The miscellaneous works and novels of R. C. Dallas ... In seven volumes. A new edition |
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APRIL DAY. |
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| XIII. |
 | The miscellaneous works and novels of R. C. Dallas |  |
229
APRIL DAY.
[_]
Addressed to a young lady, who, after engaging the affections of a friend of the Author's, made him uneasy by her coquetry, on receiving a splendid offer of marriage.
TO NARCISSA.
While April morn her Folly's throne exalts,
While Dob calls Nell, and laughs because she halts;
While Nell meets Tom, and says his tail is loose,
Then laughs in turn, and calls poor Tom a goose;
Let us, my Muse, through Folly's harvest range,
And glean some moral into wisdom's grange.
And, Goddess! thou that dost inspire my lay,
To fair Narcissa lurking hints convey,
In notes melodious as the breath of love,
And sweetest symphonies approv'd above;
Such as the tuneful nymph herself may hear
With pleas'd attention and delighted ear:
Her gentle bosom with sweet song regale,
And point the moral while I sing the tale.
While Dob calls Nell, and laughs because she halts;
While Nell meets Tom, and says his tail is loose,
Then laughs in turn, and calls poor Tom a goose;
Let us, my Muse, through Folly's harvest range,
And glean some moral into wisdom's grange.
And, Goddess! thou that dost inspire my lay,
To fair Narcissa lurking hints convey,
In notes melodious as the breath of love,
And sweetest symphonies approv'd above;
Such as the tuneful nymph herself may hear
With pleas'd attention and delighted ear:
Her gentle bosom with sweet song regale,
And point the moral while I sing the tale.
Her faith engag'd, her choice by all approv'd,
The fair Belinda had confess'd she lov'd;
No longer lurk'd conceal'd Love's powerful dart,
That from the unerring bow had pierc'd her heart;
Her generous soul the noble flame avow'd,
And chose young Henry from the admiring crowd?
Her Henry's love the grateful choice repaid,
He long had lov'd, he long had woo'd the maid.
What transports seiz'd him when her hand he press'd,
With strong emotion, to his glowing breast!
His beating heart a passage scarce affords
His joys to utter with enraptur'd words:
“And will Belinda then her hand resign?
“Consent to bless me, and be wholly mine?
“Shall I possess these charms, celestial charms!
“And press thee panting to my longing arms?
“Ye Gods! what joys my future life shall prove,
“No cares to vex, 'twill all be smiles and love.”
Thus sigh'd the youth in love his soul away,
Soft echoing sighs the gentle youth repay,
And smiles alternate mutual love convey.
This month, this happy month, whose frequent showers
Bedew the earth, and call forth fragrant flowers,
This month was fix'd to end the pains of love,
Retain its joys, and all its fears remove.
The fair Belinda had confess'd she lov'd;
No longer lurk'd conceal'd Love's powerful dart,
That from the unerring bow had pierc'd her heart;
230
And chose young Henry from the admiring crowd?
Her Henry's love the grateful choice repaid,
He long had lov'd, he long had woo'd the maid.
What transports seiz'd him when her hand he press'd,
With strong emotion, to his glowing breast!
His beating heart a passage scarce affords
His joys to utter with enraptur'd words:
“And will Belinda then her hand resign?
“Consent to bless me, and be wholly mine?
“Shall I possess these charms, celestial charms!
“And press thee panting to my longing arms?
“Ye Gods! what joys my future life shall prove,
“No cares to vex, 'twill all be smiles and love.”
Thus sigh'd the youth in love his soul away,
Soft echoing sighs the gentle youth repay,
And smiles alternate mutual love convey.
This month, this happy month, whose frequent showers
Bedew the earth, and call forth fragrant flowers,
This month was fix'd to end the pains of love,
Retain its joys, and all its fears remove.
Of mutual love unbosom'd thus, ah say!
What turn of fortune could the rites delay?
A gaudy fop now sees and owns her charms,
And well enforc'd with wealth and coated arms,
Belinda's parents for Belinda sues:
What parents yet could wealth and rank refuse?
Riches to them all mortal bliss display,
Their charms they paint, and urge her to obey;
Tell of each pageant joy they bring, and show
From wealth alone springs happiness below;
With wealth come honour, dignity, and fame,
While love's ignoble and an empty name.
What turn of fortune could the rites delay?
A gaudy fop now sees and owns her charms,
And well enforc'd with wealth and coated arms,
231
What parents yet could wealth and rank refuse?
Riches to them all mortal bliss display,
Their charms they paint, and urge her to obey;
Tell of each pageant joy they bring, and show
From wealth alone springs happiness below;
With wealth come honour, dignity, and fame,
While love's ignoble and an empty name.
Belinda long the mighty charm withstood,
Of riches, title, dignity, and blood;
Long firm remain'd, long to her Henry true,
Yet wish'd these honours were young Henry's too.
Her heart, a heart of all her sex the pride,
Alas! was still to vanity allied;
Her throbbing bosom mighty contests move,
Fame and precedence militate 'gainst love.
Pleasure and sway prefer their potent court,
And lively visions o'er her fancy sport;
In gay imagination's vest array'd,
No more through sober optics looks the maid.
Of riches, title, dignity, and blood;
Long firm remain'd, long to her Henry true,
Yet wish'd these honours were young Henry's too.
Her heart, a heart of all her sex the pride,
Alas! was still to vanity allied;
Her throbbing bosom mighty contests move,
Fame and precedence militate 'gainst love.
Pleasure and sway prefer their potent court,
And lively visions o'er her fancy sport;
In gay imagination's vest array'd,
No more through sober optics looks the maid.
Some spirit now, by Jove's command, descends,
From whose firm hand a mystic beam depends:
That scale see richly shines with flaming gold,
A silver this with roses twin'd behold!
That fix'd by diamonds, this by silk, above,
And that for Plutus form'd, and this for Love.
An equal balance long the scales maintain,
Now light rears Love, now weightier sinks again:
Anxious each scale the impending issue waits,
And dreads the sentence of contending Fates.
From whose firm hand a mystic beam depends:
That scale see richly shines with flaming gold,
A silver this with roses twin'd behold!
That fix'd by diamonds, this by silk, above,
And that for Plutus form'd, and this for Love.
232
Now light rears Love, now weightier sinks again:
Anxious each scale the impending issue waits,
And dreads the sentence of contending Fates.
“Rulers of Heaven! for me the cause decide!
“Decide for Love!”—the rosy archer cried—
“Shall wealth my realms hereditary rend?
“With me the empire of the heart contend?
“Forbid it Gods! of high import is this!
“Can Plutus e'er bestow the balmy kiss?
“Give to quaff ecstacies from yielding eyes?
“Or teach the bosom how to sink and rise?
“Instruct each vein to play its raptur'd part,
“And in soft transports urge it to the heart?
“Take heed, Belinda! nor the bliss forego,
“Transporting bliss! that all to Love must owe.
“If now to Plutus I am doom'd to bend,
“With me my joys dependent too must end:
“He, he alone, shall claim o'er marriage sway,
“Chasing true love and happiness away:
“While I, my arrows blunt, my bow behind,
“Resigning age, and now by youth resign'd,
“Shall fly the climes that worship yellow clay,
“And to my mother's Paphos shape my way.”
“Decide for Love!”—the rosy archer cried—
“Shall wealth my realms hereditary rend?
“With me the empire of the heart contend?
“Forbid it Gods! of high import is this!
“Can Plutus e'er bestow the balmy kiss?
“Give to quaff ecstacies from yielding eyes?
“Or teach the bosom how to sink and rise?
“Instruct each vein to play its raptur'd part,
“And in soft transports urge it to the heart?
“Take heed, Belinda! nor the bliss forego,
“Transporting bliss! that all to Love must owe.
“If now to Plutus I am doom'd to bend,
“With me my joys dependent too must end:
“He, he alone, shall claim o'er marriage sway,
“Chasing true love and happiness away:
“While I, my arrows blunt, my bow behind,
“Resigning age, and now by youth resign'd,
“Shall fly the climes that worship yellow clay,
“And to my mother's Paphos shape my way.”
Thus spoke the God of love. From the other scale
His fell opponent now began to rail:
His fell opponent now began to rail:
233
“Rulers of Heaven! but just be the decree!
“'Tis all I ask, and Love shall yield to me.
“To merit now the victory ordain,
“And Plutus reigns, and shall for ever reign.
“What boasts the boy that Plutus cannot do?
“His shafts bring love? and will not riches too?
“Our merits weigh, utility compare,
“Then judge aright, and Cupid mounts in air.
“Delusive God! without my nobler aid
“The lover starves, and beggar'd is the maid.
“Without my aid all love, alas! were vain,
“All foresight blindness, and all pleasure pain.
“Within, without, the body, and the soul,
“I bear dominion; Plutus sways the whole.
“But now Belinda, rebel girl! delays,
“In spite of feathers and of ambling bays.”
“'Tis all I ask, and Love shall yield to me.
“To merit now the victory ordain,
“And Plutus reigns, and shall for ever reign.
“What boasts the boy that Plutus cannot do?
“His shafts bring love? and will not riches too?
“Our merits weigh, utility compare,
“Then judge aright, and Cupid mounts in air.
“Delusive God! without my nobler aid
“The lover starves, and beggar'd is the maid.
“Without my aid all love, alas! were vain,
“All foresight blindness, and all pleasure pain.
“Within, without, the body, and the soul,
“I bear dominion; Plutus sways the whole.
“But now Belinda, rebel girl! delays,
“In spite of feathers and of ambling bays.”
“Shall ambling bays,” she cries, “attend my call?
“Shall I shine foremost at the play and ball?
“And shall my waving head with feathers teem?
“Feathers! up Cupid! up! and kick the beam!
“Haste, fly to Henry, tell thou could'st not weigh:
“And if he call me false—'twas April Day.”
“Shall I shine foremost at the play and ball?
“And shall my waving head with feathers teem?
“Feathers! up Cupid! up! and kick the beam!
“Haste, fly to Henry, tell thou could'st not weigh:
“And if he call me false—'twas April Day.”
Plung'd in the depth of dissipation's sea,
Awhile from rocks her reason steers her free.
There comes a storm; convuls'd the ocean heaves;
Lo! the lost rudder tops the mountain waves:
Vain is the pilot's aid, all reason vain!
As chance directs Belinda floats the main.
But mark what comes—the mind ungovern'd rolls
Through Passion's sandbanks, and o'er Fancy's shoals:
Reason turns cunning, Love becomes intrigue,
And all the passions against Virtue league:
Loathsome is home, where strife disgust begets;
Abroad spring wanton love and honour debts:
Divorce succeeds;—the separate bed and board!—
All scorn Belinda, once so much ador'd.
Awhile from rocks her reason steers her free.
234
Lo! the lost rudder tops the mountain waves:
Vain is the pilot's aid, all reason vain!
As chance directs Belinda floats the main.
But mark what comes—the mind ungovern'd rolls
Through Passion's sandbanks, and o'er Fancy's shoals:
Reason turns cunning, Love becomes intrigue,
And all the passions against Virtue league:
Loathsome is home, where strife disgust begets;
Abroad spring wanton love and honour debts:
Divorce succeeds;—the separate bed and board!—
All scorn Belinda, once so much ador'd.
And now, Narcissa! would the plaintive muse
For false Belinda all the sex accuse;
Did not thy soul with strong conviction plead,
And show that by the pink oft springs the weed:
That while rank herbs throughout the soil abound,
And challenge sight by rearing high around,
The humble violet seeks concealment's calm,
And spreads unseen her fragrance and her balm.
For false Belinda all the sex accuse;
Did not thy soul with strong conviction plead,
And show that by the pink oft springs the weed:
That while rank herbs throughout the soil abound,
And challenge sight by rearing high around,
The humble violet seeks concealment's calm,
And spreads unseen her fragrance and her balm.
| The miscellaneous works and novels of R. C. Dallas | |