540

Go on, brave youth, thy generous vigor try,
To the refenting maid this charm apply;
Love's foftening pleafures every grief remove,
There's nothing that can make your peace like love.
From drugs and philtres no redress you'll find,
But nature with your mistress will be kind.
The love that's unconftrain'd will long endure,
Machaon's art was falfe, but mine is fure.

Whilft thus I fung, inflam'd with nobler fire,
I heard the great Apollo's tuneful lyre;
His hand a branch of spreading laurel bore,
And on his head a laurel wreath he wore;
Around he caft diffufive rays of light,
Confeffing all the god to human fight,
Thou mafter of lafcivious arts, he faid,
To my frequented fane thy pupils lead:
And there infcrib'd in characters of gold,
This celebrated fentence you '11 behold.
First know yourself; who to himself is known,
Shall love with conduct, and his wishes crown.
Where Nature has a handsome face bestow'd,
Or graceful shape, let both be often show'd:
Let men of wit and humour filence thun,
The artist fing, and foldier bluster on;
Of long harangues, ye eloquent take heed, -
Nor thy damn'd works, thou teazing poet, read
Thus Phoebus fpake: A just obedience give,
And these injunctions from a god receive.

I myfteries unfold; to my advice
Attend, ye vulgar lovers, and grow wife.
The thriving grain in harveft often fails:
Of profp'rous winds turn adverse to our fails:
Few are the pleasures, though the toils are great:
With patience must submittive lovers wait.
What hares on Athos, bees on Hybla feed,
Or berries on the circling ivy breed;
As fhells on fandy fhores, as ftars above,

545

Conceal her faults, no fecret crimes upbraid;
Nothing's fo fond as a fufpected maid,
Discover'd love increafes with defpair,
When both alike the guilt and fcandal share :
550 All fenfe of modefty they lofe in time,
Whilft each encourages the other's crime.

555

615

620

A

In heaven this ftory's fram'd above the reft,
Amongst th' immortal drolls a standing jest:
How Vulcan two tranfgreffing lovers caught,
And every god a pleas'd fpectator brought.
Great Mars for Venus felt a guilty flame,
Neglected war, and own'd a lover's name;
To his defires the Queen of Love inclin'd;
No nymph in heaven's fo willing, none fo kind. 625
560 Oft the lafcivious fair, with fcornful pride,
Would Vulcan's foot and footy hands deride,
Yet both with decency their paffion bore,
And modefty conceal'd the close amour.
But by the fun betray'd in their embrace,
(For what efcapes the fun's obferving rays?)
He told th' affronted god of his difgrace.
Ah foolish fun! and much unskill'd in love
Thou haft an ill example fet above!
Never a fair offending nymph betr1y,
570 She'll gratefully oblige you every way;
The crafty fpoufe around his bed prepares
Nets that deceive the eye, and fecret snares:
A journey feigns, th' impatient lovers met,
And naked were expos'd in Vulcan's net.
The gods deride the criminals in chains,

635

649

575

So numerous are the fure fatigues of love.

The lady's gone abroad, you're told; though seen,

Diftruft your eyes, believe her not within.

Why do I light and vulgar precepts ufe?
A nobler fubject now infpires my Mufe:
Approaching joys I fing; ye youths draw near,
Liften ye happy lovers and give ear:
The labour's great, and daring is my song,
Labours and great attempts to Love belong.
As from the facred oracles of Jove
Receive thefe grand mysterious truths in love.
Look down when the the ogling fpark invites,
Nor touch the conscious tablets when she writes.
Appear, not jealous, though the 's much from home,
Let her at pleasure go, unquestion'd come.
This crafty husbands to their wives permit,
And learn, when she's engag'd, to wink at it.
I my own frailties modeftly confefs;

585

590

On me transfer your chains; I'll freely come
For your releafe, and fuffer in your room.
At length, kind Neptune, freed by thy defires,
Mars goes for Crete, to Paphos fhe retires,
Their loves augmented with revengeful fires:
Now converfant with infamy and shame,
They fet no bounds to their licentious flame.
But, honeft Vulcan, what was thy pretence,
To act fo much unlike a god of fenfe?
They fin in public, you the fhame repent,
Convinc'd that loves increafe with punishment.
Though in your power, a rival ne'er expofe,
Never his intercepted joys difclofe;

655

His witty torments Tantalus deferves,

That thirsts in waves, and viewing banquets ftarves, 665
But Venus most in secrecy delights;

Away, ye bablers, from her filent rites!
No pomp her myfteries attends, no noife!
No founding brafs proclaims the latent joys!

If fading youth checkers her hair with white,
Experience makes her perfect in delight;
In her embrace fublimer joys are found,
A fruitful foil, and cultivated ground!
The hours enjoy while youth and pleasures laft,
675 Age hurries on, and Death pursues too fast.
Or plough the feas, or cultivate the land,
Or wield the sword in thy adventurous hand;
Or much in love thy nervous strength employ,
Embrace the fair, the grateful maid enjoy ;
Pleasure and wealth reward thy pleafing pains,
The labour's great, but greater far the gains.
And their experience in affairs of love,
For years and practice do alike improve }
Their arts repair the injuries of time,

685 And ftill preferve them in their charming prime; 750
In vary'd ways they act the pleasure o'er,
Not pictur'd poftures can inftruct you more.
They want no courtship to provoke delight,
But meet your warmth with eager appetite;
Give me enjoyment, when the willing dame
Glows with defires, and burns with equal flame.
I love to hear the foft tranfporting joys,
The frequent fighs, the tender murmuring voice:
To fee her eyes with vary'd pleasure move,
And all the nymph confefs the power of love.
Nature's not thus indulgent to the young,
Thefe joys alone to riper years belong :

Who youth enjoys, drinks crude unready wine,
Let age your girl and sprightly juice refine,

700 Mellow their fweets, and make the tafte divine.
To Helen who'd Hermione prefer,

Hector in love victorious, as in fight.

When weary from the field Achilles came,
Thus with delays he rais'd Brifeïs' flame.

715 Ah, could thofe arms, thofe fatal hands delight, 780 Infpire kind thoughts, and raise thy appetite!

Then ply your oars, then practice this advice,
And strain with whip and fpur, to gain the prize.

800

HAT man renown'd! what British worthy's praise

W Infpires the Mufe! and confecrates her lays!

Record thy Afton's celebrated name,
Difplay his virtues, and tranfmit his fame.
Illuftrious actions to thy care belong,
And form the beauties of heroic fong;

805 None e'er appear'd with so immense a store,
Nor ever grac'd harmonious numbers more.
Nor ftain, my Mufe, with thy officious tears,
The bright example for fucceeding years;
Whilst others in dejected notes complain,
Sublime thy fong, attempt a nobler ftrain.
With verfe affuage his pious off-fpring's care,
And calm the forrows of the weeping fair:
Difpel the fhades that fate untimely spread,
And ceafe to mourn for the immortal dead.

The work 's complete: triumphant palms prepare,
With flowery wreaths adorn my flowing hair.
As to the Greeks was Podalirius' art,
To heal with medicines the afflicted part:
Neftor's advice, Achilles' arms in field,
Automedon for chariot-driving skill'd;
As Chalchas could explain the mystic bird,
And Telemon could wield the brandish'd fword;
Such to the town my fam'd inftructions prove,
So much am I renown'd for arts of love:
Me every youth fhall praife, extol my name,
And o'er the globe diffuse my lasting fame.
I arms provide against the fcornful fair;
Thus Vulcan arm'd Achilles for the war.
Whatever youth shall with my aid o'ercome,
And lead his Amazon in triumph home;
Let him that conquers, and enjoys the dame,
In gratitude for his inftructed flame,
Infcribe the spoils with my aufpicious name.

The tender girls my precepts next demand:
Them I commit to a more skilful hand.

AN ESSAY ON THE CHARACTER OF

815

Where outstretch'd Britain in the ocean 's loft,
And Dee and rapid Mercy bound the coaft;
There hills arife with fylvan honors crown'd,
There fruitful vales and fhady ftreams abound,
Not Median groves, nor Tempe's boasted plain,
Nor where Pactolus' fands inrich the main,
Can yield a profpect fairer to the fight,
822 Nor charm with fcenes of more auguft delight.

SIR WILLOUGHBY ASTON,
LATE OF ASTON IN CHESHIRE, 1704.
To the Lady Crewe of Utkinton,
MADAM,

S when the eagle, with a parent's love,

With heaven's full luftre the allures him on,
Firft to admire, and then approach the fun;
Unweary'd he furveys the orb of light,
Charm'd by the object to maintain his flight.

To you th' afpiring Muse her labour bringe,
Thus tries its fate, and thus expands her wings:
Tempted to gaze on your aufpicious light,
This hafty birth to you directs its flight;
The beauties of your mind tranfported views,
Admiring fings, and pleas'd her flight pursues.

10

Here Lupus and his warlike chiefs obtain'd
Imperial fway, and great in honors reign'd:
Deriving titles from their fwords alone,
Their laws preferv'd, and liberties their own.

15

20

25

As when two fwelling floods their waves oppose,
Nor would confound the urns from whence they rofe: 30
But by degrees uniting in a stream,

Forget their fountains, and become the fame.
Thus ftrove the Britons with the Norman race,
Fierce with their wrongs, and confcious of difgrace: 35
But when the fury of their arms was o'er,
Whom thirst of empire had engag'd before,
Now Friendship binds, and Love unites the more.
From whom a long defcent of worthies shine,
Juft to the glories of their martial line;
Admiring fame their matchless force records,

5 Their bounteous minds, and hofpitable boards.
Where Weever haftens to receive the Dane,
Refreshing with united streams the plain;
A rifing fabric, with majestic grace,
Demands the tribute of thy lofty praise,
There Afton ftands confpicuous to the fight
To Afton, Mufe, direct thy pleafing flight
From far the pompous edifice behold,
Just the proportions, and the structure bold.
Beauty is there with elegance express'd,
Improv'd with art, with native grandeur blefs'd.
15 What nobler object could the worthy find,
To fignalize the greatness of his mind:
Than to adorn, with fo auguft a frame,
The place that gave his ancestors a name?

Permit these loofe, unfinish'd lines to claim
The kind protection of your parent's name :
Though void of ornaments, and every grace,
Accept the piece, as facred to your race.
Where you behold your great forefathers fame,
And trace the springs from whence your virtues came:
Survey the triumphs, and the honors view,
That by a long descent devolve on you.

In vain the Muse her vanquish'd pencil tries,
Where unexhaufted ftores of beauty rife;
Languid and faint her labours must appear,
Whilft you tranfcend her fairest character.
So bright in you your father's graces shine,
And all the virtues of your ancient line;
That none with pleasure can the copy view,
Whilft the original furvives in you.

40

45

50

20

Delightful scene! thy patron's early care,
Who rais'd thee up magnificently fair:
He form'd thy beauties, and encreas'd thy ftore,
Great in thyself, but in thy founder more.

From generous Hudard, whose victorious sword 60 Made Afton stoop beneath a foreign lord,

25 Twenty fucceffive chiefs defcended down;
Illuftrious all, and matchlefs in renown.
When injur'd barons durft by arms restrain
Their fovereign's pride, on the embattled plain; 65

And

Through books he trac'd her in the pleafing Charms that from innocence and virtue flow,