You dwell wherever roving fancy draws, And love and song is all your pleasing care: But we, vain slaves of interest and of pride, Dare not be bless'd, lest envious tongues should blame: And hence, in vain, I languish for my bride! O mourn with me, sweet bird, my hapless flame. TO MYR A. O thou, whose tender serious eyes The pensive shadows of the grove: Pour'd through my soul be all their darts. Ah! 'tis too much! I cannot bear At once so soft, so keen a ray: In pity then, my lovely fair, O turn those killing eyes away! But what avails it to conceal One charm, where nought but charms I see? Their lustre then again reveal, And let me, Myra, die of thee! SONGS IN THE MASQUE OF "ALFRED."* TO PEACE. O peace! the fairest child of Heaven, *The Masque of Alfred was the joint composition of Thomson and Mallet; hence the authorship of the following songs is some. what doubtful. The vale, the fountain, and the grove, With every softer scene of love: Return, sweet Peace! and cheer the weeping swain! Return, with Ease and Pleasure in thy train. TO ALFRED. FIRST SPIRIT. Hear, Alfred, father of the state, Thy genius Heaven's high will declare! SECOND SPIRIT. Thy hope awake, thy heart expand, Thy country calls, and Heaven inspires. BOTH SPIRITS. Earth calls, and Heaven inspires. "SWEET VALLEY, SAY." Sweet valley, say, where, pensive lying, Or if my lover, Deep woods, you cover, Ah whisper where your shadows o'er him spread. "Tis not the loss of pomp and pleasure, Of empire or of tinsel treasure, That drops this tear, that swells this groan: I breathe my sadly pleasing moan, I scorn to languish, For love will feel no sorrows but his own. "FROM THOSE ETERNAL REGIONS." From those eternal regions bright, O whether on the fountain's flowery side, Or in the fragrant grove, Whose shade embosoms peace and love, CONTENTMENT. If those who live in shepherd's bower, If those who sit at shepherd's board, Soothe not their taste by wanton art; They take what Nature's gift afford, And take it with a cheerful heart. If those who drain the shepherd's bowl, No high and sparkling wines can boast; With wholesome cups they cheer the soul, And crown them with the village toast. If those who join in shepherd's sport, Gay dancing on the daisied ground, Have not the splendour of a court; Yet love adorns the merry round. RULE, BRITANNIA! WITH VARIATIONS. When Britain first, at Heaven's command, The nations not so bless'd as thee Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall; Still more majestic shalt thou rise, More dreadful from each foreign stroke; Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame: Will but arouse thy generous flame, To thee belongs the rural reign; Thy cities shall with commerce shine: The Muses, still with freedom found, Bless'd isle! with matchless beauty crown'd, PROLOGUE TO TANCRED AND SIGISMUNDA. Bold is the man! who, in this nicer age, |