MISCELLANY POEMS Mutavit mentem populus levis calet uno Scribendi studio Pueri Patresque severi Fronde comas vincti caenant Carmina dictant Hor. Epist. 1 ma. Lib. 2 dus LONDON Printed for Will. Rogers at the Sun against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet and Fr. Hicks in Cambridge 1697. TO THE Honoured LADY THE Lady LANGLEY THESE POEMS Are humbly Dedicated Miscellany Poems Mortality BEneath the Covert of a Grove Frequented much by men in Love Careless and supinely laid I took my Lute and on it plaid Of Love's soft Passion did I Sing And Cupid Love's Almighty King When lo a String that wou'd have spoke O' th' sudden crack'd and sighing broke It broke and said methoughts to me Think of thy own Mortality A Morning Thought occasion'd by the early Singing of a Lark HArk hark my Soul Let the early Birds inspire Thy groveling Thoughts with pure Celestial Fire Who from their temp'rate Sleep awake and pay Their thankful Anthems for the new-born Day See how the tuneful Lark is mounted high And Poet-like salutes the Eastern Sky Aurora's Beauties in his Song does praise And calls the blushing Dame to hear his Lays But Man more void of Gratitude awakes And gives no thanks for that sweet Rest he takes Looks on the chearful Sun's new-kindled Flame Without one thought of Him from whom it came Thus does th' unhallow'd Wretch the Day begin Shakes off his Sleep but shakes not off his Sin Seeing Her with her Hair loose SUch was fair Eve when first by Adam's side The kind Creator laid his new-form'd Bride And like him I with Love and Wonder struck On Maia's unaffected Beauties look Which gain Lfresh ustre from this careless Air Her naked Breasts and her dishevell'd Hair Whose winding Tresses down her Bosom flow As gentle Streams in flow'ry Vallies do A finish'd Beauty needs no studi'd Arts No costly Ornaments to conquer Hearts Those only take the Eye but ne'er can move The inward Soul to Extasy and Love The Sun himself appears but half Divine Nor does with such prevailing Lustre shine When compass'd round with all his Robes of State The pompous Train of Clouds that on him wait The Rose Anacreon Ode 5th Lib. 1. SWeet Roses now my Friends prepare Roses which so lovely are Which Venus loves to her let 's joyn The jolly Bacchus God of Wine Of Wine which Beauty does improve And add new Vigour to our Love Fresh Roses 'bout our Temples bind For harmless Mirth our Life 's design'd The Roses smile and bid us too Drink Wine as they drink Pearly Dew The Rose is sure the fairest Thing That does adorn the gaudy Spring The Gods themselves the Rose do prize The Pride and Glory of the Skies For all their Gardens cannot show A Flow'r that does beyond it go And Cupid when he wou'd be fine To sport among the am'rous Nine Garlands made of blowing Roses T' adorn his Head the Boy composes Hither then my Maia bring With Roses crown me and I 'll sing Great Bacchus thy eternal Praise In fitting Numbers sprightly Lays Lying at her Feet THis Posture and these Tears which Heav'n wou'd move In vain I use in favour of my Love For whilst thus prostrate at her Feet I lye Like some fair Rock she stands which plac'd on high Seems deaf to those sad Murmurs which below The Plaintive Riv'lets utter as they flow Melancholy I. WElcome thou manly Passion of the Mind Welcome thou only Parent of sound Sense In whom alone we solid Pleasures find Accompani'd with peaceful Innocence Welcome thou private Darling of my Breast In whose soft Arms my harass'd Soul may rest II. Thou Mistress of delightsome Poesy Thou real not imaginary Muse That dost such Strains of solemn Melody Into the thoughtful Writer's heart infuse Thou genuine Offspring of pale Saturn's Ray That bring'st to our dark Minds a welcome Day III. The Man that shall attempt to paint Thee right Must have a Fancy by thy self inspir'd The Vulgar place Thee in so false a Light Which makes thy Beauties by so few admir'd How very much mistaken they that call Thee but a Madness Enthusiastical IV. As well right Sterling-wit they may define To be a Farce of Words Atheistical Or the wild Fancies of intemp'rate Wine And solid Wisdom they as well may call Stupidity Or a sad dejected Face The certain Token of Celestial Grace V. With Thee the wisest of all Ages dwell Rapt with the Transports of thy Company And in the dark Recesses of a Cell Draw Mental Light from deep Philosophy Thou modest therefore wise Companion That never yet in busy Crouds was known VI. Thy Lovers thou dost so intirely bless That having thee they nothing seem to want The Soul that thou do'st with thy self possess Can make no Wishes so extravagant But what thy own rich Bounty can bestow For thence it 's very Thoughts and Wishes flow VII O that I might whole Ages thee enjoy Spend all my Life in thy sweet Golden Dreams Feed on thy Charms whose Blessing ne'er can cloy And sooth my sullen Soul with pleasing Themes Lull'd in thy downy Bosom sleep away This Life's Fatigue and wait a better Day VIII So when the rough unruly Ocean roars And fighting Winds disturb both Sea and Sky Aloft the weary Mast-boy sitting snores Sensless of all the many Dangers nigh Waking at last from his diverting Sleep Finds all things smile and calmness on the Deep To Mr. T playing a Voluntary THis Organ T skilful Hand Does with such seeming ease command His Fingers decently advance And to their own sweet Musick dance So charming and so fine the whole As though each Finger had a Soul And ready Wit so fluently T' express it self in Harmony Thus Sages speak and with due Grace Give to each Word its proper place But Musick speaks such wond'rous Sense Such lofty Strains of Eloquence No words its Meaning can contain One Note the other must explain The Request I. FOR Heav'ns sake Madam let me crave That you my dying Heart would save For other Remedies are all in vain Vain as my Love unequal to my Pain II. Oft by Disdain oft by Despair I tri'd to overcome my Care But ah the Wound too tender was for these And did require some gentler Remedies III. Then pensively I went to one That wond'rous Cures in Love had done Who knew what to prescribe for each Disease And how to give a hopeless Lover ease IV. My Heart I shew'd him told my Grief And begg'd for Love's sake some Relief Then he with pity mov'd told me that I Must to my Wound this costly Balm apply V. Go to the fair One speedily And from her beg a hearty Sigh Then ask a dimpled Smile and briny Tear All which into a Mystick Salve prepare VI. And gently do the Balsam pour Into each Gash and bleeding Pore And this with Faith and ardent Pray'rs to Love May heal your Wound and deadly Pain remove VII Then cruel fair One don
is of little use And hardly can a perfect Cure produce Without a Diet too which to rehearse Shall be the last performance of my Verse Deny your self of all luxurious Food That with prolifick Heat inflames the Blood The Body pamper'd will at length controul The chaster Resolutions of the Soul Taste not the tempting Liquor of the Vine But bid adieu to the free Joys of Wine What tho' it sparkle in the Glass and smile Like faithless Woman it destroys the while To quench your Thirst and Nature satisfy To Crystal Streams and living Fountains fly Some vainly think that they may use a mean And not from Bacchus totally abstain But credit me the sober Glass will prove The most prevailing Argument to Love For he that with immod'rate Wine destroys His Vigour seldom thinks of Beauty's Joys A little moves but too much slakes Desire As Piles of Fuel quite put out the Fire My Task is ended and methinks I see Th' awaken'd Youth shake off their Lethargy Of Love And now each Lady wonders whence Proceeds the cause of this indifference Consults her Glass and questions if her Face Retains its Features and its wonted Grace Love's Empire falls no more do we invoke His Deity and make his Altars smoke See what tormenting Fears disturb the Boy What racking Cares the vanquish'd God annoy With folded Arms he stands and drooping Wings And wide his Bow and useless Arrows flings No fev'rish Sighs now swell the Virgin 's Breasts No dire Despair the lovely Youth molests But both from pow'rful Verse receive their mutual Rest. So the young Prophet with his tuneful Lyre Did raging Saul with gentle Thoughts inspire The angry Daemon listen'd as he plaid Grew wond'rous mild and his soft Notes obey'd A REFLECTION ON OUR Modern Poesy AN ESSAY The Second Edition Fuit haec Sapientia quondam Publica privatis secernere sacra profanis Concubitu prohibere vago dare jura maritis Oppida moliri legis incidere ligno Sic honor nomen divinis Vatibus atque Carminibus venit Hor. de Arte Poet. TO MY Honoured Friend and School-Fellow Mr. A. OWEN SIR THE way of Dedicating now most in fashion seems to me to stand in as great need of a Reformation as does our Poetry For as we take nothing to be True and Genuine Poetry but what is Light Frothy and has a wanton Air throughout it so the generality seem to stand persuaded That an Epistle Dedicatory loses its End quite if not stuff'd up with gross and open Flattery sufficient to call a Blush into any modest Reader 's Cheek But here it is a hard matter to judge Whether the Impudence of the Author or the Vanity of the Patron who believes all true that 's said of him does contribute most to carry on this notorious piece of Folly Now Sir though our Early Friendship and Intimate Acquaintance was the Reason that prevaild most upon me in presenting this small Essay to You yet to speak truth there was another Motive too which made me the more desirous of it and that was merely upon the account of running counter to the generality of Dedicating Poets to try if a particular Example might have any small Influence in correcting the Poetical License they take upâ—n such like occasions For here I was satisfied that I might come off without the least flattering Glance with one who though young has Experience enough to understand that Personal Respect is not to be estimated by the fine Complements and Flourishes of a Fanciful Pen. And for my part I think if our Poets go on at their old Rate but a little longer we shall be apt to interpret Epistles of this sort as we do Dreams by the contrary The great Scandal that Poetry has of late been subject to together with the respect I always had for it gave occasion for the following Reflection For as I was considering how much this Art was esteemed amongst our Forefathers and how Venerable nay almost Sacreâ— the Name of a Poet was then Surely thought I the Former Honour and the Present Disgrace the Muses lye under could never depend on the different Capricio's of two divers Ages but there must be some more reasonable Ground for this matter which if once discovered will give a very fair opportunity of restoring Verse to its Primitive Dignity Some there are who suspect That the want of Genius in our Age has given Poetry this deadly Wound But they will soon find their Mistake if laying aside the blind Veneration we have for Antiquity they compare the Ancients and Moderns in any sort of Poetry excepting the Epic. So that we must seek out for some other Cause more probable than the former And what others may spy I know not but I think the great Difference lies here That Poetry is now no longer the Fountain of Wisdom the School of Virtue it is no longer a fit Trainer up of Youth a Bridler of the Passions and exorbitant Desires But on the contrary he is reckoned the Ablest Poet that is most dextrous at conjuring up these Evil Spirits to disturb the Calm and Quiet of the Soul And this if I mistake not is that which hath deform'd so great a Beauty and cast an Odium on that most excellent Art which was once the Pride of Conquerors and Envy of Philosophers What I have transiently remark'd in the following Verses will I doubt not be dislik'd by many of our Rhiming Sparks for take but the Liberty of Writing Immodestly from 'em and you have quite dismounted them off their Pegasus they are quite Tongue-tid 't is with them as Horace says it was 〈◊〉 the Reign of the old Comedy Chorusque Turpiter obticuit sublato jure nocendi What I have said against Love upon the Stage I would not have apprehended so as if I would have that Passion quite exploded for I think it one of the fittest Passions for Poetry and capable of very great Ornaments but then I would have it very nicely and delicately handled and what might give the least Offence to the severest Modesty always cast in Shades for it is then only that this Passion is not to be allow'd when it goes beyond its bounds and that is when the Poet 's Strokes are too bold and his Colours too glaring I was told which I my self afterwards found to be true that a great Part of my Design was already performd in the Preface to Prince Arthur However that did not trouble me in the least for I was very glad to see my self of the same Opinion with so eminent an Author since I had laid a Rude Draught of my Reflection the last Summer which I then shew'd several of my Acquaintaince However the World may think this a Sham and I am very willing to be thought indebted to so creditable a Person for what I have said I shall make no Apology for the Tediousness of my Epistle since you are too often guilty of the Contrary Vice in writing to your Real
't deny To give me one poor parting Sigh A Smile too and a pitying Tear bestow What Love denies at least let Mercy do Masking her self when she smil'd SO when the Sun with his Meridian Light Too fiercely darts upon our feeble Sight We thank th' officious Cloud by whose kind aid We view his Glory lessen'd in a shade For Constacy A Song I. THus to a lovely youthful Swain That long had sigh'd for many a Nymph in vain Experienc'd Damon did complain II. Alas you can no Pleasure prove Whilst thus you wander in your Love And wantonly o're all the Vallies rove III. Fix then the Aim of your Desire And to some one fair Nymph aspire Tho Chast she ll melt with constant Fire Primitive Love I. O That we could the Golden Age retrieve That Scene of purest Innocence Then might I ask and she consenting give My constant Love a recompence II. When all gave ear to Nature's kind advice Their Love was simple as their Dress No long delays the Lovers us'd no forc'd disguise But glori'd in their Nakedness III. No precious Time in idle Courtship spent The Youth look'd kindly on the Dame And she too thought it far more innocent To own than to conceal her Flame IV. Each Virgin gay like our great Parent Earth Grew pregnant without tedious Art When Seeds of Love with such an easy Birth Sprung up in ev'ry tender Heart V. New uncouth ways to Love and Death we find Ah! fruitless Curiosity When both by wiser Nature were design'd Man's Blessing not his Misery On the Eleventh Verse of the Second Chapter of Ecclesiastes Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun ARE these th' Effects Is this then all I gain In recompence for all my tedious Pain Have I for this toil'd out a tiresome Age And plai'd the Drudge upon this busy Stage Is my expected Bliss but Misery And all my Labour studi'd Vanity Honour and Wealth I always did disdain But never dream'd my Learning too was vain Many a silent Night and lonesome Day In quest of Knowledge have I thrown away Far wond'rous far I cast my curious Eye Back on past Ages of Antiquity Much of our Predecessors had I read Was well acquainted with the mighty Dead Deep into Nature's Secrets did I pry Solv'd her dark Riddles oft have I told her why The drudging and laborious Sun Does round his Annual Circle run How to this Globe of Earth he does convey Alternately the Course of Night and Day How 's Concubine the Moon brings to his Bed By constant Change a Monthly Maidenhead How all their bright innum'rous Progeny Keep their due Order in the vaulted Sky The Younger crouding up the Galaxy Then did I cast my Eyes on things below Learnt why the Ocean's Waves should ebb and flow And for what noble End â—hat glorious Use Th' Almighty did the vast â—â—â—iathan produce The Nature of each variâ—us â—lant I found Knew well each Flow'r â—â—at beâ—utifies the Ground With care I search'd thâ— Earth's 〈◊〉 pregnant Womb Saw how th' inliven'â— Seeds to â—ature come And how bright Pâ—â—ebus with â— gilded Ray Turn'd into preâ—â—â—us Oar the â—ordid Clay In short whatever was in th' reach of Man All that I knew and is all that but vain No! 't is but Vanity in a high degree But trifling foolish Curiosity And lo the end thereof is Misery From all my Folly this sad truth I know What ignorantly we call Bliss below Is certainly a Curse by Heav'n design'd To punish insolent pragmatical Mankind Wealth Power Honour Knowledge what are these Meer childish Toys that th' Infant-Soul may please But when she does reflect and let in Day The trifling Phantoms dwindle quite away Straight the Chimera's vanish swift they fly Like empty Clouds before bright Reason's Eye For Riches when consider'd are but Cares And Pow'rs high Throne is toss'd with constant Fears Fame's but a Bubble swell'd with th' Breath of Man Dash'd by an adverse Blast to Nought again Knowledge oh that 's the greatest Curse of all Of mortal Plagues the grand Original None climb the fatal Tree without a fall In vain alas we build our Babel high In vain from Seas of Ignorance we fly For with a scornful smile just Heav'n looks down Strikes the learn'd Builders with Confusion As Life to Death inevitably flows So all our Knowledge terminates in Woes Well then upon the whole what do we see Beneath the Cope of Heav'n but Vanity What is this Miscellany Scene of Life Crouded with such variety of Grief 'T is all one jarring heap of Misery Which the first Chaos did but Typify THE Cure of Love A POEM Virginibus Puerisque canto Hor. Ode 1. Lib. 3. THE CURE of LOVE WHAT Naso Love's great Prophet and his Slave To Rome in smooth harmonious Verses gave In British Numbers that abruptly flow As Albion's Streams down craggy Mountains do Lo I attempt And thou propitious Muse That did'st the wond'rous Secret first infuse Into his Breast vouchsafe now to inspire My youthful Song with the same heav'nly Fire Say what may tame the impetuous force of Love What pow'rful Charm the smiling Ill remove Say how the Captive Youth himself may free And dying Maid regain her Liberty Or how th' untainted e'er it be too late May arm himself against a Lover's fate But now methinks the fair Ones of our Isle Mock my vain Labour with a scornful Smile 'T is true indeed such pow'rful Charms they have As wou'd the most averse to Love inslave Make the cold Hermit glow with inward Fire And in his Cell transporting Joys desire More finish'd Beauties never were design'd By Painter's Pencil or rich Poet's Mind So deeply skill'd in the inchanting Arts Of kindling Love and captivating Hearts Not that I wou'd their Empire quite destroy Or take from Beauty all its promis'd Joy I only wou'd suppress its Tyranny And have it conquer without Cruelty Beauty should like a blazing Comet rise Excite our Wonder and attract our Eyes But then its Lustre never should dispence O're ev'ry Heart a baneful Influence It grieves me when I see th' unwary Young By Nature form'd all healthy gay and strong Nourish a Viper in their tortur'd Breast Which with incessant Gnawings break their Rest See the fresh Roses from their Cheeks decay And all their youthful Vigour pine away Nay the most daring most Heroick Mind Intangled in Love's Snares too oft we find Whether 't is caus'd by that more sprightly Heat That does his boiling Spirits animate Or whether Cupid takes more Pride t' inslave The gen'rous Souls and Courage of the Brave When therefore the first Symptoms in your Breast Begin your wonted Quiet to molest When Infant-sighs like Unfledg'd winds begin With gentle Breath to kindle Fire within When springing warmth around your Heart does play And
a new Motion through your Blood convey Then straight the Undermining-Foe surprize And quell him e're he can have time to rise Destroy the shapeless Embrio e're it be Endu'd with Form and full Maturity Call sober Reason timely to your Aid And rest not till you have the Spirit laid Had this been done by the Phoenician Queen Aeneas never had her Ruin been But whilst she with her Sister does debate And with her Husband's Shades expostulate Her growing Passions like thick Mists arise Delude her Soul and dance before her Eyes See now she 's lost bewilder'd in her way She takes no Sleep by Night nor Rest by Day But thinks it tedious vital Air to Breathe And there appears no present Ease but Death Death in the form of Love all over Fire Is what her raging Fury does require Where Life and Love together may expire But if by thoughtless Inadvertency The first and best Occasion you pass by And the Disease has taken now firm hold Of all within and grown by use more bold 'T will cost you then much Diligence and Art To ease the Throbbings of your sickly Heart By slow degrees you must your Peace secure And time which made the Wound must bring the Cure Stop not your Tide of Love with sudden force But for a while give way unto its Course For Rage resisted does unruly grow And scorns beneath the servile Yoke to bow Oft have I seen a Flood expanded wide O'er down-hill Meads with even Waters glide When with a Mound if we but urge its stay Proudly it swells and sweeps all clean away Give then the Reins if fierce your Passion prove Nor with cool Reason combat burning Love Like disagreeing Elements they jar When e're they meet proclaiming open War Wait then a fitter opportunity And in due time these Remedies apply Of all those Ills that from unlucky Fate Have pow'r the strongest Souls t' emasculate None worse than slothful Ease which to avoid Intent on Business keep your self imploy'd Business the greatest Enemy to Love Business that does all wanton Thoughts remove But Oyl the Flame and Fuel feeds the Fire And Laziness increases fond Desire Since then the World affords variety Your self to some diverting Task apply If that your Soul be fill'd with Martial Rage And boldly dares in th' open Field ingage Oh! leave your Mistress and your Native Soyl And in bright Arms sustain Heroick Toil Inflam'd with Honour to the Camp be gone And follow where great Nassau leads you on There on the dusty Plain with Labour sweat Patient of Winter's Cold and Summer's Heat For Englands Peace undauntedly advance And teach Subjection to Aspiring France Oh! who would think of am'rous foolish Toys Amidst the heat of Fight and Warlike Noise When the fierce Steed does from his Eyes dart Fire And from his furious Nostrils smoke expire When rattling Drums and ecchoing Trumpets sound Rouse Courage up and baser Fears confound The Tempest past appears fair Victory Like Venus rising from a stormy Sea On th' English Standard see she does alight And gladly fixes there her doubtful I light Iö Britania Iö Poean sing Whole Groves of Verdan Laurel hither bring Crown thy brave Youth and thy victorious King But if you dread the War 's tempestuous Breath And care not for the bloody Trade of Death Perhaps ingenious Curiosity May tempt you o're the Limits of our Sea Since wisest Men by foreign Converse find Their Knowledge and their Manners too refin'd By reading Men they sounder Learning gain Than those who musty Volumes entertain Besides what Satisfaction 't is to see The Monuments of fam'd Antiquity Here a vast Pyramid through roiling Years Free from th' injurious hand of Time appears Inscrib'd with Antique Characters to tell What mighty Monarch rais'd the Miracle Deep in the Earth its firm Foundation lies Its Head doth seem to prop th'impending Skies Who could but view with Wonder and Delight The most stupendious Babel's impious Height Or huge Colossus whose Gigantick Stride Press'd down th' aspiring Rocks and aw'd th' impetuous Tide Each day affords new Objects to the Eye Delighting Fancy with variety New Earth appears suspended in new Skies And diff'rent Stars in diff'rent Countries rise The change of Scenes sets off the tedious Play And takes the dull Fatigue of Life away But you perhaps may think th' Advice severe Not suiting with a dying Lover's Care I must confess from what one loves to part Would almost break the most obdurate Heart But yet at first some Pain you must endure A sore Disease demands no easy Cure You must tug hard before you break the Chain That does the freedom of your Soul restrain For Love will thousand fair Pretences make And for your stay will all occasions take The Weather 's bad the Wind is very high Who knows what dangers in the Sea may lye Your very Feet will treach'rous to you prove Unwilling from the Threshold to remove And now at parting the expiring Flame Will larger grow But break th' Inchantment with a firm resolve And Sampson-like the slavish Ties dissolve When going turn not back your longing Eyes On the fair Object which your Heart does prize For in a farewel-glance strong Magick lies Tho' the relenting Dame should kinder prove And promise to reward your suff'ring Love Nay tho' she beat her snowy Breasts and spread her Arms And practice all the cunning Sexes Charms Regard her not tho' Virgins Tears they say Have pow'r the Rage of Tygers to allay Alas despairing Circe all thy Art And pow'rful Magick cou'd not keep the Heart Of wise Vlysses deaf to all thy Cries He quits the Shore and ploughs the watry Skies Oh! whither said she whither wouldst so fast Why from these eager Arms dost make such haste Stay but one moment and I 'll charm the Seas And by my skill th' outragious Winds appease But rather trust to the tempestuous Main Then undergo a Lover's racking Pain And tho' there 's dread in e'ery yawning Wave Yet raging Flames not half their Mercy have Nor Lightning darted by an angry Iove Has pow'r of scorching like the Fire of Love But if Affairs of greater weight demand You shou'd not leave your Home or Native Land Within the Circuit of this Isle there are Imployments may divert a Lover's care Some to the fam'd Augusta's Inns withdraw Delighted with the Knowledge of the Law 'T is fine to learn the Rules of Equity And study Justice most impartially To plead the Orphan's Cause with Eloquence And right the Tears of injur'd Innocence But if your Soul to Wisdom does aspire And universal Knowledge you desire To venerable Cham's learn'd Streams resort Where Phoebus with the Sacred Nine keeps Court. There within peaceful College-walls reside Forget that e're you serv'd a Woman's Pride Or vainly for a haughty Beauty sigh'd Here no Intriegues of busy Love are known No foolish Cares molest the studious Gown All Nature's Works and Nature's Deity Imploy our Thoughts and Curiosity How very
Friend and very Humble Servant A REFLECTION ON OUR Modern Poesy IF Poets be as they pretend inspir'd With Heat Divine and Sacred Fury fir'd How comes it then that each Poetick Piece Gives now-a-days Encouragement to Vice Each Line or else we think it will not do With wanton Love and Flames unchaste must glow That scribling Fop that would a Poet be First bids adieu to all his Modesty Invokes not Phoebus but the God of Wine Crowns his hot Temples with th' inspiring Vine The Glass Dull Sot must make his Thoughts subblime For in a Sober Mood what Bard can Rhime But sure Great Homer got not thus a Name Nor Greater Maro his Eternal Fame Maro whose lofty Soul now animates Our Blackmore's Breast with true Poetick Heats Thrice Happy Man whom too indulgent Fate Resolves to make in spight of Envy Great Thou ne're hadst writ had William never fought The Hero's Deeds inlarge the Poet's Thought These Muses chaste as Vestal Virgins are Stately not Proud Reserv'd but not Severe The Flame that thro' their Works so bright does shine Was surely kindled by a Breath Divine No Cupid's Puff nor Frenzy caus'd by Wine But that our Follies we at large may see Let 's closely view our Modern Poesy What place so much debauched as our Stage Which next the Pulpit should correct the Age What anciently Devotion did begin Is now converted to the use of Sin And on our Theatres we daily see Vice triumph o'er dejected Honesty But happy Athens whose more decent Stage Was moraliz'd by Sophocles wise Rage Who e're he did pretend to Poetry Search'd the grave Precepts of Philosophy Hence 't was he taught those Truths he learnt before And practis'd those sound Rules his Writings bore He doubly charm'd his Modest Audience By good Example and wise Eloquence Philosophers far short in teaching came Their Naked Virtues maimed were and lame The Pearl they represented to the View Unpolish'd as It naturally grew But Poets put a Gloss on 't made it shine Then 't was embrac'd as somewhat more Divine What er'st to the Rude People seem'd severe In soothing Verse all-charming does appear Gently it glides into their ravish'd Minds For Pleasure still an easy Entrance finds Few can the Suit of what they like remove Or be averse when Beauty wooe's from Love And now what weak Excuse what vain Pretence Can Christian Poets bring in their Defence Shall Heathens teach by Nature's Glow-worm Light What they neglect when Faith directs their Sight Or are our Palates vitiated and we Can relish nought but Vice in Poetry Must They indulge the Ill and sooth our Fate Or else prevent it e're it be too late If We are led away by strong Desire Must They add Fuel to the raging Fire Not so did Orpheus but with tuneful Voice Taught Salvage Men that follow'd Nature's Choice That wildly stray'd in shrubby Brakes all day And herded with the common Beasts of Prey E'en These he taught their Passions to subdue Through Error 's Maze to follow Reason's Clue Their Mossy Caves and Grotto's to forsake And fitter Dwellings for themselves to make And that in Learning Greece did so aspire Was wholly owing to his Sacred Lyre Then let some Champion for the Muses rise Who dares be obstinately Good and Wise Let him but turn the Stream of Helicon And make It in its proper Channel run He needs not fear his Bayes shall wither'd lye Or that We shall despise his Poetry For genuine Virtue when adorn'd with Grace Has surely Charms so lovely in her Face We all shou'd Vice forsake and only Her embrace But He must then take a peculiar care No Wanton Scenes have in his Poem share A Plot and Moral let him chuse that 's free From all th' Allays of fulsome Ribaldry Which in our Modern Plays too oft we see Let not Immodest Love debauch his Rhimes Which to excuse our Poets oftentimes Reply They bring such Objects into view To make us loathe those Passions we pursue But this is False They always raise Desire Fan by degrees in us Vnlawful Fire For here the Poet 's Warm Expressions move Th' Vnthinking Herd such Passions to approve The Wiser Ancients did this Fault decline And made their Tragedies more Masculine Each nervous Scene some Manlike Virtue taught Untainted with the least Immodest Thought Their Heroes were more Stern and fit for Wars Scorn'd whining Love and Jealousy's fond Jars Not but that soft Humanity did rest And gen'rous Love in great Aeneas Breast But Ours more fit for Cupid's Childish Arms Are Womens Fools and Captives to their Charms The Stage which Terror should with Pity move With us is wholly taken up in Love In this as well as other Follies we Too much affect the Gallick Levity Thence our Romantick Heroes first we drew Unlike our Arthur and our William too In vain it is that Heav'n's Wise Providence Has by a Sea divided us from Fance If still their Fopperies we Imitate And their vain Customs to our Isle Translate We want not Genius for the Buskin Muse Would Britain but all Foreign Aids refuse Nor of our Language need we to complain 'T is Pompous Bold and fits the Tragick Strain Our Poets too that have wrote Comedy Have Wit enough but fail in Modesty They still forget the End for which they write And mind not Profit so they can Delight But he that wears the Sock should carefully Purge all his Writings from Obscenity And though the Age's Humour he expose Yet no Vnseemly things should be disclose His Plays should be a Glass where All might see How to correct their own Deformity Terence in this might justly claim the Bayes Whose Lively Draughts succeeding Ages praise By him were taught upon the Roman Stage The Duties proper to each State and Age. But here with us in a whole Comedy One Virtuous Character you cannot see Rather than want for Vice we chuse to draw Strange Monsters contrary to Nature's Law True Innocence the Poet ridicules And Honesty reserves for none but Fools His Gentleman he makes a Wondrous Sage That 's deeply read in Vices of the Age His Mistress and his Cloaths employ his Care Of all his Thoughts Religion claims no share The Damsel too e'er Fifteen Years expire Is all o'er Love and Wanton with Desire Then strait all Filial Duty 's laid aside And nought will please her but the Name of Bride Which once obtaind does soon uneasy prove And still she trafficks in Forbidden Love Her Husband 's Kisses lose their wonted Taste And stollen Pleasures always Relish best These Characters with Wit and Language joyn'd Must needs Instruct a Youthful Readers Mind These Ills tho' great yet are but light to Crimes Whose Horror shall amaze succeeding Times See now the Poet 's Bold in Mischief grown And turns to Ridicule the Sacred Gown The Grave Divine a Laughing-stock he makes And the firm Basis of Religion shakes High Heav'n's Ambassador within the Scene Lays by his awful and becoming