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University of Virginia Library

The Works of William Mason

... In Four Volumes

Mason, William (1725-1797)

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I.

TO ROBERT EARL OF HOLDERNESSE, BARON D'ARCY, MENIL AND CONYERS, LORD WARDEN OF HIS MAJESTY'S CINQUE PORTS, AND GOVERNOR OF DOVER CASTLE.

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I.

ODE I. TO MEMORY.

II.

ODE II. TO A WATER-NYMPH.

III.

ODE III. ON LEAVING ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, 1746.

IV.

ODE IV. ON EXPECTING TO RETURN TO CAMBRIDGE, 1747.

V.

ODE V. FOR MUSIC.

VI.

ODE VI. TO INDEPENDENCY.

VII.

ODE VII. TO A FRIEND.

VIII.

ODE VIII. ON THE FATE OF TYRANNY.

IX.

ODE IX. TO AN ÆOLUS'S HARP

X.

ODE X. FOR MUSIC. IRREGULAR.

XI.

XII.

ODE XII. TO THE NAVAL OFFICERS OF GREAT BRITAIN.

XIII.

XIV.

ODE XIV. TO THE HON. WILLIAM PITT.

XV.

ODE XV. SECULAR.

XVI.

ODE XVI. PALINODIA.

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I.

ELEGY I. TO A YOUNG NOBLEMAN

II.

ELEGY II. ADDRESSED TO MISS PELHAM ON THE DEATH OF HER FATHER.

III.

ELEGY III. WRITTEN IN THE GARDEN OF A FRIEND.

IV.

ELEGY IV. TO THE REV. MR. HURD.

V.

ELEGY V. ON THE DEATH OF A LADY.

VI.

ELEGY VI. WRITTEN IN A CHURCH-YARD IN SOUTH WALES, 1787.

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I.

SONNET I. SENT TO A YOUNG LADY WITH DODSLEY'S MISCELLANIES.

II.

SONNET II. PRESENTED TO A FRIEND ON THE MORNING OF HIS MARRIAGE.

III.

SONNET III. AUGUST, 1773.

IV.

SONNET IV. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND THE BISHOP OF LICHFIELD AND COVENTRY, PREFIXED TO THE DRAMATIC POEM OF CARACTACUS, WHEN ALTERED FOR STAGE REPRESENTATION.

V.

SONNET V. TO A VERY YOUNG PAINTER.

VI.

SONNET VI. TO GEORGE BUSSY VILLIERS EARL OF JERSEY, &c. &c. AND GEORGE SIMON HARCOURT EARL HARCOURT, &c. &c.

VII.

SONNET VII. FEBRUARY 23, 1795. ANNIVERSARY.

VIII.

SONNET VIII. FEBRUARY 23, 1796. ANNIVERSARY.

IX.

SONNET IX. TO THE BISHOP OF WORCESTER, SENT TO HIM WITH THE PRECEDING SONNET.

X.

SONNET X. FEBRUARY 23, 1797. ANNIVERSARY.

XI.

SONNET XI. OCCASIONED BY A LATE ATTACK ON THE PRESENT TASTE OF ENGLISH GARDENS.

XII.

SONNET XII. TO A GRAVEL WALK, RELATIVE TO THE PRECEDING SUBJECT.

XIII.

SONNET XIII. OCCASIONED BY A DIDACTIC POEM ON THE PROGRESS OF CIVIL SOCIETY.

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EPITAPHS AND INSCRIPTIONS.

I.

EPITAPH I. ON MRS. MASON,

II.

EPITAPH II. ON MISS DRUMMOND,

III.

EPITAPH III. ON JOHN DEALTRY, M. D.

IV.

EPITAPH IV. ON MRS. TATTON,

V.

EPITAPH V. ON MR. GRAY,

VI.

EPITAPH VI. ON THOMAS FOUNTAYNE, ESQ.

VII.

EPITAPH VII. ON LAUNCELOT BROWNE, ESQ.

VIII.

EPITAPH VIII. ON MRS. ANN E. MORRITT,

IX.

INSCRIPTION IX. ON A TRIPOD TO THE MEMORY OF WILLIAM WHITEHEAD, ESQ. P. L.

X.

INSCRIPTION X. UNDER A PICTURE OF THE EDITOR OF SHAKSPEARE'S MANUSCRIPTS, 1796.

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THE BIRTH OF FASHION: AN EPISTOLARY TALE.

AN EPISTOLARY ADDRESS TO THE AUTHOR'S FATHER, SENT FROM LONDON IN THE YEAR 1746.

STANZAS, WRITTEN ON THE BANKS OF THE CAM, 1746.

PROTOGENES AND APELLES.

SONG OF HAROLD THE VALIANT.

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THE ENGLISH GARDEN:

1.

BOOK THE FIRST.

II.

BOOK THE SECOND.

III.

BOOK THE THIRD.

IV.

BOOK THE FOURTH.

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RELIGIO CLERICI.

I.

PART THE FIRST.

II.

PART THE SECOND.

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HYMNS, AND SELECT PSALMS VERSIFIED.

HYMN BEFORE MORNING SERVICE.

HYMN BEFORE EVENING SERVICE.

PART OF PSALM XVIII.

A COMPRESSED METRICAL VERSION OF PSALM CIX.

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II.

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ARGENTILE AND CURAN:

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I.

I.

II.

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II.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

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III.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

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IV.

I.

II.

III.

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V.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

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PRELIMINARY SCENE.

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I.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

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II.

I.

II.

III.

SCENE III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

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III.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

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III.

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THE ART OF PAINTING, OF CHARLES ALPHONSE DU FRESNOY;

EPISTLE TO SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

THE ART OF PAINTING,

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SCENE III.

LYCIDAS, SAPPHO (disguised as a Shepherd.)
Sap.
Shepherd, I kindly greet thee!

Lyc.
Whence—what art thou?
Methinks I made acquaintance with thy face
This morning near the temple; but thy garb
Then spoke thee female.

Sap.
True; and such I am,
A nymph of Lemnos.

Lyc.
Thy resplendent galley
Glittering with streamers, and thy numerous train
Bespoke thee noble.

340

Sap.
True; but what avails
Or birth, or wealth, when love, when bliss is lost;
When Phaon has deceiv'd me?

Lyc.
Heav'ns! another
Inthrall'd as Doris?

Sap.
Yes, and to release
Doris from thraldom, to avenge myself,
And blast his perfidy, I mask me thus
In man's attire. Conduct me swift to Doris.

Lyc.
Ah! what will that avail?

Sap.
Know, gentle Swain,
I boast no vulgar skill in minstrelsy,
And mean by that to win her heart from Phaon,
And make it mine. That done, from such a bond
(My sex declar'd) thou shalt thyself reclaim
That truant heart, and fix it thine for ever.

Lyc.
Impossible! ye gods, that I could hope it!
O! she too madly doats on Phaon's beauty;
Yet thou art beauteous too; and in thy eye
There sits a soft and modest tenderness,
Which more, methinks, should move a virgin's mind,
Than Phaon's wanton glances.

Sap.
Not on that
Shall I depend, which had not power to keep
My Phaon faithful; but my surer hope
Springs from my soul, and its enchanting art
Which, while it sooths, inflames each hearer's heart.

341

Whate'er of sacred magic reigns
In verse and heav'n-born harmony,
I mix in my melodious strains:
Apollo hears me from his sky;
Thro' music's maze he guides the song,
Obsequious to my tuneful call;
Now lifts the swelling sounds along;
Now sinks in a pathetic fall.

Lyc.
Never till now did my rapt ear imbibe
Such strains celestial: the tun'd spheres themselves,
That o'er our heads ring their immortal chime,
To the blest gods give not more extacy,
Than thou to Lycidas! it must succeed.
Come on, sweet Lemnian Syren; swift I'll lead thee
To the fair bower, which Doris haunts at noon.