XXXX

JEALOUS Y. ECLOGUE III.

XXX

To Mr. EDWARD WALPOLE,

Now Sir EDWARD WALPOLE, fecond Son to Sir ROBERT WALPOLE, Earl of Orford.

T

HE gods, O WALPOLE, give no blifs fincere:

Wealth is difturb'd by care, and pow'r by fear.

Of all the paffions that employ the mind,
In gentle love the sweetest joys we find ;
Yet ev❜n those joys dire Jealoufy molefts,
And blackens each fair image in our breasts.
O may the warmth of thy too tender heart
Ne'er feel the sharpness of his venom'd dart;
For thy own quiet think thy mistress just,
And wifely take thy happiness on truft.

Begin, my Mufe, and Damon's woes rehearse,
In wildeft numbers and diforder'd verfe..
On a romantic mountain's airy head.
(While browzing goats at ease around him fed)
Anxious he lay, with jealous cares opprefs'd;
Diftruft and anger lab'ring in his breast-
The vale beneath a pleasing prospect yields,
Of verdant meads and cultivated fields s;

Through

Through these a river rolls its winding flood,
Adorn'd with various tufts of rifing wood;
Here half conceal'd in trees a cottage ftands,
A castle there the op'ning plain commands,
Beyond, a town with glitt'ring fpires is crown'd,
And diftant hills the wide horizon bound;
So charming was the fcene, awhile the fwain
Beheld delighted, and forgot his pain;

But foon the ftings infix'd within his heart,
With cruel force renew'd their raging fmart:
His flow'ry wreath, which long with pride he wore,
The gift of Delia, from his brows he tore :
Then cry'd; May all thy charms, ungrateful maid,
Like these neglected rofes droop and fade;
May angry Heav'n deform each guilty grace,
That triumphs now in that deluding face;
Thofe alter'd looks may every shepherd fly,
And ev'n thy Daphnis hate thee worse than I!
Say, thou inconftant, what has Damon done,
To lose the heart his tedious pains had won ?
Tell me what charms you in my rival find,
Against whose power no ties have ftrength to bind:
Has he, like me, with long obedience strove
To conquer your difdain, and merit love?
Has he with tranfport every fmile ador'd,
And dy'd with grief at each ungentle word?
Ah, no! the conqueft was obtain❜d with ease:
He pleas'd you, by not studying to please :

His

His careless indolence your pride alarm'd;
And had he lov'd you more, he lefs had charm'd.
O pain to think, another shall poffefs

Those balmy lips which I was wont to prefs:
Another on her panting breaft fhall lie,

And catch fweet madness from her swimming eye!
I saw their friendly flocks together feed,

I faw them hand in hand walk o'er the mead:
Would my clos'd eyes had funk in endless night,
Ere I was doom'd to bear that hateful fight!
Where'er they pafs'd be blafted every flow'r,
And hungry wolves their helpless flocks devour!-
Ah wretched fwain! could no examples move
Thy heedle's heart to fhun the rage of Love?
Haft thou not heard how poor b Menalcas dy'd
A victim to Parthenia's fatal pride?
Dear was the youth to all the tuneful plain,
Lov'd by the nymphs, by Phoebus lov'd in vain:
Around his tomb their tears the Mufes paid,
And all things mourn'd but the relentless maid.
Would I could die like him, and be at peace!
Thefe torments in the quiet grave would cease;
There my vex'd thoughts a calm repofe would find,

And reft as if my Delia ftill were kind.

No, let me live her falfhood to upbraid;
Some god perhaps my just revenge will aid. -

See Mr. GAY's Dione,

Alas!

Alas! what aid, fond fwain, would thou receive?
Could thy heart bear to fee its Delia grieve?
Protect her, Heav'n, and let her never know
The flightest part of hapless Damon's woe:
I ask no vengeance from the pow'rs above;
AN I implore is never more to love-
Let me this fonduefs from my bofom tear,
Let me forget that e'er I thought her fair.
Come, cool Indifference, and heal my breaft;
Wearied, at length I feek thy downy reft:
No turbulence of paffion fhall destroy
My future cafe with flatt'ring hopes of joy.
Hear, mighty Pan, and all ye Sylvans hear,
What by your guardian deities I fwear;
No more my eyes fhall view her fatal charms,
No more I'll court the trait'refs to my arms;
Not all her arts my fteady foul fhall move,
And the fhall find that Reafon conquers Love.-
Scarce had he spoke, when through the lawn below
Alone he saw the beauteous Delia go;

At once tranfported he forgot his yow,
(Such perjuries the laughing gods allow)

Down the fteep hills with ardent hafte he flew ;
He found her kind, and foon believ'd her true.

POSSES

POSSESSION. ECLOGUE IV.

C

To Lord COBHA Ma.

OBHAM, to thee this rural lay I bring,

Whofe guiding judgment gives me skill to fing; Though far unequal to thofe polish'd ftrains,

With which thy Congreve charm'd the list'ning plains,
Yet fhall its mufic please thy partial ear,

And footh thy breaft with thoughts that once were dear;
Recall thofe years which time has thrown behind,
When smiling Love with Honour fhar'd thy mind:
The sweet remembrance fhall thy youth reftore,
Fancy again fhall run paft pleasures o'er,

And while in Stow's enchanting walks you ftray,
This theme may help to cheat the fummer's day.
Beneath the covert of a myrtle wood,

To Venus rais'd, a rustic altar stood,
To Venus and to Hymen, there combin'd,
In friendly league to favour human kind.
With wanton Cupids in that happy fhade,
The gentle Virtues, and mild Wisdom play'd.

a The Author's Uncle. He died at Stow, September 13, 1749.

Nor