Away they came, through thick and thin,
To a tall house near Lincoln's-Inn:
('Twas on the night of a Debate,
When all their Lordships had sate late.)
Behold the place, where if a Poet
Shin'd in Description, he might show it;
Tell how the Moon-beam trembling falls,
And tips with Silver all the walls;
Palladian walls, Venetian doors,
Grotefco roofs, and Stucco floors:
But let it (in a word) be faid,
The Moon was up, and Men a-bed,
The Napkin 's white, the Carpet red:
The Guests withdrawn had left the Treat,
And down the Mice fate, " tête à tête."
Our Courtier walks from difh to dish,
Taftes for his Friend of Fowl and Fish;
Tells all their names, lays down the law,
"Que ça eft bon ! Ah goutez ça !
Agreftem pepulere, domo levis exfilit : inde
Ambo propofitum peragunt iter, urbis aventes
Moenia nocturni fubrepere. jamque tenebat
Nox medium coeli fpatium, cum ponit uterque
In locuplete domo vestigia: rubro ubi cocco
Tincta fuper lectos canderet veftis eburnos ;
Multaque de magna fupereffent fercula coena,
Quae procul exftructis inerant hefterna caniftris.
Ergo ubi purpurea porrectum in veste locavit
Agreftem; veluti fuccinctus curfitat hofpes,
"That Jelly's rich, this Malmsey healing,
"Pray dịp your Whiskers and your Tail in."
Was ever fuch a happy Swain?
He stuffs and fwills, and stuffs again.
"I'm quite afham'd-'tis mighty rude
"To eat fo much-but all's fo good.
"I have a thousand thanks to give-
"My Lord alone knows how to live."
No fooner faid, but from the Hall
Rush Chaplain, Butler, Dogs and all :
"A Rat, a Rat! clap to the door"-
The Cat comes bouncing on the floor.
O for the heart of Homer's Mice,
Or Gods to fave them in a trice!
(It was by Providence they think,
For your damn'd Stucco has no chink.)
"An't please your Honour, quoth the Peafant,
This fame Deffert is not so pleasant :}
"Give me again my hollow Tree,
"A Cruft of Bread, and Liberty!”
Continuatque dapes : nec non verniliter ipfis
Fungitur officiis, praelambens omne quod affert.
Ille cubans gaudet mutata forte, bonifque
Rebus agit laetum convivam: cum fubito ingens
Valvarum ftrepitus lectis excuffit utrumque.
Currere per totum pavidi conclave; magifque
Exanimes trepidare, fimul domus alta Moloffis
Perfonuit canibus, tum rufticus, Haud mihi vita
Eft opus hac, ait, et valeas: me fylva, cavufque
Tutus ab infidiis tenui folabitur arvo.
GAIN? new Tumults in my breast?
Ah spare me, Venus! let me, let me reft!
I am not now, alas! the man
As in the gentle Reign of my Queen Anne.
Ah found no more thy foft alarms,
Nor circle fober fifty with thy Charms ! Mother too fierce of dear Defires!
Turn, turn to willing hearts your wanton fires. To Number five direct your Doves,
There spread round Murray all your blooming Loves;
Rurfus bella moves? parce precor, precor.
Non fum qualis eram bonae
Sub regno Cynarae. define, dulcium
Mater faeva Cupidinum,
Circa luftra decem flectere mollibus
Jam durum imperiis: abi
Quo blandae juvenum te revocant preces,
Tempeftivius in domum
Paulli, purpureis ales oloribus,
Noble and young, who ftrikes the heart
With every sprightly, every decent part;
Equal, the injur’d to defend,
To charm the Mistress, or to fix the Friend.
He, with a hundred Arts refin'd,
Shall stretch thy conquests over half the kind : To him each Rival shall submit,
Make but his Riches equal to his Wit. Then shall thy Form the Marble grace,
(Thy Grecian Form) and Chloe lend the Face: His House, embosom'd in the Grove,
Sacred to focial life and social love,
Shall glitter o'er the pendent green,
Where Thames reflects the vifionary scene:
Thither, the filver-founding lyres
Shall call the fmiling Loves, and young Defires;
Commiffabere Maximi;
Si torrere jecur quaeris idoneum.
Namque et nobilis, et decens,
Et pro folicitis non tacitus reis,
Et centum puer artium,
Late figna feret militiae tuae.
Et, quandoque potentior
Largis muneribus riferit aemuli,
Albanos prope te lacus
Ponet marmoream fub trabe citrea
Illic plurima naribus
Duces thura; lyraque et Berecynthiae
There, every Grace and Muse shall throng,
Exalt the dance, or animate the fong;
There Youths and Nymphs, in confort gay,
Shall hail the rifing, clofe the parting day.
With me, alas! those joys are o'er ;
For me the vernal garlands bloom no more.
Adieu! fond hope of mutual fire,
The still-believing, still renew'd defire; Adieu! the heart-expanding bowl,
And all the kind Deceivers of the foul;
But why? ah tell me, ah too dear !
Steals down my cheek th' involuntary Tear?
Why words fo flowing, thoughts so free,
Stop, or turn nonfenfe, at one glance of thee?
Thee, drest in Fancy's airy beam,
Abfent I follow through th' extended Dream;
Mixtis carminibus, non fine fistula.
Numen cum teneris virginibus tuum Laudantes, pede candido
In morem Salium ter quatient humum.
Me nec femina, nec puer
Jam, nec fpes animi credula mutui,
Nec certare juvat mero
Nec vincire novis tempora floribus.
Sed cur, heu! Ligurine, cur
Manat rara meas lacryma per genas?
|