant, Urganda's charms
Detain the Princess from her Hero's arms;
'Till some adventurous Knight, in prowess bold,
By Fate conducted to the magic-hold,
Destroys the hideous Giant, frees the Fair;
And raises mourning Beauty from despair.
With Superstition these chimæras fled,
And ancient Learning rear'd its drooping head;
Old Homer's Gods in Britain's isle are seen,
While Pans and Satyrs frisk it o'er the green.
And ancient Learning rear'd its drooping head;
Old Homer's Gods in Britain's isle are seen,
While Pans and Satyrs frisk it o'er the green.
But you, my Friend, judiciously decline
The aids of magic, or the fabled Nine;
Let no ambitious ornaments appear;
Be just in thought, and in expression clear;
Let Fools with lofty nonsense catch the crowd,
And of unreputable praise be proud:
Thus paint and patches charm the rural 'Squire,
While Nature unadorn'd the few admire.
The aids of magic, or the fabled Nine;
Let no ambitious ornaments appear;
Be just in thought, and in expression clear;
Let Fools with lofty nonsense catch the crowd,
And of unreputable praise be proud:
Thus paint and patches charm the rural 'Squire,
While Nature unadorn'd the few admire.
If e'er your buskin'd Hero tread the Stage,
Like Vanoc, let the fierce old Briton rage.
The fiery Moor in sun-burnt climates born,
By strong desires, and storms of passion torn,
Unskill'd in wiles, unprincipled in art,
Throws out with warmth the transports of his heart.
The talents of each sex regard with care;
No male-perfections let the Fair-one share:
The Stoic Marcia kindles no desire;
But with Monimia's plaints all hearts conspire:
The Grecian Bards will best your labours guide;
But let their Grecian Gods in Greece reside.
Like Vanoc, let the fierce old Briton rage.
The fiery Moor in sun-burnt climates born,
By strong desires, and storms of passion torn,
Unskill'd in wiles, unprincipled in art,
Throws out with warmth the transports of his heart.
98
No male-perfections let the Fair-one share:
The Stoic Marcia kindles no desire;
But with Monimia's plaints all hearts conspire:
The Grecian Bards will best your labours guide;
But let their Grecian Gods in Greece reside.
Through classic land let airy Laurus rove,
With Paphian Venus, and Olympian Jove.
The Fair-one's waste is with a cestos bound:
And nectar in the flowing bowl goes round.
Let Crassus marry, with united voice
The Gods assembled shall approve his choice.
See Evan! see Apollo's beauteous face,
Satyrs, Fauns, Naiads, all the marriage grace.
The gay Coquette has Cytherea's charms,
The Prude (no doubt averse to Love's alarms)
Is chaste as Pallas, Virgin Queen of Arms.
With Paphian Venus, and Olympian Jove.
The Fair-one's waste is with a cestos bound:
And nectar in the flowing bowl goes round.
Let Crassus marry, with united voice
The Gods assembled shall approve his choice.
See Evan! see Apollo's beauteous face,
Satyrs, Fauns, Naiads, all the marriage grace.
The gay Coquette has Cytherea's charms,
The Prude (no doubt averse to Love's alarms)
Is chaste as Pallas, Virgin Queen of Arms.
While these, my Friend, such idol-worship bring,
Fair as the morning, sweet as opening spring,
Zelinda smiles; an artless beauty shows;
The rose in June not half so fragrant blows.
No Goddess born, nor of Idalian race,
Nor kindred Deities her lineage grace:
Earth-born, on Nature's charms the Nymph relies,
Nor draws fictitious graces from the skies:
Pleas'd with her beauteous form, where'er she moves,
All eyes admire, and each beholder loves:
Vain Amoret and Myra quit the field;
Alone to Thulé shall Zelinda yield.
Fair as the morning, sweet as opening spring,
Zelinda smiles; an artless beauty shows;
The rose in June not half so fragrant blows.
No Goddess born, nor of Idalian race,
Nor kindred Deities her lineage grace:
Earth-born, on Nature's charms the Nymph relies,
Nor draws fictitious graces from the skies:
Pleas'd with her beauteous form, where'er she moves,
All eyes admire, and each beholder loves:
Vain Amoret and Myra quit the field;
Alone to Thulé shall Zelinda yield.
Jan. 25.
Anti-Laurus.
| The Works, In Verse and Prose, of Leonard Welsted | |