 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
153
The Animal COMEDIANS, A FABLE.
To DAVID GARRICK, Esq;
Hence Coke on Lyttleton,—away!
Wood's Institutes, the word obey!
Ye tomes of statutes all at large,
I give ye now a free discharge!
Thou Glossary, by Jacob wrote,
For students to inspect, and quote!
Ye pleas and cases of the crown,
Where my remarks are noted down,
Ejectments, precepts, and reports,
And all the business of the courts,
Adieu!—I mount to nobler fame,
And all my raptur'd soul's on flame!
Hence let me charm the wond'ring age,
And shine the glory of the stage!
Wood's Institutes, the word obey!
Ye tomes of statutes all at large,
I give ye now a free discharge!
Thou Glossary, by Jacob wrote,
For students to inspect, and quote!
Ye pleas and cases of the crown,
Where my remarks are noted down,
Ejectments, precepts, and reports,
And all the business of the courts,
Adieu!—I mount to nobler fame,
And all my raptur'd soul's on flame!
Hence let me charm the wond'ring age,
And shine the glory of the stage!
Thus spoke young scribe, the lawyer's clerk,
A spouting, wild, conceited spark;
Mistook for genius vain desire,
And left the temple, to aspire.
A spouting, wild, conceited spark;
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And left the temple, to aspire.
Found in the scale of worth too light,
The royal stage rejects the wight:
Fir'd at the baulk, and proud of spirit,
He'd shame their skill, and prove his merit.—
What! “Not a genius?” Fools to doubt it!—
“About it, goddess, and about it.”
The royal stage rejects the wight:
Fir'd at the baulk, and proud of spirit,
He'd shame their skill, and prove his merit.—
What! “Not a genius?” Fools to doubt it!—
“About it, goddess, and about it.”
Then with a strolling tribe he join'd,
Like him, for business too refin'd:
In monarchs, lovers, fops, he'd strike:—
He play'd 'em all,—and all alike.
Like him, for business too refin'd:
In monarchs, lovers, fops, he'd strike:—
He play'd 'em all,—and all alike.
Hapless in figure, voice, and ear,
His punishment's to persevere;
He sees his error now enthrall'd,
And wishes time cou'd be recall'd;
In secret mourns his folly's spring,
And roams a vagrant,—and a king.
His punishment's to persevere;
He sees his error now enthrall'd,
And wishes time cou'd be recall'd;
In secret mourns his folly's spring,
And roams a vagrant,—and a king.
If acting once possess the brain,
The frenzy darts from vein to vein:
How fatal to the patient's ease,
This epidemical disease!
By day, by night, he groans and sighs,
And tragic ghosts in fancy rise;
Not human pow'r can stop the ill,
A parent's pray'r, or Armstrong's skill.
The frenzy darts from vein to vein:
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This epidemical disease!
By day, by night, he groans and sighs,
And tragic ghosts in fancy rise;
Not human pow'r can stop the ill,
A parent's pray'r, or Armstrong's skill.
Oh, son of genius! Friend of art!
Garrick, thou monarch of the heart!
Is it not strange the froward mind
Shou'd spurn the province heav'n assign'd?
And on the very station hit,
For which its pow'rs are most unfit?
Because you grace the roscian sphere,
As great in Chalkstone as in Lear;
Inspire with joy the heart's recess,
Or melt the soul to soft distress;
And fill the scene with so much ease,
As if 'twere natural to please;
Shall ev'ry blockhead think his mind,
Like yours, the mirrour of mankind?
Neglect his trade; profession scorn,
And cry, “For acting I was born!”
Garrick, thou monarch of the heart!
Is it not strange the froward mind
Shou'd spurn the province heav'n assign'd?
And on the very station hit,
For which its pow'rs are most unfit?
Because you grace the roscian sphere,
As great in Chalkstone as in Lear;
Inspire with joy the heart's recess,
Or melt the soul to soft distress;
And fill the scene with so much ease,
As if 'twere natural to please;
Shall ev'ry blockhead think his mind,
Like yours, the mirrour of mankind?
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And cry, “For acting I was born!”
For such this tale I introduce:
Their brother Pug may be of use.
Their brother Pug may be of use.
Once on a time, as stories say,
The beasts agreed to act a play:
The stage was turf; on either hand,
Their leafy arms the trees expand;
At top the verdant branches close,
And thus their Theatre arose.
Between the acts, with various notes,
The wing'd musicians swell'd their throats;
Sweet nightingales their warblings join,
And ne'er was concert so divine.
The parts were cast, as genius shin'd
To suit the turn of ev'ry mind;
In that such judgment was exprest,
Each actor lik'd his own the best.
The beasts agreed to act a play:
The stage was turf; on either hand,
Their leafy arms the trees expand;
At top the verdant branches close,
And thus their Theatre arose.
Between the acts, with various notes,
The wing'd musicians swell'd their throats;
Sweet nightingales their warblings join,
And ne'er was concert so divine.
The parts were cast, as genius shin'd
To suit the turn of ev'ry mind;
In that such judgment was exprest,
Each actor lik'd his own the best.
In native majesty array'd,
A king the noble lyon play'd;
And voice and action, truly great,
Up-held his dignity and state.
The bull enjoy'd a lover's part,
While real passion warm'd his heart;
And urg'd his suit of fond desire,
With lively mien, and eyes on fire:
An active dog, sincere and sure,
Was confidant to his amour.
A milk-white heifer, young and gay,
Perform'd the princess of the play;
And plum'd and rais'd her haughty crest,
Whene'er the am'rous bull addrest.
The tyger was a traytor bold,
Who sought the regal wand to hold;
And brib'd confed'rates in the league:—
A fox conducted the intrigue.
A king the noble lyon play'd;
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Up-held his dignity and state.
The bull enjoy'd a lover's part,
While real passion warm'd his heart;
And urg'd his suit of fond desire,
With lively mien, and eyes on fire:
An active dog, sincere and sure,
Was confidant to his amour.
A milk-white heifer, young and gay,
Perform'd the princess of the play;
And plum'd and rais'd her haughty crest,
Whene'er the am'rous bull addrest.
The tyger was a traytor bold,
Who sought the regal wand to hold;
And brib'd confed'rates in the league:—
A fox conducted the intrigue.
A company so excellent
No modern theatres present.
Applauding claps the audience raise,
And candour wakes the voice of praise.
No modern theatres present.
Applauding claps the audience raise,
And candour wakes the voice of praise.
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But merit vainly hopes to find
Reflected warmth in ev'ry mind;
For, tho' they quite mistake the matter,
Yet fools will prate, and monkeys chatter.
Reflected warmth in ev'ry mind;
For, tho' they quite mistake the matter,
Yet fools will prate, and monkeys chatter.
“Truly a mighty pretty play!
“Yes, those who can commend it, may;
“It serves the ignorant well enough,
“But keep me from such wretched stuff!”
With critic sneer, thus spoke an ape,
As wise as some in human shape;
He'd lay his life, with greater art,
To play not one, but ev'ry part;
Then on the stage he made a spring,
And proudly first assum'd the king:
With brow contracted, lifted paw,
He thought to strike majestic awe;
His jabb'ring, quick discordant voice,
A strange monotony of noise,
Affected airs, and mimick'd face,
And dignity were all grimace.
The lover then, absurd pretence!
Indelicate, as void of sense,
He try'd; but with such awkward grace,
Disdain arose in ev'ry face.
As zeal to him was quite unknown,
The confidant was poorly shewn;
And next the princess rais'd the joke;
How fair his form! how sweet he spoke!
As native meanness rul'd his breast,
Th'ambitious part was like the rest;
And just as wide his pow'rs dissent,
Th'intriguer's skill to represent.
“Yes, those who can commend it, may;
“It serves the ignorant well enough,
“But keep me from such wretched stuff!”
With critic sneer, thus spoke an ape,
As wise as some in human shape;
He'd lay his life, with greater art,
To play not one, but ev'ry part;
Then on the stage he made a spring,
And proudly first assum'd the king:
With brow contracted, lifted paw,
He thought to strike majestic awe;
His jabb'ring, quick discordant voice,
A strange monotony of noise,
Affected airs, and mimick'd face,
And dignity were all grimace.
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Indelicate, as void of sense,
He try'd; but with such awkward grace,
Disdain arose in ev'ry face.
As zeal to him was quite unknown,
The confidant was poorly shewn;
And next the princess rais'd the joke;
How fair his form! how sweet he spoke!
As native meanness rul'd his breast,
Th'ambitious part was like the rest;
And just as wide his pow'rs dissent,
Th'intriguer's skill to represent.
With talents risible and gay,
Buffoon or fop, 'twas his to play;
Obvious, in ev'ry other shape
Was seen the vain, presumptuous ape:
The hissing guests his ears confound,
And loud derision echoes round.
Buffoon or fop, 'twas his to play;
Obvious, in ev'ry other shape
Was seen the vain, presumptuous ape:
The hissing guests his ears confound,
And loud derision echoes round.
Thus on life's human stage, we find
A part ordain'd for ev'ry mind;
As nature prompts to act and mean,
While all the world applauds the scene.
But if we deem it partial sway,
And pant another's cast to play,
Our pride then scorns what reason pleads,
Contempt begins, and shame succeeds.
A part ordain'd for ev'ry mind;
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While all the world applauds the scene.
But if we deem it partial sway,
And pant another's cast to play,
Our pride then scorns what reason pleads,
Contempt begins, and shame succeeds.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |