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Bid this remain, and that begone?
No tear half starting from your eye?
No kindling blush you know not why?
No ftealing figh or ftifled groan?

Away with this unmanly mood!
See where the hoary churl appears,

Whose hand hath feiz'd the favʼrite good
Which referv'd for happier years:

you

While fide by fide the blushing maid
Shrinks from his visage half afraid,
Spite of the fickly joys she wears.

Ye guardian powers of love and fame,
This chafte, harmonious pair behold;
And thus reward the generous flame
Of all who barter vows for gold.
O bloom of youth and opening charms
Well-buried in a dotard's arms!

O worthy price of beauty fold!

Ceafe then to gaze, unthankful boy;
Let, let her go, the venal fair;
Unworthy fhe to give you joy;

Then wherefore should she give you care?
Lay, lay your myrtle garland down,
And let the willow's virgin-crown
With happier omens bind your hair.

O juft efcap'd the faithlefs main,
Tho' driven unwilling on the land!
To guide your favour'd steps again,
Behold your better genius ftand:

Where

Where Plato's olive courts your eye,
Where Hamden's laurel blooms on high,
He lifts his heaven-directed hand.

When these are blended on your brow,
The willow will be nam'd no more;
Or if that love-deserted bough
The pitying, laughing girls deplore;
Yet ftill fhall I moft freely fwear,
Your drefs has much a better air

Than all that ever bridegroom wore.

DR. AKENSIDE.

H

SECT. LXX.

HYMN TO CHEERFULNESS.

THE AUTHOR SICK.

OW thick the fhades of evening close!

How pale the sky with weight of fnows!

Hafte, light the tapers, urge the fire,

And bid the joyless day retire!
-Alas, in vain I try within

To raife the dull, dejected fcene,
While rouz'd by grief these fiery pains
Tear the frail texture of my veins;
While winter's voice, that ftorms around,
And yon deep death-bell's groaning found
Renew my mind's oppreffive gloom,
Till starting horror shakes the room.

Is there in nature no kind power
To footh affliction's lonely hour?
G

To

To blunt the edge of dire disease,
And teach these wintry fhades to please?
Come, Cheerfulness, triumphant fair,
Shine thro' the painful cloud of care :
O fweet of language, mild of mien,
O virtue's friend and pleafure's queen!
Affuage the flames that burn my breast,
Attune my jarring thoughts to rest ;
And while thy gracious gifts I feel,
My song shall all thy praise reveal.

As once ('twas in Aftrea's reign)
The vernal pow'rs renew'd their train,
It happen'd that immortal Love
Was ranging thro' the spheres above,
And downward hither caft his eye,
The year's returning pomp to spy,
He faw the radiant God of day
Lead round the globe the rofy May;
The fragrant Airs and genial Hours
Were shedding round him dews and flowers;
Before his wheels Aurora past,

And Hefper's golden lamp was last.
But, faireft of the blooming throng,
When Health majeftic mov'd along,
All
gay with smiles, to see below
The joys which from her prefence flow,
While earth enliven❜d hears her voice,
And fields, and flocks, and fwains rejoice;
Then mighty Love her charms confefs'd,
And foon his vows inclin'd her breast,
And, known from that auspicious morn,
The pleafing Cheerfulness was born.

Thou,

Thou, Cheerfulnefs, by Heav'n defign'd
To rule the pulfe that moves the mind,
Whatever fretful paffion fprings,
Whatever chance or nature brings
To ftrain the tuneful poize within,
And difarrange the sweet machine;
Thou, goddefs, with a master-hand
Doft each attemper'd key command,
Refine the foft and fwell the strong,
Till all is concord, all is fong.

Fair guardian of domestic life,
Best banisher of home-bred ftrife,
Nor fullen lip, nor taunting eye
Deform the scene where thou art by:
No fickening husband damns the hour
That bound his joys to female power
No pining mother weeps the cares
That parents waste on hopeless heirs:
Th' officious daughters pleas'd attend;
The brother rifes to the friend:

By thee their board with flowers is crown'd,
By thee with fongs their walks refound,
By thee their sprightly mornings fhine,
And evening-hours in peace decline.

Behold the youth, whose trembling heart
Beats high with love's unpitied fmart;
Tho' now he ftrays by rills and bowers,
And weeping wears the lonely hours;
Or, if the nymph her audience deign,
Shames the foft ftory of his pain
With flavish looks, difcolour'd eyes,
And accents faultering into fighs;
G 2

Yet

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Yet thou, aufpicious power, with eafe,
Can't yield him happier arts to please,
Exalt his mien to manlier charms,
Instruct his tongue with nobler arms,
With more,commanding paffion move,
And teach the dignity of love.

Friend to the Mufe and all her train,
For thee I court the Mufe again;
And may the motive lay disclose
How much to thy fair aid she owes!
See, when thy touch reveals her mine,
How pure the stores of fancy fhine;
Hark, when thy breath her fong impels,
How full the tuneful current fwells.
Let melancholy's plaintive tongue
Inftruct the nightly strains of Y;
But thine was Homer's ancient might,
And thine victorious Pindar's flight:
Thy myrtles crown'd the Lefbian meads;
Thy voice awak'd + Sicilian reeds;
Thy breath perfumes the ‡ Teian rofe,
And Tiber's vine fpontaneous flows,
While Horace wantons in thy quire;
The gods and heroes of the lyre.
See where the pale, the fick'ning fage
A prey perhaps to fortune's rage,
Perhaps by tender griefs opprefs'd,
Or glooms congenial to his breaft)

Alcæus and Sappho,
Theocritus.

Anacreon.

Retires

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