 | Rhapsodies |  |
39
PARODY.
Go, Love, my heart's dear guest,
Upon a dauntless errant;
Thy shaft shall strike the best;
For bliss shall be thy warrant:
Go, since with joy I die,
And give hard hearts the lie.
Upon a dauntless errant;
Thy shaft shall strike the best;
For bliss shall be thy warrant:
Go, since with joy I die,
And give hard hearts the lie.
Go first to court, which glows
As fire amid damp wood;
And then to church, which shows,
But acts not, what is good:
If stubborn they reply,
Thy shafts shall give the lie.
As fire amid damp wood;
And then to church, which shows,
But acts not, what is good:
If stubborn they reply,
Thy shafts shall give the lie.
Tell despots they don't live
The sov'reigns of their actions;
Their fiat laws may give;
Their swords may quell rude factions;
Yet still they're slaves—and why?
Thine arrow's the reply.
The sov'reigns of their actions;
Their fiat laws may give;
Their swords may quell rude factions;
Yet still they're slaves—and why?
Thine arrow's the reply.
40
Tell lords of high condition,
That guide the helm of state,
Thou'lt frustrate their ambition,
Yet not provoke their hate:
To this should they reply,
Go bid them pine and sigh.
That guide the helm of state,
Thou'lt frustrate their ambition,
Yet not provoke their hate:
To this should they reply,
Go bid them pine and sigh.
Tell soldiers they but boast,
And merit no commending;
Taunt Neptune's daring host;
The rich, whose pride is spending:
If either should defy,
Laugh, and give each the lie.
And merit no commending;
Taunt Neptune's daring host;
The rich, whose pride is spending:
If either should defy,
Laugh, and give each the lie.
Tell priests they want devotion,
Without thee they are curs'd;
Lash those that have a notion
That true love is but lust:
Let priests with rapture sigh,
But let the latter die.
Without thee they are curs'd;
Lash those that have a notion
That true love is but lust:
Let priests with rapture sigh,
But let the latter die.
Bid age feel no dejection,
For in his breast thou'rt moving;
His friendship was affection,
Affection sprang from loving:
For shame he'll not reply,
Nor dare to give the lie.
For in his breast thou'rt moving;
His friendship was affection,
Affection sprang from loving:
For shame he'll not reply,
Nor dare to give the lie.
41
Tell honour 'tis a bubble;
Tell favour how it falters;
Tell pleasure 'tis but trouble;
Tell beauty how it alters:
For if thou art not by,
They are but sound—and lie.
Tell favour how it falters;
Tell pleasure 'tis but trouble;
Tell beauty how it alters:
For if thou art not by,
They are but sound—and lie.
Tell wits they do but wrangle,
That thou canst silence jeering;
Tell sage men thou'lt entangle,
And laugh to scorn their sneering:
But if they should reply,
Why, let thine arrows fly.
That thou canst silence jeering;
Tell sage men thou'lt entangle,
And laugh to scorn their sneering:
But if they should reply,
Why, let thine arrows fly.
Bid doctors take a lotion,
And for Love's fever scribble;
Tell law it is a notion,
Its practise but a quibble:
They'll doubtless make reply;
So teach them both to sigh.
And for Love's fever scribble;
Tell law it is a notion,
Its practise but a quibble:
They'll doubtless make reply;
So teach them both to sigh.
If charity deny thee,
Then ask it whence the feeling;
If fortune should defy thee,
Or friendship talk of healing:
To each as they reply,
Still laughing, give the lie.
Then ask it whence the feeling;
If fortune should defy thee,
Or friendship talk of healing:
To each as they reply,
Still laughing, give the lie.
42
Tell nature thou'rt its master,
And bid it own thy power;
Tell justice to go faster,
Though sullen she may lour:
If aught they can reply,
Still give to each the lie.
And bid it own thy power;
Tell justice to go faster,
Though sullen she may lour:
If aught they can reply,
Still give to each the lie.
Tell arts they all yield pleasure;
Tell schools that wisdom fires them;
Tell science 'tis a treasure,
Should praise with pride inspire them:
Then check with this reply—
You live not if I die.
Tell schools that wisdom fires them;
Tell science 'tis a treasure,
Should praise with pride inspire them:
Then check with this reply—
You live not if I die.
Tell such as love the city;
Tell such as shun its folly;
Tell rich, poor, dull, and witty;
Tell mirth and melancholy;
That though they yield reply,
Thou still wilt give the lie.
Tell such as shun its folly;
Tell rich, poor, dull, and witty;
Tell mirth and melancholy;
That though they yield reply,
Thou still wilt give the lie.
Tell air, fire, earth, and water,
You hold them in subjection;
Tell Nature that you taught her,
Since all is by affection:
To this who dares reply,
Gives Heav'n itself the lie.
You hold them in subjection;
Tell Nature that you taught her,
Since all is by affection:
To this who dares reply,
Gives Heav'n itself the lie.
43
So having done as I,
With this desire of blabbing,
Though thus to give the lie,
Perhaps might merit stabbing:
Yet let them stab that will,
Love reigns despotic still.
With this desire of blabbing,
Though thus to give the lie,
Perhaps might merit stabbing:
Yet let them stab that will,
Love reigns despotic still.
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