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State Tracts

Containing Many Necessary Observations and Reflections on the State of our Affairs at Home and Abroad; With some Secret Memoirs. By the Author of the Examiner [i.e. William Oldisworth]

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THE British Court:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


205

THE British Court:

A POEM, &c.

Give me a Genius, fill'd with soft delight
Of Beauteous Forms, blest Images of Light;
Teach me, Apollo, some Harmonious Song,
And with thy Heavenly Lays inspire my Tongue:
Be hush'd as Silence in the Dead of Night,
Black Satyrist, thou Monster of the Light,
Cease howling, base Disturber of Mankind,
And look on with more Pleasure, or be blind.
Why shou'd thy Venom touch my tender Muse,
And poison all the Sweetness she shou'd use?
Tho' such bright Charms my Numbers does inspire
As will expel't, and fill my Breast with Fire,

206

Dart thro' my Soul, and with their Native Rays
Shine on my Lines, and raise Eternal Praise:
While Fame flies swift, thro' ev'ry Cavern bears,
And ev'ry spacious Void, th'Immortal Airs.
Attend, ye God-like Artists, that descry
The secret Touches which in Beauty lie;
Here, let your Pencils curiously distain
The blushing Paint, which Nature does ordain
Triumphant in the Female Sex to reign.
Behold the Happy Monarch from Her Throne,
Eas'd of the Pressures of a weighty Crown:
Now, far more Blest and Glorious does appear,
Her Guard, a Train of Noble Beauties are;
Here ev'ry Smile fresh Beams of Joy dispense,
Whilst the Bright Circle owns its Influence:
Softness of Nature, in the depth of Thought,
The Goddess, with the Woman interwrought;
Bus'ness and Pleasure so in her agree,
They make the most delightful Harmony.
But say, my Muse, when ANNA moves along,
How Pleasure sits upon the Charming Throng!

207

And what blest Scene can more delight the Fair
Than smiling MAJESTY, when Regent there?
Like Phœbus, darting Splendor from her Eyes,
Whose piercing Beams quick as the Lightning flies;
Nor do they dazzle less than they amaze
All who with Awe, or Admiration gaze:
A Ruler, Sov'reign o'er her own vast Will,
Slow to Revenge, and sure to act no ill:
Pleasure sits Light without, whilst from within
Somewhat divine appears, that shows the QUEEN.
Go on, my Muse, next to Minerva's Smile,
Minerva, the bright Goddess of the Isle,
The happy Partner of Great ORMOND, place
Where Beauty still maintains a pleasing Face.
Stop now, my Muse, lest here thou vainly seem
T'abuse with thy unskilful Hand, this noble Theme;
Yet still with awful Fear approach the Fair,
And tremble where such shining Mortals are,
Where Beauty, Modesty, and flowing Wit,
Do in the Presence of bright Virtue sit,

208

Where Pleasure can no wanton Charms bestow,
But what from Chaste Idea's purely flow,
And such as Virgin Innocence may know.
Free from the Faults of Fashionable Vice
In the most easie, not in Airs precise.
From this Foil, Beauty its true Lustre gains,
And tho' once Fetter'd by inglorious Chains,
Now absolute, it like a Monarch Reigns.
Reason has once again possess'd its Place,
And banish'd Folly from the Beauteous Race.
'Tis Vision all, and shuns Diviner Light,
For Shades must vanish where they shine so bright:
The Flame of Love consumes our dull Desires,
And melts the Dross away by purer Fires.
Thus the Fair Sex like Goddesses appear,
And all Mankind with Pleasure must Revere,
Whilst Modest Art their Excellence displays,
And Nature shows it self a thousand ways.
So ORMOND's Graceful Mein attracts all Eyes,
And Nature needs not ask from Art Supplies;

209

Forgiving Goodness shines thro' ev'ry Part,
And shows that Form contains the Noblest Heart.
In vain Mankind adore, unless she were
By Heaven made, less Virtuous, or less Fair.
BOLTON's bright Image raises soft Delight,
And, like Prometheus, kindles Fire at sight;
Such Magick dwells within her secret Breast,
As cannot be but by her Eyes exprest.
Such Airs has RAN' LAUGH to delight Mankind
That yet no Equal to her Charms we find;
Soft Sounds of Harmony run thro' her Soul,
And nought but Musick's Voice does there controul:
By secret ways, the little God takes place,
And Beauty plays the Tyrant in her Face.
But what dull Atoms can soft Sounds resist,
Since they Create, at once, ev'n what they list,
Delightful Forms from shapeless Chaos raise,
Since Heav'n the Voice of Harmony obeys?
Concord and Musick, such as charms the Ear,
First mov'd this Earth, this dull unactive Sphere,
And first made ev'ry sleeping Atom hear.

210

Musick's the Spring made by Divinest Art,
To move the Vital Machine of Man's Heart,
And circulate with Pow'r thro' ev'ry Part.
GODOLPHIN so engaging does appear,
That Angels only can resemble her,
When to please Men they put on Forms of Air.
Like hers, their matchless Faces look divine,
Light shines without, all Goodness dwells within.
Whilst Collier's Shape pursues th'Admirer home,
And adds fresh Flame where'er her Presence come
She still the Lover's Wishes close imploys
On Youthful Charms, and soft engaging Eyes,
On lasting Beauty, and ne'er-fading Joys.
But see the Sacred Marks of Beauty shine
In FORESTER, more Glorious and Divine;
Easie her Shape is wrought in ev'ry Turn,
Charming her Mein, and Elegant her Form.
Artless she walks, with such a moving Grace,
'Tis difficult for Wit, or Words, to express
Which pleases most, her Looks, her Air, her Dress.

211

But I dare only mention SPENCER's Face,
That fires all Bodies, like a Burning-glass:
The very Soul of Love, and Beauty's Sun,
Whose shining Beams has half Mankind undone.
So BRIDGWATER, the Gods peculiar care,
Is not less Good and Virtuous than she's Fair.
Becoming Airs from her Indulgence grow,
And solid Virtues her true Honour show.
Mildness of Nature in each Feature's dress'd,
And nought but Softness dwells within her Breast.
In SHEFFIELD's easie Shape and Mein we see
The Matchless Venus of great Normanby;
But that's a Painted, this a Living Deity.
In chusing which, he shew'd his Judgment more
Than all the Beauteous Images before.
This Goddess, only for Apollo fit,
Triumphs in Virtue, as her Lord in Wit.
But, oh my Muse! how gentle Beauty sighs,
And tempts the Swain, in Wyndham's moving Eyes,
That Look and Languish with a kind surprize!

212

But her reserv'dness chides the Lover's stay,
And silently commands his Eyes away;
A modest Blush has such prevailing Charms,
It both forbids, and draws Men to her Arms.
Behold Melpomene, fair SEYMOUR, shine
In Somerset and Piercy's Ancient Line:
Happy's the Man prepar'd for such a Bride,
Blest with all Nature's Treasure by his Side;
Greatness of Soul her Noble Nature moves,
While Objects worthy of her self she loves.
WHARTON amidst the fairest may appear,
And rival Pallas in her flowing Hair,
That does to Beauty so much Pleasure yield,
Like Ears of Wheat upon the fertile Field;
The Owner looks on with such great delight,
All other Objects vanish from his Sight:
As Stars at their Meridian Height look clear,
Wharton as fair and lucid does appear.

213

If Dross, and Wit, and Air Mankind can move,
The Prussian Dame must reign bright Queen of Love.
Fair Spanheim's Eyes shoot out their pointed Darts,
Where-e'er they fly, they wound a thousand Hearts.
In HIDE's fair Face true Majesty resides,
Yet Cupid claims his Empire, gently rides,
And as a God commands; when all obey,
For Love and Pow'r have each an equal sway,
Like Sun & Moon, this rules the Night, that the Day.
How DUNCH and DIG BY all their Charms dispense,
While COWPER adds her Power of Eloquence,
And fills the World with Musick, Wit, and Sense.
Such Charms as these deservedly may claim
In Beauty's Annals a much larger Fame.
MANCHESTER moves with irresistless Air,
Her Dress is taking, as her Face is fair;
Something that's new is always in her found,
With some peculiar Grace she does abound

214

That is engaging, happy, new, and rare,
Which makes her affable and debonair.
Endless in numbers would the Circle prove,
To trace these beauteous Images of Love.
How LEE's Complexion, and how COLVERT's Smile
Do grace the Fame of Britain's Happy Isle.
So HARPER's killing Eyes, and BARTON's Air,
Oblige Mankind to own 'em Heav'nly Fair;
Real Perfection's (which in both these live)
Beyond what little Arts of Flattery give.
Why do we find in the Records of Fame,
Such lavish Trophies to Orinda's Name?
Or why should Sappho still immortal be,
When both, alas! were but faint Types of thee,
And may still brighter shine in ORRERY?
Rough were those Draughts, and carelessly design'd,
Thou art the Masterpiece of Womankind.
WORTLEY, is made of tender moving Sighs,
Refin'd Ætherial Mould, soft melting Eyes;

215

Magick, which all our Mortal Cares beguiles,
Enchanting Glances, ever-pleasing Smiles;
These are the bright Retinue which declare
That Cupid daily plays the Wanton there.
LONG is discover'd by her sweet Regard,
With the same Pleasure seen, that she is heard;
Modest, but not Precise; Free, but not Wild;
Neither Affected, too Reserv'd, nor Mild:
To distant Courts her Infant Glory flies,
Ten thousand Victims at her Altar lies,
And twice Ten thousand offer to her Eyes.
Behold the Off-spring of a tuneful Sire,
Fair BEAUFORT! blest with more than mortal Fire:
Such are her Charms, as was the Poet's Song,
When Orpheus did enchant the list'ning Throng:
So artful, so melodious were his Strains,
They made the Damn'd, tho' loaded with their Chains,
Enjoy some Ease amidst Eternal Pains.
So were the sporting Dolphins charm'd, around
The Vessel's side, at sweet Arion's Sound

216

They on their Backs the sinking Prophet bore,
And safely brought him to the wish'd-for Shore.
So did Amphion touch his well-tun'd Strings,
For Nature follows when the Poet sings:
Rivers stood still, attentive to his Strains,
And Woods forsook the Hills to shade the Plains:
Vast Stones and Trees in order were dispos'd,
And to his Tuneful Lyre was Thebes compos'd.
But see the Star now risen on our Sphere,
Bright as the Evening Venus shining here.
Clear as the Moon is her unblemish'd Face,
With Hebe's Bloom, and Juno's matchless Grace.
Her Charms has in short time such Conquests won,
That Churchill's rival'd by a NEWINGTON.
St. ALBAN's conq'ring Eyes their Pow'r maintain,
While Beauty lives, she will a Monarch reign,
Yet, Tyrant like, Love's Liberty restrain.
While blushing ESSEX's chaster Flame survives,
By sprightly Looks and gentle Sighs she lives.

217

Thus the Admirers to her Beauty draws,
Tho' from too near approach her Thunder awes.
In WOODSTOCK's Goodness all the Graces shine,
Plac'd in her Form is Venus's Magazine;
All Beauty's Treasure lodges in her Eyes,
And from her Store bring still their fresh Supplys.
Happy's the Man who leads with her a Life,
So pow'rful is the Charm of such a Wife.
Happy as Gods he lives, and sure as blest,
Where no false Joys can rob him of his Rest.
When radiant Glances shoot from PRICE's Eyes,
They fill the World, like Comets, with surprize:
But when they gently lay their Lightning by,
The World seems lost in dark Obscurity.
Each Charm about 'em looks both fresh and gay,
Young as the Spring, and sweet as Flowers in May.
The Charms that from MONTHERMER's Aspect stray
Diffuse themselves as Orient Light, the Day,
And merit more than all the World can pay.

218

Let GIBBONS 'mong the brightest Beauties shine,
Since 'tis her Air that makes her Form divine.
Give COWPER Wit, still BARTON will have Sense,
And VERE maintain a killing Influence.
These Rival Beauties, thus we find appear
The same by Art that they by Nature are;
Lovely and bright as unmix'd Honour shines,
That rises not by proud, or servile Art declines.
The Graces all on SOMERSET attend,
And Virtue does to Beauty Honour lend.
The Charming Sex are pleas'd to mix with her,
That's with the Highest, Noble, Rich, and Fair,
Essential Ornaments that vest the Great,
And which did ever on the Percy's wait;
Not in meer Pageantry and publick Show,
But in such Actions as from Virtue flow.
But how, presumptuous Muse, dar'st thou aspire
To draw the Beams of Beauty without Fire?
Why thou attempt such a bold dang'rous Part
With so much Weakness, and so little Art?
In vain thou labours to describe the Fair,
Since here so many shining Beauties are;

219

And those so many different Charms put on,
'Tis hard to find a Woman without one.
Stand round, ye Beauties, all your Charms disclose,
The fairest Circle that e'er shone, compose.
Stand round, ye Lovers, all your Passions own,
What Pains you've felt, what Agonies you've known:
Your soft Desires will all their Centre find
In these Bell-Dames, the Loveliest of their Kind.