Poems on Several Occasions, Together with a Pastoral By Mrs. S. F. [i.e. Sarah Egerton] |
To my much valu'd Friend Moneses.
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Poems on Several Occasions, Together with a Pastoral | ||
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To my much valu'd Friend Moneses.
Great Pæan now thy strongest Rays dispense,Give Virgils Flights and Dryden's Eloquence:
All the fam'd Bards of sacred Poetry,
Let their bright Flames revive again in me.
Inspire my Breast whilst I his Praise rehearse,
Whose worth deserves thy own immortal Verse;
I sing Moneses whom the Gods ordain'd,
To show their Form, e'er 'twas by Sin prophan'd:
He is all Goodness, Mercy, Justice, Truth,
Has all the Charms without the vice of Youth.
These are the Native Beauties of his Soul,
While every Art and Grace adorns the whole:
Obliging is his Mein, his Judgment strong,
A flowing Wit directs his pleasing Tongue;
And each inchanting Accent which we hear,
Like airs Divine Transport the list'ning Ear.
Not Orpheus Harp, not yet Amphion's Lyre,
Could with more Sweetness or more force inspire:
Oh! what Infernal Magick Mortals bind,
That his instructive Voice can't move the Mind,
And calm the raging Follies of Mankind.
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For in their heaps was no resisting Atoms found;)
Not greater Pride or Joys did Ammon move,
When by the Shrine, pronounc'd the Son of Jove:
Then are the Transports my blest Soul attend,
That I can call the brave Moneses Friend.
Moneses whom Apollo has design'd,
With his own Arts, to Heal and Charm Mankind;
Fain would I still persue my wonderous Song,
But oh! too fast the bright Ideas throng,
Stifl'd in Raptures e'er they reach my Tongue:
So when with greatest Zeal we Heaven accost,
Our Notions all in Extacies are lost,
We utter least, where it deserves the most.
Poems on Several Occasions, Together with a Pastoral | ||