 | Poems on several occasions |  |
IX.—TO HER GRACE THE DUCHESS OF QUEENSBOROUGH.
Let the knight on beauty lour,
Loveliest ornament of power;
Let him, at a stager's nod,
Painted, prostitute, and proud,
Hate to real charms display,
Basely sworn to ruin Gay:
Who his hatred would not bear,
Favouring smiles from you to share?
Happy Gay! ordain'd to know
Such a friend and such a foe!
Loveliest ornament of power;
Let him, at a stager's nod,
Painted, prostitute, and proud,
Hate to real charms display,
Basely sworn to ruin Gay:
627
Favouring smiles from you to share?
Happy Gay! ordain'd to know
Such a friend and such a foe!
What, though sense and wit to love
Courtiers' idle rage may move?
Calmly you unhurt retreat,
Banish'd from the meaner great;
Take your beauties thence away:
Full revenge is to obey.
Let the vulgar rank and face
Borrow lustre from the place.
There where friendship false beguiles,
Basely murdering while it smiles;
There where proud despotic will
Boasts the power of doing ill;
There where paltry gold outvies
All the lustre of your eyes;—
Generous and just and fair,
Why, O why should you be there?
Courtiers' idle rage may move?
Calmly you unhurt retreat,
Banish'd from the meaner great;
Take your beauties thence away:
Full revenge is to obey.
Let the vulgar rank and face
Borrow lustre from the place.
There where friendship false beguiles,
Basely murdering while it smiles;
There where proud despotic will
Boasts the power of doing ill;
There where paltry gold outvies
All the lustre of your eyes;—
Generous and just and fair,
Why, O why should you be there?
| Poems on several occasions | |