The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore Collected by Himself. In Ten Volumes |
 | I, II. |
| III, IV. |
| V. |
| VI, VII. |
| VIII, IX. |
| X. |
 | The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore |  |
133
TO THE REV. CH---RL---S OV---RT---N,
CURATE OF ROMALDKIRK. AUTHOR OF THE POETICAL PORTRAITURE OF THE CHURCH.
1833.
Sweet singer of Romaldkirk, thou who art reckon'd,
By critics Episcopal, David the Second ,
If thus, as a Curate, so lofty your flight,
Only think, in a Rectory, how you would write!
Once fairly inspir'd by the “Tithe-crown'd Apollo,”
(Who beats, I confess it, our lay Phœbus hollow,
Having gotten, besides the old Nine's inspiration,
The Tenth of all eatable things in creation,)
There's nothing, in fact, that a poet like you,
So be-nined and be-tenth'd, couldn't easily do.
By critics Episcopal, David the Second ,
If thus, as a Curate, so lofty your flight,
Only think, in a Rectory, how you would write!
Once fairly inspir'd by the “Tithe-crown'd Apollo,”
(Who beats, I confess it, our lay Phœbus hollow,
Having gotten, besides the old Nine's inspiration,
The Tenth of all eatable things in creation,)
There's nothing, in fact, that a poet like you,
So be-nined and be-tenth'd, couldn't easily do.
134
Round the lips of the sweet-tounged Athenian
they say,
While yet but a babe in his cradle he lay,
Wild honey-bees swarm'd, as a presage to tell
Of the sweet-flowing words that thence afterwards fell.
Just so round our Ov---rt---n's cradle, no doubt,
Tenth ducklings and chicks were seen flitting about;
Goose embryos, waiting their doom'd decimation,
Came, shadowing forth his adult destination,
And small, sucking tithe-pigs, in musical droves,
Announc'd the Church poet whom Chester approves.
While yet but a babe in his cradle he lay,
Wild honey-bees swarm'd, as a presage to tell
Of the sweet-flowing words that thence afterwards fell.
Just so round our Ov---rt---n's cradle, no doubt,
Tenth ducklings and chicks were seen flitting about;
Goose embryos, waiting their doom'd decimation,
Came, shadowing forth his adult destination,
And small, sucking tithe-pigs, in musical droves,
Announc'd the Church poet whom Chester approves.
O Horace! when thou, in thy vision of yore,
Didst dream that a snowy-white plumage came o'er
Thy etherealis'd limbs, stealing downily on,
Till, by Fancy's strong spell, thou wert turn'd to a swan ,
Little thought'st thou such fate could a poet befall,
Without any effort of fancy, at all;
Little thought'st thou the world would in Ov---rt---n find
A bird, ready-made, somewhat different in kind,
But as perfect as Michaelmas' self could produce,
By gods yclept anser, by mortals a goose.
Didst dream that a snowy-white plumage came o'er
Thy etherealis'd limbs, stealing downily on,
Till, by Fancy's strong spell, thou wert turn'd to a swan ,
Little thought'st thou such fate could a poet befall,
Without any effort of fancy, at all;
135
A bird, ready-made, somewhat different in kind,
But as perfect as Michaelmas' self could produce,
By gods yclept anser, by mortals a goose.
| The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore | |