Poems on Several Occasions

Succeeding Years their happy Race fhall run :
And Age unheeded by Delight come on ;
While yet Superior Love fhall mock his Pow'r :
And when old Time fhall turn the fated Hour,
Which only can our well-ty'd Knot unfold ;
What refts of Both, One Sepulchre shall hold.

Hence then for ever from my EM MA's Breast
(That Heav'n of Softness, and that Seat of Reft)
Ye Doubts and Fears, and All that know to move
Tormenting Grief, and All that trouble Love,
Scatter'd by Winds recede, and wild in Forefts rove.
EM M A.

Day the faireft fure that ever rofe!
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 Juft, and Good?
And is there yet no Mistress in the Wood?

None, none there is: The Thought was rash and vain ;
A falfe Idea, and a fancy'd Pain.

Doubt fhall for ever quit my ftrengthen'd Heart,
And anxious Jealoufie's corroding Smart;
Nor other Inmate shall 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 Suppliant Goddess stands,
And sheds her Treasure with unweary'd Hands ;

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Her

Her prefent Favor cautious I'll embrace,
And not unthankful use the proffer'd Grace :
If She reclaims the Temporary Boon,
And tries her Pinions, flutt'ring to be gone;
Secure of Mind I'll obviate her Intent,
And unconcern'd return the Goods She lent.
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 Sorrows date;
And HENRY's Will muft dictate EM MA's Fate.

Yet while with close Delight and inward Pride
(Which from the World my careful Soul shall hide)
I fee Thee, Lord and End of my Defire,
Exalted high as Virtue can require;

With Pow'r 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 fmoaking Shrines implore;
Grateful and humble grant Me to employ

My Life, fubfervient only to thy Joy;

And at my Death to bless thy Kindness shown

To Her, who of Mankind could love but Thee alone.

HILE thus the conftant Pair alternate faid, 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

They tumbled all their little Quivers o'er,
To chufe propitious Shafts; a precious Store :
That when their God fhould take his future Darts,
To ftrike (however rarely) constant 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
Thefe Lovers Conftancy, fhould fhare their Fate.

The Queen of Beauty stop'd 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 She calls, the God is always near.

Now MARS, fhe faid, let Fame exalt her Voice ;
Nor let thy Conquefts only be her Choice:

But when She fings great EDWARD from the Field
Return'd, the Hoftile Spear 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 State,
The fwift-wing'd Power fhall take her Trump again,
To fing Her Fav'rite A N N A's wond'rous Reign;
To recollect unweary'd MARLBRO's Toils,
Old Rufus' Hall unequal to his Spoils ;
The BRITISH Soldier from his high Command
Glorious, and GAUL thrice Vanquish'd by his Hand :
Let Her at least perform what I defire;

With fecond Breath the Vocal Brafs infpire;

And tell the Nations in no Vulgar Strain,
What Wars I manage, and what Wreaths I gain

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And

And when Thy Tumults and Thy Fights are paft;
And when Thy Lawrels at my Feet are caft;
Faithful may'st Thou, like British HENRY prove;
And EM MA-like let me return Thy Love.

Renown'd for Truth let all Thy Sons appear;
And conftant Beauty fhall reward their Care.
MARS fmil'd, and bow'd: the CYPRIAN Deity
Turn'd to the glorious Ruler of the Sky:
And Thou, She 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 kindest Influence smile,
Thro' all her laughing Fields and verdant Groves, ]
Proclaim with Joy these memorable Loves.
From ev'ry annual Course let One great Day,
To celebrated Sports and Floral Play
Be fet afide; and in the fofteft Lays
Of Thy Poetic Sons, be folemn Praife,
And everlasting Marks of Honour paid,
To the true Lover, and the Nut-brown Maid.