HENRY CAREY.

1729.

Carey was a celebrated musical composer, at the beginning of the seventeenth century. His poems were published in 4to. His mind undoubtedly participated in the wildness perceivable in his writings, and which at last induced a melancholy dissolution.

To be gazing on those charms,
To be folded in those arms,
To unite my lips with those
Whence eternal sweetness flows,
To be lov'd by one so fair;
Is to be blest beyond compare!

On that bosom to recline,
While that hand is lock'd in mine;
In those eyes myself to view,
Gazing still and still on you;
To be lov'd by one so fair,
Is to be blest beyond compare!

GEORGE GRANVILLE, LORD LANSDOWNE.

1732.

This nobleman, created Baron Lansdowne of Biddiford, county of Devon, in 1711, was descended from Rollo, first Duke of Normandy, who accompanied the Conqueror to England, and was rewarded with the castle and lordship of Biddiford. George was born in 1667. Having early declared for the cause of the Stuarts, he enjoyed no promotion under William III. during whose reign he chiefly addicted himself to literary pursuits; sometimes producing a play, sometimes miscellaneous poems, sometimes celebrating the Countess of Newburgh, of whom he became passionately enamoured, and who is concealed under the name of Myra. After the accession of Queen Anne, his attachment to the Tory interest introduced him to power; nor was he altogether unnoticed by George I. His career, however, was finally closed on the 30th of January, 1735, at his house in Hanover Square. It was only a few days before that he had buried his lady, Mary Villiers, daughter of the Earl of Jersey, who had borne him four daughters. The lines addressed to her, were originally designed by his Lordship for one of the toasting-glasses used by the Kit-Cat Club, to which he belonged.

MYRA was twice a wife. On the death of her first husband, and before her second marriage, she rejected the offer of Lansdowne's hand, notwithstanding his long and ardent admiration of her charms. This circumstance his Lordship has fully detailed, in the "Enchantment."-

"A happier man possess'd whom I adore ;
O! I should ne'er have seen, or seen before.

* * * * * * *

*

If glimmering hope recalls departing life :
My rival dying, I no longer grieve;

Since I may ask, and she with honour give;
Nor was occasion, to reveal my flame,

Slow to my succour,

for it kindly came.

*

Dismay'd and motionless, confus'd, amaz'd,
Trembling I stood, and terrify'd I gaz'd ;
My faltering tongue in vain for utterance tried,
Faint was my voice, my thoughts abortive died.
* * * * * * * *
My tongue emboldening, as her looks were mild,
At length I told my griefs-and still she smil'd.
O syren! syren! fair Deluder, say—
Why would you tempt to trust, and then betray?
So faithless now, why gave you hopes before?
Alas! you should have been less kind, or more.
* * * * * * *
Rumour is loud, and every voice proclaims
Her violated faith and conscious flames!
Ungrateful Myra! urge me thus no more;
Nor think me tame, that once so long I bore.
Who knows what I?-ah! feeble rage, and vain!
With how secure a brow she mocks my pain !
Thy heart, fond Lover! does thy threats belie:
Can'st thou hurt her, for whom thou yet wouldst die?"

*

*

Such was the Fair, to whom Lansdowne devoted his lays! lays that once excited the emulation of Bolingbroke, and the applause of Pope. How vain proved the friendly anticipation of Mrs. Elizabeth Higgons, who, in an Ode sent to his Lordship on his retirement, thus apostrophises him

"So lov'd and prais'd, whom all admire,

Why, why should you from courts and camps retire?
If Myra is unkind, if it can be

That any nymph can be unkind to thee,

If pensive made by love you thus retire,
Awake your Muse, and string your Lyre;
Your tender song, and your melodious strain,
Can never be address'd in vain !

She needs must love! and we shall have you back again."

Some time after the death of Levingston, Earl of Newburgh, Myra united herself to Richard Bellew, Baron Dueleck, of Ireland. Her real name was Frances, and she was

the daughter of Robert Earl of Cardigan. She lived long enough to be thought so unbeautiful and unamiable as to become the object of poetical satire.

TO LADY MARY VILLIERS.

IF I not love you, VILLIERS! more
Than ever mortal lov'd before;
With such a passion, fix'd and sure,
As even possession could not cure,
Never to cease but with my breath;
May then this bumper be my death!

TO MYRA.

No warning of the approaching flame,
Swiftly, like sudden death, it came;
Like travellers by light'ning kill'd;
I burn'd the moment I beheld.

In whom so many charms are plac'd,
Is with a mind as nobly grac'd;
The case, so shining to behold,
Is fill'd with richest gems and gold.

To what my eyes admir'd before,
I add a thousand graces more;
And fancy blows into a flame

The spark that from her beauty came.

The object thus improv'd by thought,
By my own image I am caught!
Pygmalion so, with fatal art,

Polish'd the form that stung his heart.

WHY should a heart so tender break?
O Myra! give its anguish ease:
The use of beauty you mistake;
Not meant to vex, but please.

Those lips for smiling were design'd,
That bosom to be prest,

Your eyes to languish and look kind,
For amorous arms your waist.

Each thing has its appointed right,
Establish'd by the powers above:
The sun, to give us warmth and light;
Myra, to kindle love!

PREPAR'D to rail, resolv'd to part;
When I approach the perjur'd Fair,
What is it awes my timorous heart?
Why does my tongue forbear?

With the least glance, a little kind,

Such wondrous power have Myra's charms, She calms my doubts, enslaves my mind, And all my rage disarms.

Forgetful of her broken vows,

When gazing on that form divine,

Her injur❜d vassal trembling bows,

Nor dares her slave repine.