Melampus thus, panting with lolling tongue, And wagging tail, gambols and frisks before His fequent lord, from penfive walk return'd, Whether in fhady wood or pasture green, And waits his coming at the well-known gate.--155 Nigh to the fair's afcent, in regal port, Sits a majestick dame, whofe looks denounce Command and fov'reignty: with haughty air, And study'd mien, in femicirc'lar throne Enclos'd, fhe deals around her dread commands: 160 Behind her (dazzling fight!) in order rang'd, Pile above pile, crystalline veffels fhine: Attendant flaves with eager ftrides advance, And, after homage paid, bawl out aloud
Words unintelligible, noise confus'd:
She knows the jargon founds, and straight describes, In characters myfterious, words obfcure;
More legible are Algebraick figns,
Or mystick figures by magicians drawn,
When they invoke th' infernal spirit's aid.
Drive hence the rude and barbarous diffonance
Of favage Thracians and Croatian boors;
The loud Centaurian broils with Lapithe
Sound harth, and grating to Lenæan god;
Chafe brutal feuds of Belgian skippers hence, 175 (Amid their cups whose innate temper 's fhewn) In clumfy fift wielding Scymmetrian knife,
Who flash each other's eyes, and blubbered face,
Profaning Bacchanalian folemn rites: Mufick's harmonious numbers better fuit His festivals, from instruments or voice, Or Gafperini's hand the trembling ftring Should touch; or from the dulcet Tuscan dames, Or warbling Toft's far more melodious tongue, Sweet fymphonies should flow: the Delian god 185 For airy Bacchus is associate meet.
The flair's afcent now gain'd, our guide unbars The door of spacious room, and creaking chairs (To ear offenfive) round the table fets.
We fit; when thus his florid fpeech begins : 190 "Name, Sirs! the wine that moft invites your taste;
'Champaigne, or Burgundy, or Florence pure,
"Or Hock antique, or Lisbon new or old,
"Bourdeaux, or neat French white, or Alicant." For Bourdeaux we with voice unanimous Declare (fuch fympathy 's in boon compeers.) He quits the room alert, but foon returns; One hand capacious glift'ring veffels bears Refplendent, th' other, with a grasp secure, A bottle (mighty charge!) upstaid, full fraught 200 With goodly wine. He, with extended hand Rais'd high, pours forth the fanguine frothy juice, O'erspread with bubbles, dissipated soon :
We straight to arms repair, experienc'd chiefs: Now glaffes clash with glaffes (charming found!)2c5 And glorious Anna's health, the first, the best,
Crowns the full glafs;at her inspiring name The fprightly wine results, and feems to fmile: With hearty zeal, and wish unanimous,
Her health we drink, and in her health our own. 210
A pause enfues; and now with grateful chat W' improve the interval, and joyous mirth Engages our rais'd fouls; pat repartee,
Or witty joke, our airy senses moves
To pleasant laughter, straight the echoing room 215 With univerfal peals and shouts refounds.
The royal Dane, bleft confort of the Queen, Next crowns the ruby'd nectar, all whose bliss In Anna's plac'd:-with fympathetick flame, And mutual endearments, all her joys, Like the kind turtle's pure untainted love, Centre in him, who shares the grateful hearts Of loyal fubjects, with his fov'reign queen; For by his prudent care united shores
Were fav'd from hoftile fleets' invafion dire.
The hero Marlbro' next, whofe vast exploits Fame's clarion founds; fresh laurels, triumphs new We wish, like those he won at Hockstecht's field.
Next Devonshire illuftrious, who from race Of nobleft patriots sprang, whofe worthy foul Is with each fair and virtuous gift adorn'd, That shone in his moft worthy ancestors; For then diftinct in feparate breasts were seen Virtues diftinct, but all in him unite.
Prudent Godolphin, of the nation's weal Frugal, but free and gen'rous of his own,
Next crowns the bowl; with faithful Sunderland, And Halifax, the Mufes darling fon,
In whom confpicuous, with full luftre, shine The fureft judgment and the brightest wit, Himfelf Mecenas and a Flaccus too:-- And all the worthies of the British realm, In order rang'd, fucceed; fuch healths as tinge The dulcet wine with a more charming guft. Now each his mistress toafts, by whose bright eye He's fir'd; Cofmelia fair, or Dulcibell',
Or Sylvia, comely black, with jetty eyes Piercing, or airy Celia, fprightly maid! Infenfibly thus flow unnumber'd hours; Glafs fucceeds glass, till the Dircean god Shines in our eyes, and with his fulgent rays Enlightens our glad looks with lovely dye; All blithe and jolly, that like Arthur's knights Of Rotund Table, fam'd in old records,
Now most we feem'd-Such is the pow'r of Wine. Thus we the winged hours in harmless mirth 256 And joys unfully'd país, till humid Night Has half her race perform'd; now all abroad Is hush'd and filent, nor the rumbling noife Of coach, or cart, or smoky linkboy's call, Is heard but univerfal filence reigns; When we in merry plight, airy and gay,
Sarpris'd to find the hours fo fwiftly By,
With hafty knock, or twang of pendant cord,
Alarm the drowsy youth from flumb'ring nod, 265 Startled he flies, and fumbles o'er the ftairs Erroneous, and with busy knuckles plies His yet clung eyelids, and with flagg'ring reel Enters confus'd, and mutt'ring afks our wills; When we with liberal hand the score discharge, 270 And homeward each his courfe with fteady step Unerring fteers, of cares and coin bereft.
IN weftern climes where the bright god of Day Darts on the gladfome earth a warmer ray, While fmiling Spring led on the jocund Hours, And early months befrew'd the fields with flow'rs, In bloom of youth Cephifa, lovely maid! Trac'd the wide lawns, and thro' the forests stray'd; Not all the nymphs who fwell Diana's train, From Cynthus' top, when iffuing on the plain, With hound and horn they raise the cheerful cry, And the rocks echo and the floods reply;
Not all their train for beauty could compare,
Their goddess' felf scarce like Cephifa fair.—Struck with the fight of such transcendent charms, With gifts the shepherds woo'd her to their arms. Volume 11.
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