Miscellaneous poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Near where chaste Dian holds her court,
When with pale crescent she is seen,
Leading the elves and fairies gay
To mimic revel, sport, and play,
Across the dew-bespangled green;

Where Sol attir'd in purple vest,
His fiery coursers sunk to rest,
For ease and pleasure would resort;

In a retreat, where Nature, as in play,
Had shed her choicest stores;
Where bloom'd the sacred laurel, and the bay,
And wheresoe'er the ravish'd eye could stray,
Were ever blooming flowers;

Beside a spring, whose clear translucent wave
O'er variegated pebbles softly crept,
O'er which the lovelorn willow wept,
Deep in a coral rock, was form'd a cave.
There Nature still in sportive mood
Had deck'd the grot with spar's, and gems, and ore:
The flaming ruby there was seen,
The modest amethyst's unchanging blue,
Pure rocks of diamond, the emerald green;

And tho' the hand that deck'd it thus was rude,
The more 'twas gaz'd upon it pleas'd the more,
Forever various and forever new.

Of nymphs, and hamadry'ds, the fav'rite haunt,
But chiefly of Azuria; oft would she,
Ere Phoebus 'gan his beams to dart aslant,
Forsake the sportive sylvan throng,
Neglect the dance, forget the song,
And hither come to weep, from observation free.

Lovely Azuria, young and fair,
Adorn'd with every grace,
Was Juno in her shape and air,
And Venus took peculiar care
To decorate her face.
Her skin surpass'd the lily's hue;
Her auburn tresses light fantastic play'd,
Loose floating in the air;

Some fell, her beauteous neck to shade,
And by the contrast fairer made
Her bosom, partly bare;
Thro' silken curtains sweetly stole
An eye-beam, that could melt the soul,
From eyes celestial blue.

Too oft the nymph had sought the shade;
For Phoebus, when from day retir'd,
Beheld her oft, and oft admir'd.
At length his heav'nly lyre he strung;
As o'er th' obedient strings his fingers move,
He sung Azuria's charms, and Phoebus' love;
Sweet strains of everlasting love he sung,
The list'ning nymph believ'd, and was betray'd.

And now pale Envy from her loathsome cell,
Where she sat brooding mischief, and where dwell

Malicious Satyr, Slander double tongued,
And all the horrid retinue of hell,
Came forth; the Spectre with malignant joy
Breath'd on the nymph her pestilential breath,
And flash'd vindictive lightnings from her eye;
As thus she spoke:
Vain thoughtless fool, forbear,
Nor think that he who has dispoil'd thy charms,
Will e'er again entreat thee to his arms,
Or make thee more his care.
No, e'en the infant thou art doom'd to bear,
He cannot guard from harms.

Whither soe'er the urchin flies,
Thither I'll go:
And those who shall his favour court,
Or his gay visits prize,
Nor joy nor peace shall know.
In vain he'll bid fresh laurels rise,
To grace his votary's brow;

Where'er the hateful tree may grow,
I'll send a whirlwind through the skies,
To blast it ere its leaves expand.
Nor dew, nor show'r, shall fill its cup;
My chilling breath, my with'ring hand,
Shall dry its moisture up.

Pale stood the nymph; her tearful eyes she rais'd
To where, just sinking in his oozey bed
Phoebus withdrew his piercing light,
And veil'd his rays from mortal sight,
In many a gorgeous purple fold,
Edg'd round with crimson, mix'd with gold.
Oh power, she cried, by all ador'd and prais'd,
Whither! ah whither! is thy influence fled,
That this malignant fiend dares rear her head,
And with unhallow'd threats attempt to blight
Thy offspring's fame, and on his name
Her baleful poison shed?

Trembling she spoke, and shrunk from the dark glance
Shot from the grinning Fury's half clos'd eye,
While in the Harpy's train, she saw advance
Folly, in robes of varie gated die,
Pointing the finger, lolling out the tongue,
Jingling her bells, presuming, bold, and rude;
And Ignorance, with vacant stare,
Laughing at what she never understood.

Appall'd, aghast, from her late glowing cheek
The crimson tide receding, wholly fled.
Vainly her pallid lips essay'd to speak;
The silken fringe dropp'd o'er her languid eyes,
Her snowy breast receiv'd her drooping head,
That breast which labour'd with convulsive sighs

She fainted, fell; the dark and yawning earth
Receiv'd, and o'er her threw Oblivion's veil.

Folly was silent. At departed worth
Envy must cease to sneer, and Pride to rail.
But ere she sought eternal night,
A blooming Cherub saw the light;
And from the turf that pillow'd her fair head.
Every flower that's sweet or gay,
And paints the varied robe of May,
Up sprang, to decorate her offspring's bed.
Myrtle, with the musk-rose twin'd,
Scatter'd round his pillow lay,
Form'd a wreath his brows to bind,
Mingled with the sacred bay.
Pendent from o'er arching boughs
Woodbines waft their sweet perfume;
The amaranth's ne'er fading bloom,
With rich unchanging purple glows.
On the green-sward scatter'd round
Simple violets were found;
Vi'let, sweetest flower that blows,
Tho' not so gaudy as the rose,
You sweeter are.

The humble lily of the vale,
Like modest worth that shuns the light,
In verdant folds retir'd from sight,
Hid her pure virgin blossoms fair and frail,
Fragrant as fair.

The boy was lovely; in his form and face
Shone forth his mother's beauty, and her grace.
His eye could ecstacy inspire,
Beaming the radiance of his sire,
Emitting sparks of pure empyrean fire.
On his head gay Fancy's wings,
As round she flew, were left behind her;
And when in air the urchin springs,
Leading him on you'll always find her,
Weaving wreaths which, as she flies,
Catches bright etherial dies;
Yet tho' he has her wings, he can't o'ertake or bind her.

Water-nymphs, from pearly caves,
Strings of shells, and coral, brought,
Lav'd him in their chrystal waves,
Wrapp'd him in a web they'd wrought
Of lovers, wreck'd on distant coast.
Of constant nymphs, their names entombing
Deep in their hearts; of heroes lost,
Lost for their country, and who bought,
By death, immortal wreaths, forever blooming.

The sacred Nine, from their celestial bowers,
Descended at the heav'nly cherub's birth;
E'en rapid Time check'd in their flight the hours,
To welcome him to earth.
And in return the sportive child,
Tho' charm'd to make the dotard stay,
When he was tedious, sweetly smil'd,
Or tun'd some strain, so soft, so wild,
As hurried him away.

Flashing from the burning east,
Usher'd in with smiles and tears,
In saffron robe, and ruby vest,
Radiant Phoebus now appears.
On his fierce coursers' necks he threw the reins,
And, Go, he cried; on this auspicious morn
Range at your pleasure through yon azure plains,
For on the earth, a brighter planet reigns;
GENIUS, my first, my darling son, is born.

Around his brows etherial fire,
Flam'd at the God's command,
Anew he strung his golden lyre,
And plac'd it in his hand.
He sung of love; to glory rais'd the strain:
Love trembled at the heart; but martial fire
Rush'd thro' each throbbing vein.

Mars and Minerva both with joy
Resign'd their spear and shield;
Apollo cried, Immortal boy
'Tis thou alone canst wield
The warlike weapon with effect,
Or in affairs of state direct.

But thou wilt find, child of my fondest love,
Tho' Ignorance and Folly are thy bane,
Yet to whatever clime thou shalt remove,
Those harpies still will follow in thy train;
And Envy, too, with thongs shall arm the whip
Which Satyr throws around with cunning art,
Aiming at ev'ry inadvertent slip
A lash, to lacerate thy bleeding heart.
But heed them not, for thy superior worth
On eagle's wings shall rise;
And whilst they grovel on the earth,
Thou shalt ascend the skies.

When Fancy wings her airy round,
Keep virtue always near;
On her thy wildest flights have found
A rest uncheck'd by fear.

A few words beside! and, my son, ever mind them,
Love talent and merit, wherever your find them.
To no sex, to no station, no climate confin'd,
They ever will reign uncontroul'd in the mind.
Or set talents aside, if true merit is found,
Where the heart is untainted, and principles sound;
In whatever state you may safely approve it,
And whate'er its sex, you as safely may love it.
For wherever virtue and sense may combine,
They will silence the passions, repress and refine
Each grosser emotion till power is given,
To bear the strong sympathy even to heaven.
So pure the attachment, so fervent the love,
It may confident hope consummation above,

Where each thought stands reveal'd as it first was conceiv'd,
And Malice shall blush at the tales she believ'd.

He spoke, and swift ascending,
Cut th' etherial way;
While clouds, with lightning blending,
Shot a pale doubtful ray;
Genius beheld him rise
And eager would pursue,
But clouds enwrap'd the skies,
And shut him from his view.
Low on the earth bending, his hands rais'd in air,
To his parent ascending, he offer'd this prayer.

Oh thou, who from chaotick night
Shot'st the first morning ray,
Who dartest intellectual light
And brightens't mental day.

Thy beams to me, dread Sire, impart,
Elate my soul, dilate my heart;
And when thou comest bring with thee
Sweet sacred Sensibility.
And on thy pinions sporting light,
Or rapt by her in soft delight,
Still, gracious Power, let me find
A pure, a self approving mind.

The dark clouds parted, and a beam of light,
Almost too powerful for mortal sight,
Broke on the prostrate child;
And soft was heard a dulcet voice,
Enquire, Is Virtue then thy choice?
He bow'd his head and smil'd.

Then go, she cried, inspir'd by me,
Launch on ambition's stormy sea;

Or boldly for thy country's good,
Stem Faction's rude and boiling flood,
Then vainly Envy may oppose,
Rising superior to thy foes,
Thy hallow'd name can never die,
'Tis sacred to eternity.