 | The miscellaneous works (1739) |  |
The VISION.
'Twas in the close recesses of a shade,
A shade for sacred contemplation made;
No beauteous branch, no plant, or fragrant flow'r,
But flourish'd near the fair, delicious bow'r;
With charming state its lofty arches rise
Adorn'd with blossoms, as with stars the skies;
All pure and fragrant was the air I drew,
Which winds thro' myrtle groves and orange blew;
Clear waves along with pleasing murmur rush,
And down the artful falls in noble cat'racts gush.
A shade for sacred contemplation made;
No beauteous branch, no plant, or fragrant flow'r,
But flourish'd near the fair, delicious bow'r;
With charming state its lofty arches rise
Adorn'd with blossoms, as with stars the skies;
All pure and fragrant was the air I drew,
Which winds thro' myrtle groves and orange blew;
2
And down the artful falls in noble cat'racts gush.
'Twas here, within this happy place retir'd,
Harmonious pleasures all my soul inspir'd;
I take my lyre, and try each tuneful string,
Now war, now love, and beauty's force would sing:
To heav'nly subjects now, in serious lays,
I strive my faint, unskilful voice to raise:
But as I unresolv'd and doubtful lay,
My cares in easy slumbers glide away;
Nor with such grateful sleep, such soothing rest,
And dreams like this I e'er before was bless'd;
No wild, uncouth chimera's intervene,
To break the perfect intellectual scene.
Harmonious pleasures all my soul inspir'd;
I take my lyre, and try each tuneful string,
Now war, now love, and beauty's force would sing:
To heav'nly subjects now, in serious lays,
I strive my faint, unskilful voice to raise:
But as I unresolv'd and doubtful lay,
My cares in easy slumbers glide away;
Nor with such grateful sleep, such soothing rest,
And dreams like this I e'er before was bless'd;
No wild, uncouth chimera's intervene,
To break the perfect intellectual scene.
The place was all with heav'nly light o'er-flown,
And glorious with immortal splendor shone;
When! lo a bright ethereal youth drew near,
Ineffable his motions and his air.
A soft, beneficent, expressless grace,
With life's most florid bloom adorn'd his Face;
Wreaths of immortal palm his temples bind,
And long his radiant hair fell down behind,
His azure robes hung free, and waving to the wind.
Angelic his address, his tuneful voice
Inspir'd a thousand elevating joys:
When thus the wond'rous youth his silence broke,
And with an accent all celestial spoke.
And glorious with immortal splendor shone;
When! lo a bright ethereal youth drew near,
Ineffable his motions and his air.
A soft, beneficent, expressless grace,
With life's most florid bloom adorn'd his Face;
Wreaths of immortal palm his temples bind,
And long his radiant hair fell down behind,
His azure robes hung free, and waving to the wind.
Angelic his address, his tuneful voice
Inspir'd a thousand elevating joys:
When thus the wond'rous youth his silence broke,
And with an accent all celestial spoke.
To heav'n, nor longer pause, devote thy songs,
To heav'n the muse's sacred art belongs;
Let his unbounded glory be thy theme,
Who fills th' eternal regions with his fame;
And when death's fatal sleep shall close thine eyes,
In triumph we'll attend thee to the skies;
We'll crown thee there with everlasting bays,
And teach thee all our celebrated lays.
This spoke, the shining vision upward flies,
And darts as lightning thro' the cleaving skies.
To heav'n the muse's sacred art belongs;
3
Who fills th' eternal regions with his fame;
And when death's fatal sleep shall close thine eyes,
In triumph we'll attend thee to the skies;
We'll crown thee there with everlasting bays,
And teach thee all our celebrated lays.
This spoke, the shining vision upward flies,
And darts as lightning thro' the cleaving skies.
| The miscellaneous works (1739) | |