Poems on Several Occasions :: :: University of Virginia Library

On Thamis' Banks, where many a flow'ry Gem
Blooms wanton-wild, advanc'd a jovial Crew,
Thick as the Daisies which his Meadows hem;
And with sweet Herbs the liquid Crystal strew;
For on the liquid Crystal gayly flew
A painted Gondelay, bedecked fair
With Gold and Purple, gorgeous to the View!
While loud approving Shouts divide the Air,
“Hail, happy future Bride of Albion's worthy Heir.”

II

Eftsoons the Father of the silver Flood,
The noble Thames, his azure Head uprais'd,
And shook his dewy Locks, worthy a God!
A lambent Glory round his Temples blaz'd,
On which the Naïds all with wonder gaz'd.
So sparkle Thetis purple-trembling Streams,
When Phœbus, for his golden Car yprais'd,
Strikes the calm Surface with his Morning Beams,
And sprinkles Spangles round and the wide Blue inflames.

III

The wanton Naïds, Doris' Daughters all,
Range in a Ring: Pherusa, blooming-fair,
Cymodoce Dove-ey'd, with Florimal,
Sweet-smelling Flowrets deck'd their long green Hair,
And Erato, to Love, to Venus dear,
Galene drest in smiles and Lilly-white,
And Phao, with her snowy Bosom bare,
All these, and more than these, a dainty Sight!
In Daunce and Merriment and sweet Belgards Delight.

IV

Around the Bark They daunce, wherein there sat
A Lady fresh and fair, ah! such a One,
So fresh and fair, so amiably great,
So goodly-gracious seem'd as never none,
And like thy sweet-beam'd Planet, Venus, shone.
They much admire, O very much her Face,
Her Shape, her Breast, for Love a downy Throne!
Her Beauty's glorious Shine, her every Grace;
An Angel She appear'd, at least of Angel-Race.

V

Her Thamis (on his golden Urn he lean'd)
Saluted with this Hymeneal Song,
And hail'd her safe. Full silent was the Wind,
The River glided gently-soft along,
Ne whispered the Breeze the Leaves emong,
Ne love-learn'd Philomel out-trill'd her Lay;
A Stillness on the Waves attentive hung,
A brighter Gladness blest the Face of Day,
All Nature gan to smile, her Smiles diffus'd the May.

VI

“Ah sacred Ship, to Albion wafting Good,
Our Wish, our Hope, our Joy! who safe convey'd
Through perilous Sea, from Ila's little Flood,
This Beauty's Paragon, this Royal Maid,
Isprung, Iwist, of high empyreal Seed;
The Child of Heaven, the Daughter of Delight,
Nurst by a Grace, with Milk and Honey fed!
Oh Frederick! oh, certes, blessed Wight,
To Whom the Gods consign the Nymph Augusta hight.

VII

Ah sacred Ship! may favourable Gales,
The kindest Breath of Heav'n attend thy Way,
And swell the winged Canvass of thy Sails:
May Calmness be thy Path, and Pleasaunce lay
On the soft Bosom of the yielding Sea,
Where-e're thou Wind; or to the spicy Shore
Of Araby the blest, or Indias Bay,
Where Diamonds kindle, and the golden Ore
Flames into Purity, to deck Augusta more!

VIII

Augusta, fairest Princess under Sky,
Welcome to Albion's renowned Land,
Albion well known to thy great Ancestry,
Made dearer far to Thee by Hymen's Band,
The Band of Love, of Honour and Command!
Deign to receive the Nations publick Voice,
Of Heartiness unfeign'd, who gleeful stand
In meet Array, and thus express their Joys
In Peals of loud Acclaim, and Mirths confused Noise.

IX

With warmer Raptures, and more passionate,
Tho' hard to be! the Royal Youth, I trow,
Shall Thee embrace: Him tenfold Fires elate,
And sacred Passions in his Bosom glow,
Which from thy Picture erst began to flow.
For Thee He burns, for Thee He sighs and prays,
Pours out his Soul to Thee, nor Rest can know;
But dreams of Thee long, livelong Nights and Days,
By Beauty led thro' all Love's Rosy-Thorny-Ways.

X

To heal his Pains soft Musick does divide
Most heavenly Melody in soothing Strains;
Nor heavenly Melody, nor aught beside,
Save Thee, ah Dearest Dread! can heal his Pains.
Thy Form too deeply in his Breast Remains.
So ever and anon He chides the Gales,
That slowly seem to brush the liquid Plains;
Oh! fly on all the Wings of Heav'n, ye Sails,
Oh fly! He crys; and lo! a Lover's Pray'r prevails.

XI

Now cease thy Sighs. She comes, (oh blessed Day!)
She comes, by all the Loves and Graces drest,
In proud Humility. See, Hymen play,
With Saffron Robe and Flame-embroider'd Vest,
(Such Colours, sikerly, suit Hymen best.)
And Cupid Catches rosy wafts of Air
To stretch the Sails and fan the Royal Guest.
Nor Chastity, meek-ey'd, is wanting there,
For She, and Modesty, sweet-blushing, guide the Steer.

XII

Not Venus, Queen of Beauty and of Bliss
So goodly shone, when erst the Goddess sprung
From Ocean's sparkling Foam; sweet Nakedness!
A thousand Smiles and Loves upon her hung,
And all the Gods for Joy and wonder sung.
The Waves so proud the beamy Burthen bore
Exulting; She, around her, Odours flung,
And bade the Billows laugh and cease to roar;
They gladly Her obey, and gently kiss the Shore.

XIII

So fair She looks, nay fairer, cou'd it be;
Did never mortal Man such Charms behold
In Bow'r or Hall. Spring waits upon her Eye;
Lo! Flora has her richest Stores out-roll'd
Of variable Flow'rs and blooming Gold.
The Meadows smile, the Birds renew their Love
And throw Themselves in Pairs the Young and Old;
All Nature glows where're her Glances move,
And Beauty paints each Field, and Musick fills each Grove.

XIV

But Who is yon, each other Youth excelling
As much as orient Gold surmounteth Brass?
Sure Honour in his Visage chose her Dwelling,
And sacred Truth, Perdie, adorns his Face;
Such Goodlihead and Humbless never was.
Blest be the Sight! full well those looks I kenn,
Where Joyaunce sits and ever-smiling Grace;
Frederick! 'tis He! the first and best of Men,
Our dearling Prince to meet Augusta well-beseen.

XV

And lo! what medled Passions in Him move,
He gazes—wonders—(great is Beauty's Pow'r!)
And, sweetly lost in Ecstasy and Love,
His Eyes her Whole, his Lips her Lips devour,
Which Venus had besprent with Nectar-Show'r.
Her slippery Charms allow his Eyes no Rest,
But thousand Arrows, nay ten thousand pour
Into his wounded and transported Breast;
Sure none like her is fair, sure none like him is blest!

XVI

O blessed Youth! receive thy Bonnibel,
Eternal Fount of Virtue, Love and Grace!
O kneel to all the Gods and pray to all,
Who sparkle so divinely in her Face,
And with celestial Fires her Bosom bless.
So shines Aurora in her rich Attire,
When She Hyperion wou'd fain caress:
Gaze all the Host of Stars, and all admire,
Then twinkle in their Urns, and into Night retire.

XVII

O blessed Maid! receive thy Belamour,
With glee receive Him and o'erflowing Heart:
Ne in high Monarch's Court, ne Lady's Bow'r,
A Youth so form'd by Nature and by Art,
Conspiring Both, e're cherish'd Cupid's Dart.
So Phœbus, lusty Bridegroom of the Sky,
With native Splendours shines on every Part;
From East to West his pointed Glories fly,
He warmeth every Heart, He dazleth every Eye.”

XVIII

Here Thamis ended. Now the goodly Train
Of all the Naïds, in most comely wise,
A Present make of Myrtle-Girland green,
Entrail'd with Flowrets and with rare device.
The Graces eke, with Laughter-swelling Eyes,
A Rosy-Chaplet, steep'd in Nectar bring,
(The Roses gather'd in the Morning Skies)
Then, joining with the Naïds, form a Ring,
And round Them deftly daunce, and round Them blithly sing.

XIX

“As Roses and as Myrtles kindly weave
Their Sweets in One, much sweeter as they blend;
Emblem of Marriage-Love! So You, receive
Sweets interchang'd, and to each other lend;
Then, in a blest Perfume, to Heav'n ascend,
And mingle with the Gods! While Here below,
New Myrtles, Roses new, withouten end,
From your luxurious Stock, full plenteous, grow,
And with their Parent-Sweets, and Parent-Beauty glow.”

XX

Next Albion's Genius came, bedite in Gold,
An Oaken Chaplet nodded on his Head;
The Crown He held was glorious to behold,
And royally He taught his Feet to tread.
Soon as he spy'd the Prince's Goodlyhead,
He pointed to the Crown, and rais'd his Voice
To hail the Royal Pair and bless their Bed:
The jolly Chorus catch the grateful Noise,
Echo the Woods and Vales, and Heav'n and Earth rejoice.

XXI

Next Liberty, the fairest Nymph on Ground;
The flowing Plenty of her golden Hair
Diffusing lavishly Ambrosia round;
Her Hands a flow'ry Cornucopia bear,
Which scatter's Joy and Pleasaunce through the Air.
Earth smil'd, and Gladness danc'd along the Sky;
Before Her vanish'd Grief and pale-ey'd Care,
And eft, in courteous Guise, she cast her Eye
On that same gentle Twain, her Glory and her Joy.

XXII

And These beside, a Sacred Per'snage came,
Immaculate and sweet as Sharon-Rose:
Upon her Breast a Bloody Cross did flame,
Aumail'd with Gold and Gems in goodly Rows:
A Pall of Lawn adown her Shoulders flows:
Yclep'd Eusebia. She pray'd aloud,
Then, blessing Both, for her Defenders chose,
And spheard her Glories in a purple Cloud:
Softly Augusta smil'd, full lowly Frederick bow'd.

XXIII

Fair Fame behind a silver Trumpet blew,
Sweet to the Earth, and fragrant to the Sky!
Her Mantle of a many-colour'd Hue,
Her Rain-bow-Wings pouder'd with many an Eye,
And near her Honour, Pow'r, and Courtesy:
Honour of open Front, and steady Grace;
Pow'r, clad in Steel, a Faulchion brandish'd high;
Courtesy drest in Smiles her bounteous Face:
When These attend a Prince, thrice happy Subject's Case!

XXIV

The Muses clos'd this intellectual Scene
From Helicon; who knows not Helicon?
Gold were their Lyres, their Laurels ever-green.
Soon Clio to the Prince a starry Crown
Presents, another to his Bellibone.
Then all in lofty Chorus swell the Song,
Big with their happy Loves and great Renown.
Prophetick Numbers float the Woods emong,
For Shepherd-Lad too high, for Memory too long.

XXV

Nathless thy tuneful Sons, O Oxford dear!
By Muses visited, may catch the Lays,
Sweet-pouring Streams of Nectar on the Ear,
And from Their Lips, in Vision, learn to raise
Their Loves and Fame, to brighten future Days.
Thee fits not, Thomalin, a simple Swain,
High Deeds to sing, but gentle Roundelays:
Go feed thy Flock, renew the rural Strain
On oaten Pipe, content to please the humble Plain.

A Boat.

Presently.

Beautiful Looks.

Nor.

Certainly.

Named.

Surely.

Formerly.

An Affirmation.

Handsom.

Beautiful Virgin.

Charming Lover.

Often

Called.

Fair Damsel.

Nevertheless.