[]POEMS: CONSISTING OF ODES, SONNETS, SONGS, AND OCCASIONAL VERSES.
BY WILLIAM HAYLEY, ESQ.
DUBLIN: Printed for W. WILSON, No. 6, Dame-ſtreet. M,DCC,LXXXVI.
ODE TO Mr. WRIGHT of DERBY.
[] ODE TO Mr. WRIGHT of DERBY.
1783.
[]AWAY! ye ſweet, but trivial Forms,
That from the placid pencil riſe,
When playful art the landſcape warms
With Italy's unclouded ſkies!
Stay, Vanity! nor yet demand
Thy portrait from the painter's hand!
Nor aſk thou, Indolence, to aid thy dream,
The ſoft illuſion of the mimic ſtream,
That twinkles to thy ſight with Cynthia's trem⯑bling beam!
[4]Be thine, my friend, a nobler taſk!
Beſide thy vacant eaſel ſee
Gueſts, who, with claims ſuperior, aſk
New miracles of art from thee:
Valour, who mocks unequal ſtrife,
And Clemency, whoſe ſmile is life!
"WRIGHT! let thy ſkill (this radiant pair ex⯑claim)
"Give to our view our favorite ſcene of Fame,
"Where Britain's Genius blaz'd in Glory's brighteſt flame."
Celeſtial miniſters! ye ſpeak
To no dull agent ſloth-oppreſt,
Who coldly hears, in ſpirit weak,
Heroic Virtue's high beheſt:
Behold! tho' Envy ſtrives to foil
The Artiſt bent on public toil,
Behold! his flames terrific luſtre ſhed;
His naval blaze mounts from its billowy bed;
And Calpe proudly rears her war-illumin'd head.
In gorgeous pomp for ever ſhine,
Bright monument of Britain's force!
Tho' doom'd to feel her fame decline
In ill-ſtarr'd war's o'erwhelming courſe,
Tho' Europe's envious realms unite
To cruſh her, in unequal fight,
[5] Her Genius, deeply ſtung with generous ſhame,
On this exulting rock, array'd in flame,
Equals her ancient feats, and vindicates her name.
How fiercely Britiſh valour pours
The deluge of deſtroying fire,
Which o'er that watery Babel roars,
Bidding the baffled hoſt retire,
And leave their fall'n, to yield their breath
In different pangs of double death!
Ye ſhall not periſh: no! ye hapleſs brave,
Reckleſs of peril, thro' the fiery wave
See! Britiſh mercy ſteers, each proſtrate foe to ſave.
Ye gallant Chiefs, whoſe deeds proclaim
The genuine hero's feeling ſoul,
Elliot, and Curtis, with whoſe name
Honor enrich'd his radiant roll,
Bleſt is your fate; nor bleſt alone,
That reſcued foes your virtues own,
That Britain triumphs in your filial worth:
Bleſt in the period of your glory's birth,
When art can bid it live to decorate the earth!
Alas! what deeds, where virtue reign'd,
Have in oblivious darkneſs died,
[6] When Painting, by the Goths enchain'd,
No life-ſecuring tints ſupplied!—
Of all thy powers, enchanting art!
Thou deemeſt this the deareſt part,
To guard the rights of valour, and afford
Surviving luſtre to the hero's ſword:
For this, heroic Greece thy martial charms ador'd.
Rival of Greece, in arms, in arts,
Tho' deem'd in her declining days,
Britain yet boaſts unnumber'd hearts,
Who keenly pant for public praiſe:
Her battles yet are firmly fought
By Chiefs with Spartan courage fraught:
Her Painters with Athenian zeal unite
To trace the glories of the proſp'rous fight,
And gild th' embattled ſcene with art's immor⯑tal light.
Tho' many a hand may well portray
The ruſhing war's infuriate ſhock,
Proud Calpe bids thee, WRIGHT! diſplay
The terrors of her blazing rock:
The burning hulks of baffled Spain,
From thee ſhe claims, nor claims in vain,
Thou mighty maſter of the mimic flame,
Whoſe matchleſs pencil, with peculiar aim,
Has form'd of laſting fire the baſis of thy fame.
[7]Juſt in thy praiſe, thy country's voice
Loudly aſſerts thy ſignal power.
In this reward may'ſt thou rejoice,
In modeſt labour's ſilent hour,
Far from thoſe ſeats, where envious leagues
And dark cabals, and baſe intrigues
Exclude meek Merit from his proper home;
Where Art, whom Royalty forbade to roam,
Againſt thy talents clos'd her ſelf-diſhonor'd dome.
When partial pride, and mean neglect,
The nerves of injur'd Genius gall,
What kindly ſpells of keen effect
His energy of heart recall?
Perchance there is no ſpell ſo ſtrong
As Friendſhip's ſympathetic ſong:
By fancy link'd in a fraternal band,
Artiſt and Bard in ſweet alliance ſtand;
They ſuffer equal wounds, and mutual aid de⯑mand.
Go, then, to ſlighted worth devote
Thy willing verſe, my fearleſs Muſe!
Haply thy free and friendly note
Some joyous ardor may infuſe
In fibres, that ſeverely ſmart
From potent Envy's poiſon'd dart:
[8] Thro' WRIGHT'S warm breaſt bid tides of vi⯑gor roll,
Guard him from meek Depreſſion's chill con⯑troul,
And rouſe him to exert each ſinew of his ſoul!
ODE TO THE COUNTESS DE GENLIS.
1784.
[] [] ODE TO THE COUNTESS DE GENLIS.
1784.
[]I.
NO more let Engliſh pride arraign
The Gallic Muſe, as light and vain,
Whoſe trifling fingers can but weave
The flimſy novel, to deceive
Inaction's languid hour;
Where ſentiment, from nothing ſpun,
Shines like a garden-cobweb in the ſun,
Thrown in autumnal nights o'er many a wither'd flower.
[12]II.
Too often, in the giddy fit
Of wanton or ſatiric wit,
The raſh and frolic ſons of France
Have ſketch'd the frivolous romance;
While Reaſon ſtood aloof:
While Modeſty the work diſclaim'd;
And griev'd Religion, with diſdain inflam'd,
On the licentious page pronounc'd her juſt re⯑proof.
III.
The Genius of the generous land
Survey'd the vain fantaſtic band,
And kindling with indignant pride,
Athirſt for genuine glory, cried:
"Too long have ye diſgrac'd
"The Gallic name!—ye ſophiſts, hence!
"A female hand ſhall expiate your offence,
"The wrongs that you have done to Virtue,
Truth, and Taſte.
IV.
"Riſe, my GENLIS! thoſe ills corrcct,
"That ſpring from this pernicious ſect:
"To infancy's important years,
"That ſeaſon of parental fears,
[13] "Devote thy varied page!
"Mould and defend the youthful heart
"Againſt the ſubtle, ſoul-debaſing art
"Of the ſarcaſtic wit, and ſelf-intitled ſage!"
V.
Illumin'd with angelic zeal,
And wiſing Nature's general weal,
The lovely moraliſt aroſe:
The flame that from Religion flows
Play'd round her penſive head:
The tender Virtues ſmiling ſtrove
T' enrich the variegated web ſhe wove,
Where Wiſdom's temperate hand the flowers of Fancy ſpread.
VI.
The ſiſters of theatric power,
Whoſe intermingled ſun and ſhower
Give to the ſtage, in friendly ſtrife,
Each touching charm of chequer'd life,
Inſpir'd the friend of youth:
Arts yet unknown to her they taught,
To fix and charm quick childhood's ramb⯑ling thought
With unexampled ſcenes of tenderneſs and truth.
[14]VII.
Her pathos is not proudly built
On ſplendid or impaſſion'd guilt;
The little incidents, that riſe
As ſportive youth's light ſeaſon flies,
Her ſimple drama fill;
Yet he, the ſweet Socratic ſage
*,
Who ſteep'd in tears the wide Athenian ſtage,
Fram'd not his moral ſcene with more pathetic ſkill.
VIII.
In the rich novel's ampler field
Her genius rears a radiant ſhield,
With Fancy's blazonry impreſt;
Potent to ſave the youthful breaſt
From Paſſion's poiſon'd dart:
Like that which Homer's gods produce,
Its high-wrought beauties ſhine with double uſe,
To charm the curious mind, and guard th' un⯑wary heart.
IX.
Ye Fairies! 'twas your boaſt to bind
In ſweet amaze the infant mind:
But ſcorning Fiction's faded flower,
Behold GENLIS in magic power
[15] Your ſorcery excells!
She, firſt of childhood's pleaſing friends!
Arm'd with the force that liberal ſcience lends,
From art and nature frames her more attractive ſpells
*.
X.
Lovely magician! in return
For the ſweet tears of fond concern,
With moral pleaſure's tender thrill
Awak'd by thy enchanting ſkill,
Accept this votive rhyme!
Spurn not a wreath of foreign hue,
Tho' rudely twin'd of humble flowers, that grew
In a ſequeſter'd vale of Albion's wayward clime!
XI.
Think, if from Britain's churliſh ſky
This verſe to foreign genius fly,
Think not our letter'd females raiſe
No titles to melodious praiſe:—
Keen Science cannot find
One clime within the earth's wide zone,
Whoſe daughters, Britain! have ſurpaſs'd thy own
In the career of art, the triumphs of the mind.
[16]XII.
This honeſt boaſt of Engliſh pride,
Which meaner merit might deride,
Will ne'er the juſt GENLIS beguile
Of one diſdainful, envious ſmile;
For Envy ne'er conceal'd
From her clear ſight a rival's claim;
Her voice has ſwell'd my fair compatriots fame,
Pleas'd with their glorious march o'er Learning's varied field!
XIII.
Doubly, GENLIS! may'ſt thou rejoice,
Whene'er impartial Glory's voice
Ranks with the happieſt toils of men
The graceful works of woman's pen,
Tho' not of Gallic frame:
For O! beneath whatever ſkies
Records of female Genius may ariſe,
Thoſe records muſt enfold thy fair and fav'rite name.
XIV.
In every clime where Arts have ſmil'd,
Where'er the mother loves her child,
And pants, with anxious zeal poſſeſt,
To fortify the tender breaſt,
[17] And the young mind enlarge,
From thy chaſte page ſhe'll learn the art,
Fondly to play the ſage preceptor's part,
And draw her deareſt joys from that important charge.
XV.
Wherever youth, with curious view,
Inſtructive pleaſure ſhall purſue,
Thy little lively ſtudent there,
With rapt Attention's keeneſt air,
Shall o'er thy volumes bend:
And while his tears their charm confeſs,
His grateful voice ſhall in their author bleſs
The ſpirit-kindling guide, the heart-enchanting friend.
ODE TO RICHARD VERNON SADLEIR, ESQ.
1777.
[] ODE TO RICHARD VERNON SADLEIR, ESQ.
1777.
[]I.
BUSINESS, be gone! Thou vulture, Care,
No more the quivering ſinews tear
Of Sadleir's mortal frame!
Full well his firm and active mind,
Has paid the duties that mankind
From ſenſe and virtue claim.
II.
Alas! too well—for mental toil
Our fine machinery will ſpoil,
[22] As Nature has decreed:
She form'd the powers that raiſe the ſoul
Like wheels, that kindle as they roll,
And periſh by their ſpeed.
III.
Let health and vigour on the ſtage
Support the ſcene, while milder age
Reſigns the buſtling part:
If flowers the buſy path adorn,
Ingratitude there plants her thorn,
Which pierces to the heart.
IV.
Oft haſt thou ſeen her poiſon'd ſhoot,
Where Hope expected faireſt fruit;
Yet ſtill thy bounty flows
Like conſtant dew that falls on earth,
Although it wakens into birth
The nightſhade with the roſe.
V.
Thy warmth of heart O ſtill retain!
Nor of Ingratitude complain,
Howe'er her wounds may burn!
Bliſs from benevolence muſt flow;
Angels are bleſt while they beſtow,
Unconſcious of return.
[23]VI.
And happineſs we only find
In thoſe exertions of the mind
That form the ardent friend:
In theſe it dwells, with theſe it flies,
As all the comet's ſplendor dies
Whene'er its motions end.
VII.
O let the luſtre of thy ſoul
No more eccentrically roll
Thro' Labour's long career!
O haſte, its dangerous courſe confine,
And let it permanently ſhine
In Pleaſure's milder ſphere!
VIII.
In Friendſhip's name thy voice invites
Our willing hearts to ſocial rites,
Where Laughter is thy gueſt:
But, O! theſe eyes with anguiſh burn,
And fear their weaken'd orbs to turn
From Nature's verdant veſt.
IX.
Thy invitation then forbear,
Tho' at thy board, in union rare,
[24] Kind Plenty reigns with Wit:
Thy roof is joyous, but I doubt
That we ſhould find the brilliant rout
For burning eyes unfit.
X.
Thy noiſy town and duſty ſtreet
Do thou exchange for this retreat,
Whoſe charms thy ſongs commend:
On Learning's page forbid to look,
We yet can read that dearer book—
The viſage of a friend.
END.