Horace in London Consisting of imitations of the first two books of the odes of Horace. By the authors of the rejected addresses, or the new theatrum poetarum [Horace and James Smith] |
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| VIII. | ODE VIII. To Mrs. MARY ANNE CLARKE.
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 | Horace in London |  |
133
ODE VIII. To Mrs. MARY ANNE CLARKE.
Ulla si juris tibi pejerati
If, furious as your seeming fibs,
Fate aided by Sir Vicary Gibbs,
On thee, frail fair one, pouncing,
Had pair'd one nail or drawn one tooth,
While tooth and nail you fought for truth,
I might have thought you bouncing.
Fate aided by Sir Vicary Gibbs,
On thee, frail fair one, pouncing,
Had pair'd one nail or drawn one tooth,
While tooth and nail you fought for truth,
I might have thought you bouncing.
But now, the grand inquiry o'er,
You blaze upon us more and more,
For public life grown fitter—
To Westbourne Place all parties go—
At lovers' perjuries we know,
Great Jove himself will titter.
You blaze upon us more and more,
For public life grown fitter—
To Westbourne Place all parties go—
At lovers' perjuries we know,
Great Jove himself will titter.
134
Whether a widow or a wife,
Who cares? admit your private life
Than Erebus were fouler;
The public is indifferent quite,
Whether upon a given night,
You lept with me or Dowler.
Who cares? admit your private life
Than Erebus were fouler;
The public is indifferent quite,
Whether upon a given night,
You lept with me or Dowler.
Psha! Venus laughs at tricks like these,
Her nymphs, whatever their degrees,
Will cheat when they are able.
Yes, when commissions are the bait,
E'en Dulwich hermits emulate
The Santon in the fable.
Her nymphs, whatever their degrees,
Will cheat when they are able.
Yes, when commissions are the bait,
E'en Dulwich hermits emulate
The Santon in the fable.
New lovers swell your list; the old
Still make their suit, all potent gold
Unwilling to abandon:
Revolving time may view again,
Bowing obsequious in your train,
Some future Captain Sandon.
Still make their suit, all potent gold
Unwilling to abandon:
Revolving time may view again,
Bowing obsequious in your train,
Some future Captain Sandon.
Mothers by you their daughters warn,
And bid the tittering hussies scorn
Your scandalous behaving.
The prudent, parsimonious sire,
Trembles to see his son admire
Your mezzotint engraving.
And bid the tittering hussies scorn
Your scandalous behaving.
135
Trembles to see his son admire
Your mezzotint engraving.
The blushing bride your name reviles,
And in your fascinating smiles
Anticipates disaster.
The Cit who keeps a Clarke like you,
His Saturnalian fate will rue,
And find the Clerk the master.
And in your fascinating smiles
Anticipates disaster.
The Cit who keeps a Clarke like you,
His Saturnalian fate will rue,
And find the Clerk the master.
| Horace in London | |