 | A Muse in Livery |  |
A SIMILE.
Often, dear friend, I've laugh'd to see,
And so have you as well as me,
On Sunday, in your little towns,
How spruce appear the country clowns.
Dick, Jack, and Tom are drest most fine;
And how the lasses faces shine!
Gaffer and Gammer too put on
Their best apparel, hose, and shoon:
All, old and young, in roastmeat cloaths,
To church repair, like belles and beaus:
There plac'd in rows, they sit and sigh,
And lift their hands and eyes on high,
In raptures all, they know not why.
From noise and sound their joys proceed,
Good sense will never do the deed;
But Nonsense utter'd in a tone,
Is sure to fetch a pious groan;
To hear the rev'rend vicar hollow,
And from his throat damnation bellow,
With threat'ning look and great emotion,
Lord, how it heightens their devotion!
To hear him preach of incarnation,
Or rail at transubstantiation,
Election, and predestination:
To hear him tell the just affinity
Betwixt the persons of the Trinity;
And make full easily agree
Omniscience and free agency:
Tho' points which he poor man's as short in,
As I should be to tell your fortune;
And which they understand as much,
As if he preach'd to them in Dutch:
Yet he's a scholar, they admire him;
He preaches just as they desire him:
'Tis sound, not sense, which warms their hearts,
And tones and accents shew his parts.
And so have you as well as me,
On Sunday, in your little towns,
How spruce appear the country clowns.
Dick, Jack, and Tom are drest most fine;
And how the lasses faces shine!
54
Their best apparel, hose, and shoon:
All, old and young, in roastmeat cloaths,
To church repair, like belles and beaus:
There plac'd in rows, they sit and sigh,
And lift their hands and eyes on high,
In raptures all, they know not why.
From noise and sound their joys proceed,
Good sense will never do the deed;
But Nonsense utter'd in a tone,
Is sure to fetch a pious groan;
To hear the rev'rend vicar hollow,
And from his throat damnation bellow,
With threat'ning look and great emotion,
Lord, how it heightens their devotion!
To hear him preach of incarnation,
Or rail at transubstantiation,
Election, and predestination:
To hear him tell the just affinity
Betwixt the persons of the Trinity;
And make full easily agree
Omniscience and free agency:
Tho' points which he poor man's as short in,
As I should be to tell your fortune;
And which they understand as much,
As if he preach'd to them in Dutch:
Yet he's a scholar, they admire him;
He preaches just as they desire him:
'Tis sound, not sense, which warms their hearts,
And tones and accents shew his parts.
55
So have I seen at modern opera's,
As great a zeal for greater fopperies.
Here the grand monde in crowds resort,
And chairs and coaches jostle for't:
The pit and boxes gradual fill;
The show begins, and all are still.
First recitativo's hum drum noise
Their listening ears a-while employs;
Then Senesino, or La Strada,
Begins ha, ha,—and all run mad-a:
They're raptur'd, lost in extasy!
And bravo, bravo, bravo! cry,
Not one in ten tho' knows for why.
As great a zeal for greater fopperies.
Here the grand monde in crowds resort,
And chairs and coaches jostle for't:
The pit and boxes gradual fill;
The show begins, and all are still.
First recitativo's hum drum noise
Their listening ears a-while employs;
Then Senesino, or La Strada,
Begins ha, ha,—and all run mad-a:
They're raptur'd, lost in extasy!
And bravo, bravo, bravo! cry,
Not one in ten tho' knows for why.
| A Muse in Livery | |