 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
257
The CONTEST.
A Vision.
Last night, as musing on my bed I lay,
And mimic Fancy rul'd with boundless sway,
Sleep gently lull'd my faculties to Rest,
And Fairy Mab with Magic charm'd my breast;
Methought I stood near Helicon's fam'd stream—
(Critics, observe—all this was but a Dream:)
Where Tragedy, with slow and stately pace,
And keen-ey'd Comedy, with smiling Grace,
Two Sister Muses—seem'd in warm debate,
Who best deserv'd Pre-eminence of State.
And mimic Fancy rul'd with boundless sway,
Sleep gently lull'd my faculties to Rest,
And Fairy Mab with Magic charm'd my breast;
Methought I stood near Helicon's fam'd stream—
(Critics, observe—all this was but a Dream:)
Where Tragedy, with slow and stately pace,
And keen-ey'd Comedy, with smiling Grace,
Two Sister Muses—seem'd in warm debate,
Who best deserv'd Pre-eminence of State.
“With Jove's own Bird the short-wing'd Wren might vie,
“And perch on Heav'n's high Palace in the Sky
“(Exclaims Melpomene) as You with Me
“Contest presume in Rank and Dignity:
“Courts, Heroes, Kings—my Verse sublime require,
“You distant gaze—nor dare so high aspire:
“Ev'n in the inmost Chambers of the Soul,
“The fiercest Passions own my vast controul;
“While You in lightsome strains, with tickling smart,
“Play round the head, but seldom touch the heart:
“In a superior Orbit, lo! I shine;—
“Think not, vain Girl, your Merit equals mine.”
“And perch on Heav'n's high Palace in the Sky
“(Exclaims Melpomene) as You with Me
“Contest presume in Rank and Dignity:
“Courts, Heroes, Kings—my Verse sublime require,
“You distant gaze—nor dare so high aspire:
“Ev'n in the inmost Chambers of the Soul,
“The fiercest Passions own my vast controul;
“While You in lightsome strains, with tickling smart,
“Play round the head, but seldom touch the heart:
“In a superior Orbit, lo! I shine;—
“Think not, vain Girl, your Merit equals mine.”
“Cloud-hawling Sister, quit your high Abode,
“And, if you can, descend to Reason's road,”
Cries Comedy, (and curtsey'd as she spoke)
“My Laughter, not my Anger you provoke:
“Our Stations Father Jove fix'd here below,
“In Virtue's cause to combat ev'ry Foe;
“Our Mirrors to erect, and teach mankind
“Self-knowledge in the portrait of the mind;
“Vice to unmask, and Folly to expose,
“And shew them, as from Hell they naked rose:
“Your province Vice,—mine Folly,—our success
“The different Aspects of our foes confess:
“Courts, you avow, is your peculiar sphere—
“What mighty wonders has your glass wrought there?
“Are Kings and pension'd Courtiers more inclin'd
“To Virtue, than the rest of humankind?
“Ah, Sister! if mankind I justly read,
“Courts are unfriendly soils for Virtue's seed—
“Ev'n there—when Rainbow-Folly meets your eyes,
“Abash'd, the Coward veils in Wisdom's guise;
“While bare-fac'd Vice with frontlet glares of brass,
“Nor blushes at her portrait in the glass.
“'Tis mine, with this keen lash of Ridicule,
“Tickling to probe each Folly-govern'd Fool;
“To no one Sphere confin'd, I hunt my game,
“Or country, city, court—to me the same:
“Equal with you, thro' the blue vaulted sky
“On sounding pinions at my will I fly;
“Yet never soar so high, to Reason true,
“But Land-mark Nature still I keep in view:—
“Your vain Pre-eminence, sweet Girl, resign,
“If any—that Pre-eminence is mine.”
“And, if you can, descend to Reason's road,”
258
“My Laughter, not my Anger you provoke:
“Our Stations Father Jove fix'd here below,
“In Virtue's cause to combat ev'ry Foe;
“Our Mirrors to erect, and teach mankind
“Self-knowledge in the portrait of the mind;
“Vice to unmask, and Folly to expose,
“And shew them, as from Hell they naked rose:
“Your province Vice,—mine Folly,—our success
“The different Aspects of our foes confess:
“Courts, you avow, is your peculiar sphere—
“What mighty wonders has your glass wrought there?
“Are Kings and pension'd Courtiers more inclin'd
“To Virtue, than the rest of humankind?
“Ah, Sister! if mankind I justly read,
“Courts are unfriendly soils for Virtue's seed—
“Ev'n there—when Rainbow-Folly meets your eyes,
“Abash'd, the Coward veils in Wisdom's guise;
“While bare-fac'd Vice with frontlet glares of brass,
“Nor blushes at her portrait in the glass.
“'Tis mine, with this keen lash of Ridicule,
“Tickling to probe each Folly-govern'd Fool;
“To no one Sphere confin'd, I hunt my game,
“Or country, city, court—to me the same:
“Equal with you, thro' the blue vaulted sky
“On sounding pinions at my will I fly;
“Yet never soar so high, to Reason true,
“But Land-mark Nature still I keep in view:—
“Your vain Pre-eminence, sweet Girl, resign,
“If any—that Pre-eminence is mine.”
259
All this sly Opera heard, and with a Trill
Which Echo answer'd from Parnassus Hill,
Her claim preferr'd:—“In vain your pow'rs ye boast;
“Know, Sisters, that 'tis Opera rules the roast:
“Mortals by me possest, now laugh, now cry,
“Expire, revive—and all—they know not why:
“On Music's wings my Votaries are caught
“To Heav'n, freed from the galling chain of thought.
“That Music's charms can soothe the savage beast,
“Among your favourite Britons stands confest;
“Let your own Fanes, Drury and Covent tell,
“Whether or You or Opera bears the bell:
“The mountain-nurtur'd Swiss, whose callous souls
“Not all Your Pathos or Your Wit controuls,
“To Me submissive humblest homage pay,
“And live or die obedient to my sway;
“And what my influence proves beyond compare,
“Castratos now are Fav'rites of the Fair.”
Which Echo answer'd from Parnassus Hill,
Her claim preferr'd:—“In vain your pow'rs ye boast;
“Know, Sisters, that 'tis Opera rules the roast:
“Mortals by me possest, now laugh, now cry,
“Expire, revive—and all—they know not why:
“On Music's wings my Votaries are caught
“To Heav'n, freed from the galling chain of thought.
“That Music's charms can soothe the savage beast,
“Among your favourite Britons stands confest;
“Let your own Fanes, Drury and Covent tell,
“Whether or You or Opera bears the bell:
“The mountain-nurtur'd Swiss, whose callous souls
“Not all Your Pathos or Your Wit controuls,
“To Me submissive humblest homage pay,
“And live or die obedient to my sway;
“And what my influence proves beyond compare,
“Castratos now are Fav'rites of the Fair.”
Melpomene, with looks of cold disdain,
(Looks which yet more than words her thoughts explain)
Just glanc'd contempt, nor deign'd to make reply;
When thus, with mirth replete, brisk Comedy
Retorts:—“Thou mere Vacuity! Thou Thing of Air!
“In Merit shall Sol fa with us compare!
“Hence, and thy distance know, and thank kind Heav'n,
“If in our Train an humble lot is giv'n:
“At best, the outward Flourish you dispense
“To deck and ornament Dramatic Sense;
“Shall Truth and Nature, like a frothy Beau,
“Fix all their Merit in vain empty Show?”—
(Looks which yet more than words her thoughts explain)
Just glanc'd contempt, nor deign'd to make reply;
When thus, with mirth replete, brisk Comedy
Retorts:—“Thou mere Vacuity! Thou Thing of Air!
“In Merit shall Sol fa with us compare!
260
“If in our Train an humble lot is giv'n:
“At best, the outward Flourish you dispense
“To deck and ornament Dramatic Sense;
“Shall Truth and Nature, like a frothy Beau,
“Fix all their Merit in vain empty Show?”—
More she had said, but Phœbus from his throne,
Thus stopt debate, and Jove's high will made known;
“Sisters, for shame! your ill-judg'd Strife forbear,
“Muse against Muse is most unnatural war: —
“To combat Giant Vice, to mend the heart,
“To draw forth Virtue's tears—and joys impart,
“Which none but Good and Feeling Souls can know,
“Be Yours, Melpomene:—While Folly's Foe
“Thalia stands confest; and Heart and Head
“Frees from those weeds, too apt to overspread
“The human soil: Oft-times the richest ground
“Will, if neglected, most in weeds abound:
“Large and alike extensive either field,
“Equal the mutual benefits they yield;
“Equal be then your Rank:—'Tis Jove's decree,
“Henceforth ye live in kindred Amity,
“Nor either claim unjust Precedency.
Thus stopt debate, and Jove's high will made known;
“Sisters, for shame! your ill-judg'd Strife forbear,
“Muse against Muse is most unnatural war: —
“To combat Giant Vice, to mend the heart,
“To draw forth Virtue's tears—and joys impart,
“Which none but Good and Feeling Souls can know,
“Be Yours, Melpomene:—While Folly's Foe
“Thalia stands confest; and Heart and Head
“Frees from those weeds, too apt to overspread
“The human soil: Oft-times the richest ground
“Will, if neglected, most in weeds abound:
“Large and alike extensive either field,
“Equal the mutual benefits they yield;
“Equal be then your Rank:—'Tis Jove's decree,
“Henceforth ye live in kindred Amity,
“Nor either claim unjust Precedency.
“By Sense prepar'd to raise the Soul on high
“To Heav'n, upon the wings of Harmony,
“Opera, that task be Yours: But, Unprepar'd
“By Sense, in vain the Strain delusive's heard;
“For Music, void of Sense, to all intent,
“Is but a Sweetmeat without Nourishment.
“Your Province is to see your pleasing Aid,
“Dependent, at your Sisters' Call display'd:
“Aided by You, they sooner shall controul,
“And pour the Balm of Virtue in the Soul;
“But for the Lead—to that drop all pretence,
“Sound still must yield Precedency to Sense:
“They never in the Vanguard shou'd appear,
“Whose station's fix'd by Heaven in the Rear:
“Friends all! henceforth like Brethren kindly love,
“And Heav'n and Earth the Union will approve.”—
“To Heav'n, upon the wings of Harmony,
“Opera, that task be Yours: But, Unprepar'd
“By Sense, in vain the Strain delusive's heard;
261
“Is but a Sweetmeat without Nourishment.
“Your Province is to see your pleasing Aid,
“Dependent, at your Sisters' Call display'd:
“Aided by You, they sooner shall controul,
“And pour the Balm of Virtue in the Soul;
“But for the Lead—to that drop all pretence,
“Sound still must yield Precedency to Sense:
“They never in the Vanguard shou'd appear,
“Whose station's fix'd by Heaven in the Rear:
“Friends all! henceforth like Brethren kindly love,
“And Heav'n and Earth the Union will approve.”—
To Jove's Award the Sisters lowly bow'd,
And close embracing, mutual friendship vow'd;
Link'd like the Graces hand in hand they sped—
The Watchman call'd the hour—the Vision fled.
And close embracing, mutual friendship vow'd;
Link'd like the Graces hand in hand they sped—
The Watchman call'd the hour—the Vision fled.
As a striking Instance of the Power of Music, the Swiss, who are not a People of the quickest Sensation, are said to have at this Time a Tune, which, when play'd upon their Fifes, inspires them with such a Desire of revisiting their native Country, that if prevented they languish and die of Grief. This Tune is therefore, under severe Penalties, forbid to be play'd by the Swiss Regiments in foreign Service, as it would infallibly cause them to desert.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |