Occasional Poems Translations, Fables, Tales, &c. By William Somervile |
 |
The Miser's Speech:
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
 | Occasional Poems |  |
152
The Miser's Speech:
From the Second Epod of Horace, Book 5.
Happy the Man, who free from Care,
Manures his own paternal Fields,
Content as his wise Fathers were,
T' enjoy the Crop his Labour yields
Manures his own paternal Fields,
Content as his wise Fathers were,
T' enjoy the Crop his Labour yields
Nor Usury torments his Breast,
That barters Happiness for Gain,
Nor War's Alarms disturb his Rest,
Nor Hazards of the faithless Main:
That barters Happiness for Gain,
Nor War's Alarms disturb his Rest,
Nor Hazards of the faithless Main:
Nor at the loud tumult'ous Bar,
With costly Noise, and dear Debate,
Proclaims an everlasting War;
Nor fawns on Villains basely great.
With costly Noise, and dear Debate,
Proclaims an everlasting War;
Nor fawns on Villains basely great.
153
But for the Vine selects a Spouse,
Chaste Emblem of the Marriage-Bed,
Or prunes the too luxuriant Boughs,
And grafts more happy in their stead.
Chaste Emblem of the Marriage-Bed,
Or prunes the too luxuriant Boughs,
And grafts more happy in their stead.
Or hears the lowing Herds from far,
That fatten on the fruitful Plains,
And ponders with delightful Care,
The Prospect of his future Gains.
That fatten on the fruitful Plains,
And ponders with delightful Care,
The Prospect of his future Gains.
Or shears his Sheep that round him graze,
And droop beneath their curling Loads;
Or plunders his laborious Bees,
Of Balmy Nectar, Drink of Gods!
And droop beneath their curling Loads;
Or plunders his laborious Bees,
Of Balmy Nectar, Drink of Gods!
His chearful Head when Autumn rears,
And bending Boughs reward his Pains,
Joyous he plucks the luscious Pears,
The purple Grape his Finger stains.
And bending Boughs reward his Pains,
Joyous he plucks the luscious Pears,
The purple Grape his Finger stains.
154
Each honest Heart's a welcome Guest,
With tempting Fruit his Tables glow,
The Gods are bidden to the Feast,
To share the Blessings they bestow.
With tempting Fruit his Tables glow,
The Gods are bidden to the Feast,
To share the Blessings they bestow.
Under an Oak's protecting Shade,
In flow'ry Meads profusely Gay,
Supine he leans his peaceful Head,
And gently loiters Life away.
In flow'ry Meads profusely Gay,
Supine he leans his peaceful Head,
And gently loiters Life away.
The vocal Streams that murm'ring flow,
Or from their Springs complaining creep,
The Birds that chirp on ev'ry Bough,
Invite his yielding Eyes to sleep.
Or from their Springs complaining creep,
The Birds that chirp on ev'ry Bough,
Invite his yielding Eyes to sleep.
But when bleak Storms, and low'ring Jove,
Now saddens the declining Year,
Thro' ev'ry Thicket, ev'ry Grove,
Swift he pursues the flying Deer.
Now saddens the declining Year,
Thro' ev'ry Thicket, ev'ry Grove,
Swift he pursues the flying Deer.
155
With deep-hung Hounds he sweeps the Plains,
The Hills, the Valleys smoak around,
The Woods repeat his pleasing Pains,
And Eccho propagates the Sound.
The Hills, the Valleys smoak around,
The Woods repeat his pleasing Pains,
And Eccho propagates the Sound.
Or push'd by his Victorious Spear,
The grisley Boar before him flies,
Betray'd by his prevailing Fear,
Into the Toils, the Monster dies.
The grisley Boar before him flies,
Betray'd by his prevailing Fear,
Into the Toils, the Monster dies.
His tow'ring Falcon mounts the Skies,
And cuts thro' Clouds his liquid way;
Or else with sly Deceit he tries
To make the lesser Game his Prey.
And cuts thro' Clouds his liquid way;
Or else with sly Deceit he tries
To make the lesser Game his Prey.
Who thus possess'd of solid Joy,
Wou'd Love, that idle Imp, adore?
Cloe's coquet, Mertilla's coy,
And Phillis is a perjur'd Whore.
Wou'd Love, that idle Imp, adore?
Cloe's coquet, Mertilla's coy,
And Phillis is a perjur'd Whore.
156
Adieu Fantastick idle Flame,
Give me a profitable Wife,
A careful, but obliging Dame,
To soften all the Toils of Life:
Give me a profitable Wife,
A careful, but obliging Dame,
To soften all the Toils of Life:
Who shall with tender Care provide,
Against her weary Spouse return,
With Plenty see his Board supply'd,
And make the crackling Billets burn:
Against her weary Spouse return,
With Plenty see his Board supply'd,
And make the crackling Billets burn:
And while his Men and Maids repair
To fold his Sheep, to milk his Kine,
With unbought Daintys feast her Dear,
And treat him with domestick Wine.
To fold his Sheep, to milk his Kine,
With unbought Daintys feast her Dear,
And treat him with domestick Wine.
I view with pity, and disdain,
The costly Trifles Coxcombs boast,
Their Bourdeaux, Burgundy, Champeign,
Tho' sparkling with the brightest Toast.
The costly Trifles Coxcombs boast,
Their Bourdeaux, Burgundy, Champeign,
Tho' sparkling with the brightest Toast.
157
Pleas'd with sound Manufacture more,
Than all the Stum the Knaves impose,
When the vain Cully treats his Whore,
At Braun's, the Mitre, or the Rose.
Than all the Stum the Knaves impose,
When the vain Cully treats his Whore,
At Braun's, the Mitre, or the Rose.
Let Fops their sickly Palates please,
With Luxury's expensive Store,
And feast each virulent Disease
With Daintys from a foreign Shore.
With Luxury's expensive Store,
And feast each virulent Disease
With Daintys from a foreign Shore.
I, whom my little Farm supplies,
Richly on Nature's Bounty live;
The only Happy are the Wise,
Content is all the Gods can give.
Richly on Nature's Bounty live;
The only Happy are the Wise,
Content is all the Gods can give.
While thus on wholesome Cates I feast,
Oh! with what Rapture I behold
My Flocks in comely order haste
T'enrich with Soil the barren Fold!
Oh! with what Rapture I behold
My Flocks in comely order haste
T'enrich with Soil the barren Fold!
158
The languid Ox approaches slow,
To share the Food his Labours earn,
Painful he tugs th' inverted Plough,
Nor Hunger quickens his return.
To share the Food his Labours earn,
Painful he tugs th' inverted Plough,
Nor Hunger quickens his return.
My wanton Swains, uncouthly gay,
About my smiling Hearth delight,
To sweeten the laborious Day,
By many a merry Tale at Night.
About my smiling Hearth delight,
To sweeten the laborious Day,
By many a merry Tale at Night.
Thus spoke old Gripe, when Bottles three
Of Burton Ale, and Sea-coal Fire,
Unlock'd his Breast; resolv'd to be
A gen'rous, honest, Country Squire.
Of Burton Ale, and Sea-coal Fire,
Unlock'd his Breast; resolv'd to be
A gen'rous, honest, Country Squire.
That very Night his Money lent,
On Bond, or Mortgage, he call'd in,
With lawful Use of Six per Cent.
Next Morn, he put it out at Ten.
On Bond, or Mortgage, he call'd in,
With lawful Use of Six per Cent.
Next Morn, he put it out at Ten.
| Occasional Poems | |