Thou marchest down o'er Delos' hills confest, With all thy arrows arm'd, in all thy glory drest. Like thee, the hero does his arms employ, The raging Python to destroy, And give the injur'd nations peace and joy. From fairest years, and Time's more happy stores, Such as with friendly care have guarded Such as with conquest have rewarded March them again in fair array, No brighter in the year be found, But that which brings the victor home in peace. Again thy godhead we implore, Great in wisdom as in power; Such as have lucky omens shed O'er forming laws, and empires rising: 30 40 50 1 Such as many courses ran, To bless the great Eliza's reign; What fuller bliss Maria shall bestow As the solemn hours advance, Man can ask, or Heav'n diffuse : That great Maria all those joys may know, Which, from her cares, upon her subjects flow. For thy own glory sing our sov'reign's praise, God of verses and of days: Let all thy tuneful sons adorn Their lasting work with William's name ; Take great Maria for their future theme: Nor fear they can exhaust the store; Till Nature's musie lies unstrung; 60 70 Till thou, great God, shalt lose thy double pow'r ; And touch thy lyro, and shoot thy beams no more VOL. I. THE LADY'S LOOKING-GLASS.* IN IMITATION OF A GREEK IDYLLIUM. ELIA and I the other day Walk'd o'er the sand-hills to the sea: 10 But, oh the change! the winds grow high; Impending tempests charge the sky; * See Longinus's Comparison of the Odyssey to the Setting Sun. Ed. Pearce, 8vo. p. 56. "Whether Prior had the latter words in view, one cannot say; but it is difficult to conceive how the same image could be more accurately or forcibly transferred from one language to another. That lively and most agreeable writer was very fond of copying from the Grecian school, but always in such a manner as to shew the master, where he even meant to imitate, of which this little poem is a beautiful instance: the learned will easily trace in the Looking-Glass of Prior the Poet and his Muse (as it may be inscribed) of Moschus. CAPRICE is the general subject of both poems, and many images of the latter are transplanted into the former."-Note to Eunomus, 1774, vol. iv. p. 108. The lightning flies; the thunder roars; Once more at least look back, said I; But when vain doubt, and groundless fear Shipwreck'd, in vain to land I make; I chide thee first, and then obey. 20 30 40 While pearly dews o'erspread the fruitful field, SILVIA. To ev'ry shepherd I would mine proclaim; Since fair Aminta is my softest theme: A stranger to the loose delights of love, 10 My thoughts the nobler warmth of friendship prove: AMARYLLIS. Propitious God of Love, my breast inspire With all thy charms, with all thy pleasing fire: Afterwards the once celebrated Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe. It is said Mr. Prior once made his addresses to this lady. |