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THE DESPAIRING SHEPHERD.

1 ALEXIS shunned his fellow swains, Their rural sports, and jocund strains, (Heaven guard us all from Cupid's bow!) He lost his crook, he left his flocks; And wandering through the lonely rocks, He nourished endless woe.

2 The nymphs and shepherds round him came: His grief some pity, others blame,

The fatal cause all kindly seek;
He mingled his concern with theirs,
He gave them back their friendly tears,
He sighed, but would not speak.

3 Clorinda came among the rest;
And she too kind concern expressed,
And asked the reason of his woe;
She asked, but with an air and mien,
That made it easily foreseen,

She feared too much to know.

4 The shepherd raised his mournful head; And will you pardon me, he said,

While I the cruel truth reveal;

Which nothing from my breast should tear,
Which never should offend your ear,
But that you bid me tell?

5 "Tis thus I rove, 'tis thus complain, Since you appeared upon the plain; You are the cause of all my care:

Your eyes ten thousand dangers dart,
Ten thousand torments vex my heart,
I love and I despair.

6 Too much, Alexis, I have heard; 'Tis what I thought; 'tis what I feared: And yet I pardon you, she cried; But you shall promise ne'er again To breathe your vows, or speak your pain: He bowed, obeyed, and died!

TO THE HONOURABLE CHARLES
MONTAGUE.1

1 HOWE'ER, 'tis well, that while mankind
Through Fate's perverse meander errs,
He can imagined pleasures find,
To combat against real cares.

2 Fancies and notions he pursues,

Which ne'er had being but in thought;
Each, like the Grecian artist,2 woos
The image he himself has wrought.

3 Against experience he believes;

He argues against demonstration; Pleased, when his reason he deceives; And sets his judgment by his passion.

4 The hoary fool, who many days

Has struggled with continued sorrow,
Renews his hope, and blindly lays
The desperate bet upon to-morrow.

1 Afterwards Earl of Halifax.- Apelles.

5 To-morrow comes; 'tis noon, 'tis night;
This day like all the former flies:
Yet on he runs, to seek delight
To-morrow, till to-night he dies.

6 Our hopes, like towering falcons, aim
At objects in an airy height;
The little pleasure of the game
Is from afar to view the flight.

7 Our anxious pains we, all the day,
In search of what we like, employ;
Scorning at night the worthless prey,
We find the labour gave the joy.

8 At distance through an artful glass

To the mind's eye things well appear; They lose their forms, and make a mass

Confused and black if brought too near.

9 If we see right, we see our woes;

Then what avails it to have eyes;
From ignorance our comfort flows.
The only wretched are the wise.

10 We wearied should lie down in death; This cheat of life would take no more;

If

you thought fame but empty breath;
I, Phillis, but a perjured whore.

HYMN TO THE SUN.

SET BY DR PURCELL.

AND INTENDED TO BE SUNG BEFORE THEIR MAJESTIES ON NEW-YEAR'S DAY, 1693-4. WRITTEN AT THE HAGUE.

1 LIGHT of the world, and ruler of the year,
With happy speed begin thy great career;
And, as thou dost thy radiant journeys run,
Through every distant climate own,

That in fair Albion thou hast seen

The greatest prince, the brightest queen, That ever saved a land, or blessed a throne, Since first thy beams were spread, or genial power

2

3

was known.

So may thy godhead be confessed,
So the returning year be blest,
As his infant months bestow
Springing wreaths for William's brow;
As his summer's youth shall shed
Eternal sweets around Maria's head:
From the blessings they bestow,

Our times are dated, and our eras move;
They govern and enlighten all below,

As thou dost all above.

Let our hero in the war

Active and fierce, like thee, appear;

Like thee, great son of Jove, like thee,
When clad in rising majesty,

Thou marchest down o'er Delos' hills confessed, With all thy arrows armed, in all thy glory dressed. Like thee, the hero does his arms employ,

The raging Python to destroy,

And give the injured nations peace and joy.

4 From fairest years, and Time's more happy stores, Gather all the smiling hours;

5

Such as with friendly care have guarded
Patriots and kings in rightful wars;
Such as with conquest have rewarded
Triumphant victors' happy cares:
Such as story has recorded

Sacred to Nassau's long renown,
For countries saved, and battles won.

March them again in fair array,
And bid them form the happy day,
The happy day designed to wait
On William's fame, and Europe's fate.
Let the happy day be crowned
With great event, and fair success;

No brighter in the year be found,
But that which brings the victor home in peace.

6 Again thy godhead we implore,

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Great in wisdom as in power;

Again, for good Maria's sake, and ours,
Choose out other smiling hours;
Such as with joyous wings have fled,
When happy counsels were advising;
Such as have lucky omens shed

O'er forming laws, and empires rising;

Such as many courses ran,
Hand in hand, a goodly train,

To bless the great Eliza's reign;
And in the typic glory show,
What fuller bliss Maria shall bestow.

As the solemn hours advance,
Mingled send into the dance

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