 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
141
On Mr. P---'s Marriage with Miss H---.
“May Heav'n this boon in mercy grant,
“'Tis all I wish, 'tis all I want,
“A youthful Bride to grace my bed,
“In Honour's strictest precepts bred;
“Sweet-temper'd, gentle as a Dove,
“'Till now an alien to love;
“With beauty to direct the dart,
“And virtue to secure my heart,
“Above coquetting, blest with sense,
“Whose ev'ry look is eloquence;
“From pride and scandal always free,
“And from disgustful prudery;
“In habit neat, in person clean,
“A stranger to corroding Spleen;
“A voice to charm my soul to rest,
“Whene'er by worldly cares opprest;
“No fiery Zealot in Religion,
“A soul despising Superstition;
“Whose sense directs her how to blend
“The wife, the lover, and the friend:—
“In ev'ry shape above disguise,
“Her soul depictur'd in her eyes;
“A fortune easy and secure,
“Tho' that should be my smallest lure:—
“Ent'ring my doors, I'd have her meet me
“With smiles—and still with welcomes greet me:—
“Wou'd Jove in pity hear my pray'r,
“And bless my days with such a Fair,
“I'd never quit so rich a treasure,
“To roam abroad in search of pleasure;
“But use my ev'ry pow'r and art,
“To win and to preserve her heart.”
“'Tis all I wish, 'tis all I want,
“A youthful Bride to grace my bed,
“In Honour's strictest precepts bred;
“Sweet-temper'd, gentle as a Dove,
“'Till now an alien to love;
“With beauty to direct the dart,
“And virtue to secure my heart,
“Above coquetting, blest with sense,
“Whose ev'ry look is eloquence;
“From pride and scandal always free,
“And from disgustful prudery;
“In habit neat, in person clean,
“A stranger to corroding Spleen;
“A voice to charm my soul to rest,
“Whene'er by worldly cares opprest;
“No fiery Zealot in Religion,
“A soul despising Superstition;
“Whose sense directs her how to blend
“The wife, the lover, and the friend:—
“In ev'ry shape above disguise,
“Her soul depictur'd in her eyes;
“A fortune easy and secure,
“Tho' that should be my smallest lure:—
“Ent'ring my doors, I'd have her meet me
“With smiles—and still with welcomes greet me:—
“Wou'd Jove in pity hear my pray'r,
“And bless my days with such a Fair,
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“To roam abroad in search of pleasure;
“But use my ev'ry pow'r and art,
“To win and to preserve her heart.”
Thus P--- pray'd; and father Jove
Heard ev'ry syllable above.
Heard ev'ry syllable above.
Quo' Jove—“A modest, droll quelque Chose,
“He'll nought for want of asking lose;
“Suppose for once the whim I try,
“And with the Youth's address comply;
“He's been a loose young spark, I'm sure,
“Who knows but this may work a cure;
“He don't want sense; he may amend;
“'Tis a long lane that knows no end:—
“Here, Hymen, take your torch and fly,
“Quick, in the twinkling of an eye,
“Fly to Miss H---, of Y---k,
“You'll find her busy at her work;
“She don't, like other ladies, kill
“Her time in Scandal or Quadrille,
“Or reading paltry dull Romances,
“To fill her brain with foolish fancies:
“Tho' full of cheerfulness and spirit,
“She scorns to misemploy her merit;
“In useful sort her hours she spends,
“In working, chatting with her friends,
“Or reading, where she's sure to find
“A banquet worthy of her mind;
“In walking, or at church in pray'r,
“(She's not asham'd of going there)
“Present her as a gift from Jove;
“And you my little God of Love,
“Just at the instant take him slap—
“As you know how—beneath left pap,
“And on the Fair, with twanging bow,
“The self-same compliment bestow.
“He'll nought for want of asking lose;
“Suppose for once the whim I try,
“And with the Youth's address comply;
“He's been a loose young spark, I'm sure,
“Who knows but this may work a cure;
“He don't want sense; he may amend;
“'Tis a long lane that knows no end:—
“Here, Hymen, take your torch and fly,
“Quick, in the twinkling of an eye,
“Fly to Miss H---, of Y---k,
“You'll find her busy at her work;
“She don't, like other ladies, kill
“Her time in Scandal or Quadrille,
“Or reading paltry dull Romances,
“To fill her brain with foolish fancies:
“Tho' full of cheerfulness and spirit,
“She scorns to misemploy her merit;
“In useful sort her hours she spends,
“In working, chatting with her friends,
“Or reading, where she's sure to find
“A banquet worthy of her mind;
“In walking, or at church in pray'r,
“(She's not asham'd of going there)
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“And you my little God of Love,
“Just at the instant take him slap—
“As you know how—beneath left pap,
“And on the Fair, with twanging bow,
“The self-same compliment bestow.
“But should the Youth ungrateful prove,
“And cease to Cherish and to Love,
“Tell him—with punishments I'll teaze him,
“A thousand pains and aches shall seize him;
“And in Terrorem to bad spouses,
“I'll burn his pictures, books, and houses;
“Nay, worse than all—the blessing giv'n
“I'll re-assume, and snatch to Heav'n:—
“But hold, I'm rather too severe,
“To threaten thus, ere faults appear;
“For Gratitude with Sense and Truth,
“Have ever harbour'd in the Youth;
“And Honour, cement to the whole,
“Is rooted in his inmost soul:—
“Tell him, in short, he may depend
“On Jove—if constant—as his friend.”
“And cease to Cherish and to Love,
“Tell him—with punishments I'll teaze him,
“A thousand pains and aches shall seize him;
“And in Terrorem to bad spouses,
“I'll burn his pictures, books, and houses;
“Nay, worse than all—the blessing giv'n
“I'll re-assume, and snatch to Heav'n:—
“But hold, I'm rather too severe,
“To threaten thus, ere faults appear;
“For Gratitude with Sense and Truth,
“Have ever harbour'd in the Youth;
“And Honour, cement to the whole,
“Is rooted in his inmost soul:—
“Tell him, in short, he may depend
“On Jove—if constant—as his friend.”
The message giv'n—quick from the sky
To Y---k the winged couriers fly;
And to the wishing Youth convey
The yielding Maid (like fragrant May
Blushing, when doom'd her glowing charms
To her belov'd Zephyrus' arms)
Kneeling, the blessing he receives,
And scarce his ravish'd sight believes:—
Cupid, sly Rogue!—with barbed darts,
Transfixes both the Lovers hearts,
The Gordian knot while Hymen frames,
His torch ne'er sent forth brighter flames;
Nor has it since been trimm'd, they say,
But livelier burns each flitting Day;
And Jove upon his honour swears,
(I mean, 'pon honour he declares)
He ne'er a happier Couple knew,
More kind—more loving—and more true.
To Y---k the winged couriers fly;
And to the wishing Youth convey
The yielding Maid (like fragrant May
Blushing, when doom'd her glowing charms
To her belov'd Zephyrus' arms)
Kneeling, the blessing he receives,
And scarce his ravish'd sight believes:—
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Transfixes both the Lovers hearts,
The Gordian knot while Hymen frames,
His torch ne'er sent forth brighter flames;
Nor has it since been trimm'd, they say,
But livelier burns each flitting Day;
And Jove upon his honour swears,
(I mean, 'pon honour he declares)
He ne'er a happier Couple knew,
More kind—more loving—and more true.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |