EMMA.

O day the fairest sure that ever rose ! Period and end of anxious Emma's woes! Sire of her joy, and source of her delight;

O! wing'd with pleasure take thy happy flight,
And give each future morn a tincture of thy white.
Yet tell thy votary, potent queen of love,
Henry, my Henry, will he never rove?

Will he be ever kind, and just, and good?
And is there then no miftrefs in the wood?

681

None, none there is; the thought was rash and

vain;

A falfe idea, and a fancy'd pain.

686

Doubt fhall for ever quit my ftrengthen❜d heart, And anxious jealoufie's corroding smart;

No other inmate fhall inhabit there,

But foft Belief, young Joy, and pleafing Care.

Hence let the tides of plenty ebb and flow,
And Fortune's various gale unheeded blow.
If at my feet the fuppliant goddess stands,
And sheds her treasure with unweary'd hands;
Her prefent favor cautious I'll embrace,
And not unthankful ufe the proffer'd grace;

If the reclaims the temporary boon,
And tries her pinions, flutt'ring to be gone;
Secure of mind I'll obviate her intent,

695

And unconcern'd return the goods fhe lent. 700

Nor happiness can I, nor mifery feel,
From any turn of her fantastic wheel:
Friendship's great laws, and love's fuperior pow'rs,
Muft mark the colour of my future hours.
From the events which thy commands create
I must my bleffings or my forrows date;
And Henry's will muft dictate Enima's fate.

Yet while with close delight and inward pride
(Which from the world my careful foul shall hide)
I fee thee, lord and end of my defire,
Exalted high as virtue can require;

710

With power invested, and with pleasure chear'd;
Sought by the good, by the oppreffor fear'd;
Loaded and bleft with all the affluent store,

Which human vows at smoaking shrines implore;
Grateful and humble grant me to employ

My life, fubfervient only to thy joy;

And at my death to blefs thy kindness shown

716

To her, who of mankind could love but thee alone.

WHILE thus the conftant pair alternate said,

721

Joyful above them and around them play'd
Angels and sportive Loves, a numerous crowd;
Smiling they clapt their wings, and low they bow'd:
They tumbled all their little quivers o'er,
To chufe propitious fhafts; a precious ftore: 725
That, when their god should take his future darts,
To ftrike (however rarely) conftant hearts,

His happy skill might proper arms imploy,
All tipt with pleasure, and all wing'd with joy :
And thofe, they vow'd, whofe lives fhould imitate
These lovers conftancy, should share their fate.

The queen of beauty ftopt her bridled doves;
Approv'd the little labour of the Loves;
Was proud and pleas'd the mutual vow to hear;
And to the triumph call'd the god of war:
Soon as the calls, the god is always near.

Now, Mars, she said, let Fame exalt her voice;
Nor let thy conquefts only be her choice:
But when the fings great Edward from the field
Return'd, the hoftile fpear and captive shield
In Concord's temple hung, and Gallia taught to
yield;

And when, as prudent Saturn fhall compleat
The years defign'd to perfect Britain's ftate,
The swift-wing'd pow'r fhall take her trump again,
To fing her fav'rite Anna's wond'rous reign;

To recollect unweary'd Marlbro's toils,

746

Old Rufus' hall unequal to his fpoils;

The British foldier from his high command

Glorious, and Gaul thrice vanquish'd by his hand : Let her at least perform what I defire;

750

With fecond breath the vocal brass inspire,
And tell the nations, in no vulgar ftrain,
What wars I manage, and what wreaths I gain.

755

And, when thy tumults and thy fights are paft; And when thy laurels at my feet are caft; Faithful may'st thou, like British Henry, prove: And, Emma-like, let me return thy love.

Renown'd for truth, let all thy fons appear; And constant Beauty shall reward their care.

Mars fmil'd, and bow'd: the Cyprian deity Turn'd to the glorious ruler of the sky; 760 And thou, fhe fmiling faid, great god of days And verfe, behold my deed, and fing my praise; As on the British earth, my fav'rite isle,

Thy gentle rays and kindeft influence fmile, 765
Through all her laughing fields and verdant groves,
Proclaim with joy those memorable loves :
From annual course let one great day

every

To celebrated sports and floral play

Be fet afide; and, in the softeft lays

Of thy poetic fons, be folemn praise,
And everlasting marks of honour paid

To the true Lover, and the Nut-brown Maid.

770

TO A YOUNG GENTLEMAN IN LOVE.

A TALE.

BY THE SAME.

FROM

ROM public noife, and factious ftrife,
From all the bufy ills of life,

Take me, my Celia, to thy breaft;
And lull my wearied foul to reft.
For ever, in this humble cell,

Let thee and I, my fair one, dwell;
None enter elfe, but Love-and he
Shall bar the door, and keep the key.

5

10

To painted roofs, and fhining fpires,
(Uneafie feats of high defires)
Let the unthinking many croud,
That dare be covetous and proud:
In golden bondage let them wait,
And barter happiness for state.

But oh! my Celia, when thy fwain 15
Defires to fee a court again,

May heav'n around his destin'd head

The choiceft of its curfes fhed!