Poems, moral and descriptive By the late Richard Jago ... (Prepared for the press, and improved by the author, before his death.) To which is added, some account of the life and writings of Mr. Jago |
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 | Poems, moral and descriptive |  |
SCENE III.
RECITATIVE.
Now came still Ev'ning on, and Twilight greyHad, in her sober liv'ry all things clad.
Silence accompanied: for beast, and bird,
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests
Were slunk: all but the wakeful Nightingale!
She all night long her am'rous descant sung.
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With living saphires. Hesperus, that led
The starry host, rode brightest, till the Moon,
Rising in clouded majesty, at length,
Apparent queen! unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw.
When Adam thus to Eve.
ADAM.
Fair Consort! th'hour
Of Night, and all things now retir'd to rest
Mind us of like repose: since God hath set
Labour, and rest as day, and night to men
Successive, and the timely due of sleep,
Now falling with soft slumb'rous weight, inclines
Our eye-lids. Ere fresh Morning streak the east
With first approach of light, we must be ris'n,
And at our pleasant labour, to reform
Yon' flow'ry arbours, yonder alleys green,
Our walk at Noon, with branches overgrown.
Mean while, as Nature wills, Night bids us rest.
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My author, and disposer, what thou bid'st
Unargu'd I obey, so God ordains.
God is thy law, thou mine. To know no more
Is woman's happiest knowledge, and her praise.
AIR.
“With thee conversing, I forget all time.“All seasons, and their change, all please alike.
“Sweet is the breath of Morn, her rising sweet,
“With charm of earliest birds! Pleasant the Sun!
“When first on this delightful land he spreads
“His orient beams on herb, tree, fruit, and flow'r,
“Glist'ring with dew: fragrant the fertile Earth,
“After soft show'rs! and sweet the coming on
“Of grateful Evening mild; the silent Night,
“With this her solemn bird; and this fair Moon,
“And those the gems of Heav'n, her starry train!
“But neither breath of Morn, when she ascends,
“With charm of earliest birds, nor rising Sun
“On this delightful land, nor herb, fruit, flow'r,
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“Nor grateful Evening mild, nor silent Night,
“With this her solemn bird, nor walk by Moon,
“Or glitt'ring star-light without thee is sweet.”
RECITATIVE.
Thus talking, hand in hand, alone they pass'd
On to their blissful bow'r. It was a place,
Chos'n by the Sov'reign Planter, when he fram'd
All things to man's delightful use; the roof,
Of thickest covert, was in-woven shade,
Laurel, and myrtle, and what higher grew
Of firm, and fragrant leaf; on either side,
Acanthus, and each od'rous, bushy shrub
Fenc'd up the verdant wall, each beauteous flow'r,
Iris, all hues, roses, and jessamine
Rear'd high their flourish'd heads between, and wrought
Mosaic; under foot the violet,
Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay,
Broider'd the ground, more colour'd than with stone
Of costliest emblem. Other creature here
Beast, bird, insect, or worm, durst enter none,
Such was their awe of Man. In shady bow'r,
More sacred, and sequester'd; tho' but feign'd,
Pan, or Sylvanus never slept, nor Nymph,
Or Faunus haunted. Here, in close recess,
With flow'rs, and garlands, and sweet smelling herbs
Espoused Eve deck'd first her nuptial bed,
And heav'nly quires the Hymenæan sung.
On to their blissful bow'r. It was a place,
Chos'n by the Sov'reign Planter, when he fram'd
All things to man's delightful use; the roof,
Of thickest covert, was in-woven shade,
Laurel, and myrtle, and what higher grew
Of firm, and fragrant leaf; on either side,
Acanthus, and each od'rous, bushy shrub
Fenc'd up the verdant wall, each beauteous flow'r,
Iris, all hues, roses, and jessamine
Rear'd high their flourish'd heads between, and wrought
Mosaic; under foot the violet,
Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay,
Broider'd the ground, more colour'd than with stone
237
Beast, bird, insect, or worm, durst enter none,
Such was their awe of Man. In shady bow'r,
More sacred, and sequester'd; tho' but feign'd,
Pan, or Sylvanus never slept, nor Nymph,
Or Faunus haunted. Here, in close recess,
With flow'rs, and garlands, and sweet smelling herbs
Espoused Eve deck'd first her nuptial bed,
And heav'nly quires the Hymenæan sung.
Thus at their shady lodge arriv'd, both stood,
Both turn'd, and, under open Sky, ador'd
The God that made both Sky, Air, Earth, and Heav'n,
Which they beheld, the Moon's resplendent globe,
And starry pole.
Both turn'd, and, under open Sky, ador'd
The God that made both Sky, Air, Earth, and Heav'n,
Which they beheld, the Moon's resplendent globe,
And starry pole.
EVENING HYMN.
“Thou also mad'st the night,“Maker omnipotent! and Thou the day,
“Which we, in our appointed work employ'd,
“Have finish'd, happy in our mutual help,
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“Ordain'd by Thee, and this delicious place,
“For us too large, where Thy abundance wants
“Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground.
“But Thou hast promis'd from us two a race,
“To fill the earth, who shall, with us, extol
“Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,
“And when we seek, as now, thy gift of Sleep.
| Poems, moral and descriptive | |