A Collection of Poems on Various Subjects By Sir Richard Blackmore |
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SOLOMON's Irony: A Paraphrase on Eccles. XI. 9.
Rejoyce, O Young Man, in thy Youth, &c.
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 | A Collection of Poems on Various Subjects |  |
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SOLOMON's Irony: A Paraphrase on Eccles. XI. 9. Rejoyce, O Young Man, in thy Youth, &c.
What all-aspiring Mortals have in View,
And by a thousand diff'rent Ways pursue,
With ardent Zeal, true Happiness discern,
And what it is to live, Philander, learn.
Let Chiefs, by daring Toils, enjoy their Aim,
Their Laurel Gugaws, and their Bubble Fame;
Litigious Coifs infest the clam'rous Bar,
Prolong Disputes, and thrive by manag'd War;
Let hardy Merchants, bent on useless Gain,
Patient of Terrors, plough the Liquid Main;
Let idle Students on their Volumes pore
To cloud with Learning, what was clear before;
The Statesman fill with Plots his aking Head,
And Misers, 'mid'st Abundance, want their Bread.
And by a thousand diff'rent Ways pursue,
With ardent Zeal, true Happiness discern,
And what it is to live, Philander, learn.
Let Chiefs, by daring Toils, enjoy their Aim,
Their Laurel Gugaws, and their Bubble Fame;
Litigious Coifs infest the clam'rous Bar,
Prolong Disputes, and thrive by manag'd War;
Let hardy Merchants, bent on useless Gain,
Patient of Terrors, plough the Liquid Main;
Let idle Students on their Volumes pore
To cloud with Learning, what was clear before;
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And Misers, 'mid'st Abundance, want their Bread.
While these their Hours in various Error waste,
Lavish of Time, that spends it self too fast,
Do thou, inspir'd with wiser Thoughts, excite
Thy Native Fires, and every Sense invite
To slake its Thirst with exquisite Delight.
Since Future is not, and what Was is gone,
And we the Present only call our own,
Be thy whole Life, in various Mirth, employ'd,
And let no Minute perish unenjoy'd.
Now thy young Cheeks fresh rosy Beauty dyes,
And darting Spirits sparkle in thy Eyes,
While from th' impulsive Heart the sprightly Floud
Exploded leaps and bounds along the Road;
Piercing thy Sight, and exquisite thy Taste,
Thy Joynts all pliant, and thy Sinews brac't;
While these fair Hours extend their am'rous Arms,
Dance laughing by, and proffer all their Charms,
Eager advance, and catch the willing Joy,
With Feasts renew'd thy craving Senses cloy.
Lavish of Time, that spends it self too fast,
Do thou, inspir'd with wiser Thoughts, excite
Thy Native Fires, and every Sense invite
To slake its Thirst with exquisite Delight.
Since Future is not, and what Was is gone,
And we the Present only call our own,
Be thy whole Life, in various Mirth, employ'd,
And let no Minute perish unenjoy'd.
Now thy young Cheeks fresh rosy Beauty dyes,
And darting Spirits sparkle in thy Eyes,
While from th' impulsive Heart the sprightly Floud
Exploded leaps and bounds along the Road;
Piercing thy Sight, and exquisite thy Taste,
Thy Joynts all pliant, and thy Sinews brac't;
While these fair Hours extend their am'rous Arms,
Dance laughing by, and proffer all their Charms,
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With Feasts renew'd thy craving Senses cloy.
With ravish'd Eyes view Pleasure's smiling Tide,
See her rich Banks display their lovely Pride;
See, the pure Volumes of her flowing Train,
With flow'ry Verdure crown the beauteous Plain;
Amid'st the Flood thy self with Transport throw,
Dissolve in Pleasure, and in Rapture flow.
See her rich Banks display their lovely Pride;
See, the pure Volumes of her flowing Train,
With flow'ry Verdure crown the beauteous Plain;
Amid'st the Flood thy self with Transport throw,
Dissolve in Pleasure, and in Rapture flow.
Be thy soft Limbs with softer Silk carest,
Shine in the splendid Labour of the East,
By Persia now, and now by India drest.
Let Goblets, flowing with the sparkling Juice,
Which Gallia's Plains and Tuscan Hills produce,
Distend thy Veins, and on the generous Tide
Let youthful Joy in circling Triumph ride.
To crown thy Table with delicious Food,
Rifle the Mountain, ransack every Wood,
And cull each finny Pleasure of the Flood.
Let thy unrivall'd endless Banquets grac'd
With artful Dishes in long Order plac'd,
Surprize with new Delight the most luxurious Taste.
Shine in the splendid Labour of the East,
By Persia now, and now by India drest.
Let Goblets, flowing with the sparkling Juice,
Which Gallia's Plains and Tuscan Hills produce,
Distend thy Veins, and on the generous Tide
Let youthful Joy in circling Triumph ride.
To crown thy Table with delicious Food,
Rifle the Mountain, ransack every Wood,
And cull each finny Pleasure of the Flood.
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With artful Dishes in long Order plac'd,
Surprize with new Delight the most luxurious Taste.
Ravish'd survey thy Garden's charming Scenes,
With Statues proud, and everlasting Greens;
The fair, yet unforbidden Fruit behold,
Pleasant their Relish, and their Colour Gold;
Traverse the beauteous Walks, and free from Care,
Regale thy vital Flame with fragrant Air:
Now stretcht on Roses in thy Myrtle Bow'rs,
Thy Head adorn'd with Wreaths of rival Flow'rs,
In constant Transports pass the happy Hours.
With Statues proud, and everlasting Greens;
The fair, yet unforbidden Fruit behold,
Pleasant their Relish, and their Colour Gold;
Traverse the beauteous Walks, and free from Care,
Regale thy vital Flame with fragrant Air:
Now stretcht on Roses in thy Myrtle Bow'rs,
Thy Head adorn'd with Wreaths of rival Flow'rs,
In constant Transports pass the happy Hours.
To Heights superior yet Enjoyment raise,
Taste all the various Kinds of Heav'nly Lays,
Which tuneful Heads with studious Care compound,
Of blended Airs and soft voluptuous Sound.
For thy Delight hear Master-Voices sing,
Now breathing Tubes, and now the speaking String,
While in the Ear attentive Spirits watch,
Sieze the sweet Accent, and the Rapture catch.
Taste all the various Kinds of Heav'nly Lays,
Which tuneful Heads with studious Care compound,
Of blended Airs and soft voluptuous Sound.
For thy Delight hear Master-Voices sing,
Now breathing Tubes, and now the speaking String,
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Sieze the sweet Accent, and the Rapture catch.
Now with the Men of Wit and Mirth converse,
And hear the Bards their am'rous Songs rehearse.
Let Beauty now thy eager Passion move,
Embrace its Charms, and feast thy Soul with Love:
In Pleasures tir'd, with costly Scarlet spread,
On downy Pillars rest thy weary Head.
And hear the Bards their am'rous Songs rehearse.
Let Beauty now thy eager Passion move,
Embrace its Charms, and feast thy Soul with Love:
In Pleasures tir'd, with costly Scarlet spread,
On downy Pillars rest thy weary Head.
How swift the fleeting Minutes wing their Way?
Thou'lt die to Morrow, therefore live to Day.
When Man dissolves, and mingling floats in Air,
His ruin'd Form what Artist can repair?
His scatter'd Atomes, and his loose Remains,
No Pleasure taste, and feel no torturing Pains.
He now in Vapours climbs, now falls in Snows,
He's fix'd in Marble, or in Streams he flows,
And thro' the various Scenes of changing Matter goes.
Thou'lt die to Morrow, therefore live to Day.
When Man dissolves, and mingling floats in Air,
His ruin'd Form what Artist can repair?
His scatter'd Atomes, and his loose Remains,
No Pleasure taste, and feel no torturing Pains.
He now in Vapours climbs, now falls in Snows,
He's fix'd in Marble, or in Streams he flows,
And thro' the various Scenes of changing Matter goes.
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But know, vain Youth, an ever-during State
To this succeeds, and brings a diff'rent Fate.
Death but removes the Flame of Life to burn
More clear and bright, and in a lasting Urn.
When breathless grown, thou wilt not cease to Be,
To other Seats transfer'd thou'lt live, and see
How Wrath Divine the impious Race destroys,
While guiltless Minds imbibe immortal Joys.
To this succeeds, and brings a diff'rent Fate.
Death but removes the Flame of Life to burn
More clear and bright, and in a lasting Urn.
When breathless grown, thou wilt not cease to Be,
To other Seats transfer'd thou'lt live, and see
How Wrath Divine the impious Race destroys,
While guiltless Minds imbibe immortal Joys.
| A Collection of Poems on Various Subjects | |