The Poetical Works of Anna Seward With Extracts from her Literary Correspondence. Edited by Walter Scott ... In Three Volumes |
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 | The Poetical Works of Anna Seward |  |
105
ODE TO POETIC FANCY.
Warm in May's pellucid noon
See Love and Beauty wanton o'er the vale
Which the young spring has green'd;—and lo! they hail
Thee, Fancy, rival of the sun;
Thou, who with brighter red canst deck the rose
That by yon glassy fountain blows;
A more voluptuous odour breathe
On ardent Summer's spicy wreath,
Or wake, with powers to higher aims consign'd,
The tender buds of joy in the enlighten'd mind.
See Love and Beauty wanton o'er the vale
Which the young spring has green'd;—and lo! they hail
Thee, Fancy, rival of the sun;
Thou, who with brighter red canst deck the rose
That by yon glassy fountain blows;
A more voluptuous odour breathe
On ardent Summer's spicy wreath,
Or wake, with powers to higher aims consign'd,
The tender buds of joy in the enlighten'd mind.
With bounding step the Goddess comes,
Bending on high her gay, aerial bow;
The splendid Phœnix' golden plumes
O'er her fair brow in loose effulgence flow!
Each various hue of colour'd light
Quick glances o'er the silver'd white
Resplendent in her vest,
And the bright beam of extacy
Flashes triumphant from her eye,
And swells her polish'd breast;
While Zeuxis' pencil, Orpheus' lyre,
Pygmalion's heaven-descended fire,
The smiling pleasures bring, as round they throng,
And hymn, in sportive tone, her last enchanting song.
Bending on high her gay, aerial bow;
106
O'er her fair brow in loose effulgence flow!
Each various hue of colour'd light
Quick glances o'er the silver'd white
Resplendent in her vest,
And the bright beam of extacy
Flashes triumphant from her eye,
And swells her polish'd breast;
While Zeuxis' pencil, Orpheus' lyre,
Pygmalion's heaven-descended fire,
The smiling pleasures bring, as round they throng,
And hymn, in sportive tone, her last enchanting song.
That song, which to her Hayley's ear
Whilom she breath'd in transport gay and loud.
See Ariosto's spirit, from yon cloud,
Stoops, the congenial notes to hear.
His glad eye marks an Elfin Sprite descend,
From many a mystic orb to rend
The veil, that dimly spread between,
Their secrets hid from mortal ken.
The curtain falls!—and to our wondering sight
Sophrosyne appears, amid new worlds of light.
Whilom she breath'd in transport gay and loud.
See Ariosto's spirit, from yon cloud,
Stoops, the congenial notes to hear.
His glad eye marks an Elfin Sprite descend,
From many a mystic orb to rend
The veil, that dimly spread between,
Their secrets hid from mortal ken.
The curtain falls!—and to our wondering sight
Sophrosyne appears, amid new worlds of light.
107
O, Fancy! with fastidious smile
Though Dulness, and though Envy may proclaim
That thou, in thy distinguish'd isle,
Art of diminish'd power, and faded fame,
The Delphic treasure of this day,
The magic of thy Hayley's lay,
Shall prove the slander vain;
Since seldom have more vivid shone
The lustre of thy rain-bow zone,
Or sweeter trill'd the strain,
Than when on Hayley's open brow
Thou bad'st thy loveliest garland glow,
When all thy powers endow'd his favour'd rhyme,
Pleasure's envermil'd light, and Horror's shade sublime.
Though Dulness, and though Envy may proclaim
That thou, in thy distinguish'd isle,
Art of diminish'd power, and faded fame,
The Delphic treasure of this day,
The magic of thy Hayley's lay,
Shall prove the slander vain;
Since seldom have more vivid shone
The lustre of thy rain-bow zone,
Or sweeter trill'd the strain,
Than when on Hayley's open brow
Thou bad'st thy loveliest garland glow,
When all thy powers endow'd his favour'd rhyme,
Pleasure's envermil'd light, and Horror's shade sublime.
When pale Misfortune's ruthless gale,
Ice-breath'd and fell, has those soft streams controul'd,
That from the silver fount of comfort roll'd
Quiet adown this mortal vale;
O, Fancy, but for thee, mild Hope had stood
Blighted beside the frozen flood;
E'en halcyon Love with ruffled plume
Had sunk amid the gathering gloom;
But thou again can'st melt th' arrested waves,
Till in their clear, warm tide, the shivering spirit laves.
Ice-breath'd and fell, has those soft streams controul'd,
That from the silver fount of comfort roll'd
Quiet adown this mortal vale;
O, Fancy, but for thee, mild Hope had stood
Blighted beside the frozen flood;
E'en halcyon Love with ruffled plume
Had sunk amid the gathering gloom;
But thou again can'st melt th' arrested waves,
Till in their clear, warm tide, the shivering spirit laves.
108
Each persecuting fiend of life
Thy wand controuls, at least with transient sway;
Smooth grows the furrow'd brow of Strife,
Smiles on the haggard cheek of Avarice play;
Terror drops the extended wing,
And Envy sheaths her venom'd sting,
Darting at others good;
E'en gaunt Ambition, from his car
Unyokes the fiery steeds of war,
Dark with the stains of blood;
Pale Grief, from veiled lids, no more
Sheds the lone, incessant shower;
Her dim eye brightens in thy soften'd rays,
As, raising slow her head, she listens to thy lays.
Thy wand controuls, at least with transient sway;
Smooth grows the furrow'd brow of Strife,
Smiles on the haggard cheek of Avarice play;
Terror drops the extended wing,
And Envy sheaths her venom'd sting,
Darting at others good;
E'en gaunt Ambition, from his car
Unyokes the fiery steeds of war,
Dark with the stains of blood;
Pale Grief, from veiled lids, no more
Sheds the lone, incessant shower;
Her dim eye brightens in thy soften'd rays,
As, raising slow her head, she listens to thy lays.
For her thou lay'st thy glories by,
A veil extending o'er each dazzling hue,
That Sorrow's tear-swoln eye would ache to view,
As splendid insults on her frequent sigh.
Congenial drops suffuse thy radiant glance,
Suspension stays thy bounding dance;
The foliage wild, the dusky plume,
Succeeding to each gaudy bloom,
With gentle breath thou fill'st the pensive shell,
Attun'd to April gales, in Echo's airy cell.
A veil extending o'er each dazzling hue,
That Sorrow's tear-swoln eye would ache to view,
As splendid insults on her frequent sigh.
Congenial drops suffuse thy radiant glance,
Suspension stays thy bounding dance;
The foliage wild, the dusky plume,
Succeeding to each gaudy bloom,
With gentle breath thou fill'st the pensive shell,
Attun'd to April gales, in Echo's airy cell.
Where'er thou rov'st, enchanting Maid,
To soothe the hapless, or the gay to charm;
Return thou still to Hayley's shade,
With every sacred inspiration warm!
From the coy dell, and lavish bower,
Bring every zest of every flower,
In graceful gift and free;
For gentle Love, and Virtue there,
With letter'd Taste, an altar rear
To Happiness and thee.
O! hither bring thy purest fire,
To sublimate each low desire!
So with augmenting lustre shall it shine,
The sweet abode of Peace, and thine own chosen shrine.
To soothe the hapless, or the gay to charm;
109
With every sacred inspiration warm!
From the coy dell, and lavish bower,
Bring every zest of every flower,
In graceful gift and free;
For gentle Love, and Virtue there,
With letter'd Taste, an altar rear
To Happiness and thee.
O! hither bring thy purest fire,
To sublimate each low desire!
So with augmenting lustre shall it shine,
The sweet abode of Peace, and thine own chosen shrine.
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