A collection of original poems and translations By John Whaley |
 |
To Alexander Pope, Esq.
On his Essay of Man. |
 | A collection of original poems and translations |  |
279
To Alexander Pope, Esq. On his Essay of Man.
By the Rev. Mr. P. L.
Hail moral Bard! to whose instructive Lay,
E'en Greece must yield, and Rome her Homage pay;
Such are thy Numbers, that with wond'rous Art,
They sooth at once the Ear, and mend the Heart.
Amaz'd we view thy strong poetick Flight,
Where Wit and Judgement, Sense and Sound unite.
Thy Words so justly do thy Thoughts express,
That Reason lovely seems in Fancy's Dress.
E'en Greece must yield, and Rome her Homage pay;
Such are thy Numbers, that with wond'rous Art,
They sooth at once the Ear, and mend the Heart.
Amaz'd we view thy strong poetick Flight,
Where Wit and Judgement, Sense and Sound unite.
Thy Words so justly do thy Thoughts express,
That Reason lovely seems in Fancy's Dress.
Let vulgar Bards indulge the trivial Song,
To thee, sublime and serious Truths belong;
Master of Manners, and of Verse, you show
What to ourselves, our Friend, our God we owe.
Whate'er great Plato, or Chrysippus thought,
Here doubly charms in pleasing Numbers taught,
Though grave the Theme, the Beauties of thy Page
The gay, the young insensibly engage:
E'en Virtue's strictest Precepts yield delight,
And win those Lovers, they were wont to fright.
To thee, sublime and serious Truths belong;
Master of Manners, and of Verse, you show
What to ourselves, our Friend, our God we owe.
280
Here doubly charms in pleasing Numbers taught,
Though grave the Theme, the Beauties of thy Page
The gay, the young insensibly engage:
E'en Virtue's strictest Precepts yield delight,
And win those Lovers, they were wont to fright.
No more shall Science now be crampt to Rules,
But free and unconfin'd forsake the Schools;
You, her High Priest, expose to vulgar Eye
Her solemn Rites and darkest Mystery.
But free and unconfin'd forsake the Schools;
You, her High Priest, expose to vulgar Eye
Her solemn Rites and darkest Mystery.
Oh! let thy Muse attempt a nobler Theme,
And join the Christian to the moral Scheme.
Let her describe Redemption's mystic Plan,
And God's unbounded Clemency to Man;
Then shall thy Verse o'er Infidels prevail,
And conquer Vice, where graver Doctrines fail.
And join the Christian to the moral Scheme.
Let her describe Redemption's mystic Plan,
And God's unbounded Clemency to Man;
Then shall thy Verse o'er Infidels prevail,
And conquer Vice, where graver Doctrines fail.
| A collection of original poems and translations | |