An Ode on Beauty To Which are Prefixed Some Observations on Taste, And on the Present State of Poetry in England [by Thomas Cooke] |
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 | An Ode on Beauty |  |
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AN ODE ON BEAUTY
To Andrew Stone Esq;
I
Direct thine Eye to yonder Plains,Where Ceres, fruitful Goddess, reigns,
While Summer glows in all her Pride:
Look round the Heart-inspiring Scene,
The purple Sky, the Meadows green,
Reflected by the chrystal Tyde:
II
Behold the stately solemn Grove,For Contemplation form'd, or Love,
Cheer'd with the Linnet's Ev'ning Song;
See Harvests bending to the Gale,
Where, thro the winding flow'ry Vale,
The Medway rolls his Stream along:
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III
Stand on the fam'd, the rising, Ground,Where Boughton-Hill , with Forests crown'd,
The fair extensive View commands,
Valleys and Mountains, Lakes and Seas,
Proud Tow'rs and humble Cottages,
Rocks, steril Heaths, and fertile Lands:
IV
Or see where Art with Nature viesIn Esher's Bow'rs, which sweetly rise,
To glad the weary'd Trav'ler's Sight,
As o'er the parch'd and barren Soil,
Oppress'd with Heat, he seems to toil,
And shun the sad Approach of Night:
V
The World's majestic Frame survey,The silver Moon, the solar Ray,
With all the golden Orbs around;
Then say, O! Stone, for thou can'st tell
Where Beauty most delights to dwell,
What can in Nature's Store be found,
VI
What can the noble Mind comprise,O! what can meet our wond'ring Eyes,
More beautiful than these?
Where does the pure celestial Maid
Reside in brighter Charms array'd,
Where more surprise and please?
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VII
Not in the Pomp of martial Deeds,Of glitt'ring Arms, and neighing Steeds,
In well fought Fields, nor Battels won,
Nor in the fairest Fruits of War,
When Fame in Triumph mounts the Car,
And ranks the Name with Philip's Son,
VIII
Not in the gaudy swelling TrainThat ushers in a Monarch's Reign,
Nor what the Wealth of India brings,
Not in the Tyrant's boundless Sway,
Nor in the Joys when Nymphs obey,
Nor in the Smiles, nor Crowns, of Kings,
IX
Nor in the soft angelic Face,Tho often with attractive Grace
The Smiles their Sov'reign there reveal,
When she, with all the Magnet's Pow'r,
Draws to her sweet enchanting Bow'r
Heroic Souls, and Hearts of Steel.
X
Where then is Beauty, radiant Queen,In most refulgent Lustre seen,
Where does she most her Charms display?
In the great Mind, the gen'rous Breast,
Enthron'd the Goddess sits confess'd,
More splendent than the Eye of Day:
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XI
Deriv'd from Wisdom and from Truth,Endow'd with everlasting Youth,
With what Pre-eminence of Worth,
She brighten'd, and enrich'd, the Grove
Where the great Souls of Athens strove
To bring the Loves and Graces forth!
XII
Each blameless Love and spotless Grace,Were guided to the sacred Place
By Socrates, and Plato's Hands:
Attendants they in Beauty's Train
With Health, with Peace, and Joy, remain,
United in eternal Bands.
XIII
Where-e'er celestial Venus moves,With all her Graces, all her Loves,
Knowledge, Content, and Pleasure's there:
From her they flow, with her they dwell,
Like Music from the vocal Shell,
Or Sweets in the Sabæan Air.
XIV
Th' imperial Beauty of the Skies,Who saw the World's Foundations rise,
Congenial she with Heav'n's great Sire,
From Athens with unfading Bloom
Conspicuous wing'd her Flight to Rome,
Bright Guardian of the Vestal Fire!
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XV
From Tiber's Banks, where once she stoodDefended by the wise and good,
The Queen long since indignant fled:
Northward she shoots her lucid Beams,
And now by Cam's immortal Streams
She rears her sweet majestic Head:
XVI
Above the Reach of Censure great,Such Statesmen as have bless'd the State,
Heroes to fair Distinction born,
Sages, and Poets who can give
To Heroes, and to Kings, to live,
Her Domes and Temples there adorn:
XVII
See the bright Vision, brighter farThan is the brightest wand'ring Star!
O! hail her to the soft Retreat!
Flush'd with the same immortal Bloom
With which she pass'd thro Greece, and Rome,
She visits now the Muse's Seat:
XVIII
Thou know'st her, Stone, each Deed of thineReceives the Virgin's Stamp divine,
And Malice can no longer stay:
She shuts Detraction from the Light,
Makes Envy shroud her Head in Night,
And drives Deformity away.
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XIX
What Joys serene the heav'nly GuestDiffuses thro the virtuous Breast!
How cheerful is her earlyest Dawn!
As Kindness to the Lover's Smart,
As Health returning to the Heart,
Or vernal Sunbeams to the Lawn!
XX
O! bless'd, thrice bless'd, th' important Hour!I feel her, and confess her Pow'r!
Her Presence does my Soul inspire!
Bright Goddess, I thy Will obey,
(While thou wilt consecrate the Lay,)
And snatch from vulgar Hands the Lyre!
XXI
'Tis done, O! Stone: the Numbers flowSoft as the gently falling Snow,
Or roll impetuous along!
If the dread Subject shall demand
The Vigour of a master Hand,
Nervous and great shall be the Song.
XXII
If the divine inspiring MaidRefuses her enliv'ning Aid,
In vain the Bard attempts ro sing,
Painters in vain the Canvas spread,
In vain the Sculptor moulds the Head,
And Harpers thrum in vain the String.
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XXIII
May Holles, Learning's Friend and thine,Be long the foremost at her Shrine,
Long o'er the learned Band preside:
By Cam the noble Student first
Slak'd at the Fountain-head his Thirst,
Beauty his never-erring Guide:
XXIV
By the pure Love of Science led,Of ev'ry Art th' elected Head,
His Fame the Round of Time shall run,
Like Xenophon more glorious far,
In Learning's Garb than that of War,
Than Cyrus or his conqu'ring Son:
XXV
The fairest Offsprings of the Sky,Wisdom and Truth attract his Eye,
While ev'ry Virtue on him smiles;
And Poesy, of heav'nly Birth,
Shall keep his fav'rite Name on Earth,
While Britain lasts the Queen of Isles.
August, 1749.
| An Ode on Beauty | |