 | Miscellanies in Prose and Verse |  |
67
The CONTENTION.
The god of wine and god of love,
(Highest of all the powers above)
Contending for imperial sway,
Anxious each to gain the day,
Resolv'd that one alone should reign,
Their pow'r they try'd upon a swain.
(Highest of all the powers above)
Contending for imperial sway,
Anxious each to gain the day,
Resolv'd that one alone should reign,
Their pow'r they try'd upon a swain.
The god of love, his golden dart
Let fly, and hit the shepherd's heart;
Colin, abandoning his sheep,
His scrip and crook, his food and sleep,
A vot'ry bows at Chloris' shrine,
For Chloris now was all divine;
Nought left of human in her nature,
But all a bright celestial creature.
Let fly, and hit the shepherd's heart;
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His scrip and crook, his food and sleep,
A vot'ry bows at Chloris' shrine,
For Chloris now was all divine;
Nought left of human in her nature,
But all a bright celestial creature.
The god of wine then fill'd a glass,
In hopes to drive away the lass
From Colin's thoughts; yet all in vain,
He quaff'd and smil'd, and lov'd again.
The swain was ask'd, the swain confess'd
The passion stronger in his breast,
But that the wine had chear'd his hope,
And drove out thoughts of knife and rope.
In hopes to drive away the lass
From Colin's thoughts; yet all in vain,
He quaff'd and smil'd, and lov'd again.
The swain was ask'd, the swain confess'd
The passion stronger in his breast,
But that the wine had chear'd his hope,
And drove out thoughts of knife and rope.
The god of love then sneez'd aloud,
And all the little Cupids bow'd;
He then let fly another dart,
Which more inflam'd the shepherd's heart.
Then Bacchus gave a flowing cup,
The shepherd smil'd, and quaff'd it up;
The swain was ask'd, the swain confess'd,
The passion stronger in his breast;
But now being rais'd to Chloris' sphere,
He had discharg'd all grief and fear.
And all the little Cupids bow'd;
He then let fly another dart,
Which more inflam'd the shepherd's heart.
Then Bacchus gave a flowing cup,
The shepherd smil'd, and quaff'd it up;
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The passion stronger in his breast;
But now being rais'd to Chloris' sphere,
He had discharg'd all grief and fear.
The god of love twice sneez'd aloud,
And all the little cupids bow'd;
The third and last shaft now was sent,
Which less effected than it meant;
For Bacchus with a flowing bowl
Enlarg'd the shepherd's joyful soul.
The swain was ask'd, the swain confess'd,
The passion now had left his breast;
He found himself grow all divine,
And Chloris at a distance shine;
Himself the bright celestial creature,
And she returned to human nature.
And all the little cupids bow'd;
The third and last shaft now was sent,
Which less effected than it meant;
For Bacchus with a flowing bowl
Enlarg'd the shepherd's joyful soul.
The swain was ask'd, the swain confess'd,
The passion now had left his breast;
He found himself grow all divine,
And Chloris at a distance shine;
Himself the bright celestial creature,
And she returned to human nature.
The Bacchanals, with loud huzza's,
Proclaim their god, whose bowl displays
Such influence, and gain'd the odds,
In placing man among the gods.
Proclaim their god, whose bowl displays
Such influence, and gain'd the odds,
In placing man among the gods.
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The god of love withdrew, and swore
He never would encounter more
The mighty bowl, but always yield,
To Bacchus the disputed field.
He never would encounter more
The mighty bowl, but always yield,
To Bacchus the disputed field.
| Miscellanies in Prose and Verse | |