Beneath the British oak's majestic fhade,
Shall fee fair truth, immortal maid,
Friendship in artless guise array'd,

Honour, and moral beauty shine

With more attractive charms, with radiance more divine.

Yes, here alone did highest heav'n ordain
The lasting magazine of charms,
Whatever wins, whatever warms
Whatever fancy feeks to share,
The great, the various, and the fair,
For ever fhould remain!

Her impulfe nothing may reftrainOr whence the joy 'mid columns, tow'rs, 'Midft all the city's artful trim, To rear fome breathlefs vapid flow'rs, Or fhrubs fuliginously grim : From rooms of filken foliage vain, To trace the dun far diftant grove, Where fmit with undiffembled pain, The wood-lark mourns her abfent love, Borne to the dufty town from native air, To mimic rural life, and foothe fome vapour'd fair.

But how must faithlefs art prevail,
Should all who taste our joy fincere,
To virtue, truth or fcience dear,
Forego a court's alluring pale,

For

For dimpled brook and leafy grove,
For that rich luxury of thought they love!
Ah no, from these the public sphere requires
Example for its giddy bands;

From these impartial heav'n demands
To fpread the flame itself inspires;

To fift opinion's mingled mafs,

Impress a nation's taste, and bid the sterling pass.

Happy, thrice happy they,

Whofe graceful deeds have exemplary fhone
Round the gay precincts of a throne,

With mild effective beams!

Who bands of fair ideas bring,
By folemn grott, or fhady fpring,
To join their pleafing dreams!

Theirs is the rural blifs without alloy,
They only that deferve, enjoy.
What tho' nor fabled dryad haunt their

Nor naiad near their fountains rove,
Yet all embody'd to the mental fight,
A train of fmiling virtues bright
Shall there the wife retreat allow,

grove,

[brow.

Shall twine triumphant palms to deck the wanderer's

And though by faithlefs friends alarm'd, Art have with nature wag'd prefumptuous war; By SEYMOUR'S winning influence charm'd, In whom their gifts united fhine,

No longer fhall their counfels jar.

'Tis hers to mediate the

peace:

Near PERCY-lodge, with awe-ftruck mien,
The rebel feeks her lawful queen,
And havock and contention cease.
I fee the rival pow'rs combine,

And aid each other's fair defign;
Nature exalt the mound where art fhall build;
Art shape the gay alcove, while nature paints the field.

Begin, ye fongsters of the grove!
O warble forth your nobleft lay;
Where SOMERSET Vouchfafes to rove
Ye leverets freely sport and play.
-Peace to the ftrepent horn!

Let no harsh diffonance disturb the morn,
No founds inelegant and rude
Her facred folitudes profane!

Unless her candour not exclude

The lowly fhepherd's votive strain,

Who tunes his reed amidit his rural chear,
Fearful, yet not averfe, that SOMERSET fhould hear.

A seat near Colnbrook, purchased of Lord Bathurst by the Earl of Hertford afterwards Duke of Somerset, who al= =tered its old rame of Riskins, Ridgekins, to that of Percy Lodge, has being in right of his motherr

on

ODE

Baron Percy: after the Death of his Duchess, it was sold to Major Mayne who has altered it's name again & Riskins,

ODE to MEMORY. 1748.

Memory! celestial maid!

OM

Who glean'ft the flow'rets cropt by time;

And, fuffering not a leaf to fade,

Preferv'ft the bloffoms of our prime;
Bring, bring thofe moments to my mind.
When life was new, and LESBIA kind,

And bring that garland to my fight,

With which my favour'd crook fhe bound,
And bring that wreath of 'rofes bright
Which then my feftive temples crown'd.

And to my raptur'd ear convey

The gentle things the deign'd to say.

And sketch with care the mufe's bow'r,

Where Isis rolls her filver tide,

Nor yet omit one reed or flow'r

That fhines on CHERWELL's verdant fide;
If fo thou may'ft thofe hours prolong,
When polish'd LYCON join'd my fong.

*.

The fong it 'vails not to recite-

* Supposed to be

But fure, to foothe our youthful dreams,
Thofe banks and ftreams appear'd more bright

Than other banks, than other streams:

Mr. Graves.

Or

the its name of Percy Lodge had been had been rendered Classical in some degrees, king celebrated by; many of the Portical Friendle of the Bucks fo Somerset. Sec Moler Brown's Porm in titted der...

Or by thy foftening pencil fhewn,
Affume they beauties not their own?

And paint that fweetly vacant scene,
When, all beneath the poplar bough,
My fpirits light, my foul ferene,

I breath'd in verfe one cordial vow;
That nothing fhould my foul infpire,
But friendship warm, and love entire.

Dull to the sense of new delight,

On thee the drooping muse attends;
As fome fond lover, robb'd of fight,
On thy expreffive pow'r depends;
Nor would exchange thy glowing lines,
To live the lord of all that fhines.

But let me chafe thofe vows away
Which at ambition's fhrine I made
Nor ever let thy skill difplay

Those anxious moments, ill repaid:
Oh! from my breast that season rafe,
And bring my childhood in its place.

Bring me the bells, the rattle bring,
And bring the hobby I bestrode;
When pleas'd, in many a fportive ring,
Around the room I jovial rode :

Ev'n let me bid my lyre adieu,
And bring the whistle that I blew.

Then