Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Hence, loathed pain;
With envious disappointment in thy train!
Hence, and cross the frozen seas,
To the northern Hebrides:
Or where th' unfeeling Calmuc stains
With ruthless blood the plunder'd plains!
But no more thy harpy hand
Lay upon N---d;
Neither in thine iron chain,
From the pleasing scenes detain,
Where the cherub pity shares
Joy, that pleasure seldom bears
On her gayest smile; or knows,
When her laughter loudest flows!

II.

Noble spirits, most partaking
Of the pure æthereal flame,
Find the fullest bliss in making
All around enjoy the same.
O how pleasing to dispense
Rays of rich benevolence!

149

O how godlike to impart
All the generous feeling heart!
And with comforts to o'erflow
All the weeping wants of woe!
But from vice's filthy jaw,
But from death and hell to draw;
And to plant in virtue's plain,
And to give to heaven again;
These are works which warm the breast
With the transports of the blest;
These, these are works, which time itself defy:
Built on the boundless base of vast eternity!

III.

Illustrious branch of Seymour's stately tree,
These are the works, whose captivating form
Soft-ey'd compassion waits to shew to thee,
Waits with her own pure flame thy soul to warm:
Waits to raise the generous sigh,
To steal a tear from thy bright eye;
Drops of melting charity!
Sighs which please us while they pain,
Tears which speak the heart humane;
Tokens sure of virtue's reign!
And those will rise, and these will flow,
When thou with lenient looks shall view,
The decent throng, in modest guise array'd,
With humbled heart, and humbled eye,
The decent throng, so lately lost and dead,
Wrapt in foul woe, and cloath'd with infamy!

150

“Planted now in virtue's plain,
“Now restor'd to heaven again!”
When thou shalt hear their solemn prayers,
Mix'd with deep repentant tears:
Grateful songs and tuneful praise,
Pious orgies, sacred lays;
Finer pleasures which dispense
Than the finest joys of sense:
And each melting bosom move,
And each liquid eye o'erflow
With benevolence and love!

IV.

Let the roving talkers boast;
Who, themselves to virtue lost,
Still seducing,
Still deluding,
With ungrateful scoffs decry
Those they won to wanton joy!
Black'ning the fair female fame,
With the foul love of lust and shame!
All their censures to disprove,
Let them seek this first retreat
Britons gave to them, whose love
Gives to life its choicest sweet!
Then will they view it with abash'd surprize,
By ruin'd, but returning fair-ones throng'd,
And own that on themselves, not those they wrong'd,
The heavy charge retorted doubly lies!
But, ah! beware,
Seducers, that it rests not ever there!

151

V.

Daughters of Britain's blooming isle,
Where beauty wears her sweetest smile,
Where virtue veils in whitest snow;
And love's own roses fullest blow:
Ah! gentle fair, accept the tribute due
To truth, to virtue, and to you!
Lo! conscious of our blame,
For those, whom pleasure's golden bait
Has drawn from virtue's sacred seat,
Through man's seducing shame;
This house of mercy is procur'd,
Where, from deceit's sly snares immur'd,
Fair chastity again may light
Her late extinguish'd flame!
Aid then, ye lovely ones, the good design,
So may each pleasure in your dwellings rest!
The virtuous husband, and the lovely line;
So may each joy domestic glad each breast!
But chiefly thou, illustrious Seymour, pour
Thy fost'ring succours, thy indulgent care:
Yet, yet but tender is the budding flow'r:
Thy genial hand's kind tendance let it share!

VI.

And thou, Dingley, virtue's friend,
Son of soft humanity;
Still thy pleasing charge attend:
And in the name of charity,

152

Of returning penitence,
Liberal benevolence:
Weeping virtue, heavenly love;
This and every fair one move,
Every British fair renown'd,
Thro' the globe's capacious round,
For the pleasures they dispense,
Beauty, kindness, innocence:
Ah move them in the generous work to join!
—But wherefore strive to move?
Already every worthy heart is thine.

1759.