A PASTORAL Occasion'd by the ARRIVAL OF His ROYAL HIGHNESS Prince GEORGE Of DENMARK, &c.
Design'd to Marry Her HIGHNESS THE LADY ANN, DAUGHTER to that Heroick PRINCE, JAMES, Duke of YORK and ALBANY.
Printed by N. Thompson, at the Entrance into the Old-Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross, MDCLXXXIII.
A PASTORAL.
Tomalin,
WElcom Great Man! But stay, I hear
Some of my fellow-Swains draw near,
With them I'll mingle Joys, and We
(With Shepherds Art, and Melody)
Will joyn to sing his Praise, and make
The neighb'ring Woods and Groves partake.
What makes you now so dull? behold, the Sun
Is half-way up the Hill of Heav'n run.
Is this a time to lagg, when all the Plain
Does eccho with the God-like Shepherds name?
The Brisk, the Noble Damon's, who does chear
Each Shepherds heart, and glad our Hemisphere.
Willie,
[Page 2]Oh Tomalin! you can't believe
With what glad heart I did receive
The happy News No sound did e'r
Unto my ravish'd ears more welcom bear:
The bravest Youth that ever took
Into his hand a Spear or Crook.
Oh, with what Pride (methinks) I see,
What Noble God-like Gallantry,
He walks, and traces o'r the Plain,
While ev'ry wond'ring Rural Swain
With willing heart does homage pay,
And at his feet their humble Off'rings lay.
Hobbinol,
All this, my Tomalin, is true;
But what's the cause Him hither drew?
Was it to shew His comely Grace,
Or Noble Form, or Manly Face;
Or how to dance it o'r the Lays,
On Summer-nights and Holy-days;
Or with his Oaten-pipe and Quill,
With artful Swains to try his Skill?
No; 'Twas the charming SYLVIA drew the Swain,
The Crown and Glory of the Plain,
[Page 3] Like Roses blushing, and more fair
Than Down of Swans, or Lillies are:
Great Natures best! more brisk and gay
Than bright Aurora, or the Day.
Had Paris seen Her, without doubt
Sh'ad merited the Golden Fruit,
And those fair Goddesses had been
But Dowdies to our Rural Queen.
Tomalin,
No Shepherdess was ever yet
Like Her so Nobly Good and Great;
No Beauty but to her wou'd yield,
She is the Goddess of the Field:
How many Garlands have I seen
Presented Her upon the Green!
And with what awful Fear and Love
Each Swain who most shou'd serve her strove!
No Madrigal or Sonnet e'r
Was sung, but still in Praise of Her,
Nor Oaten-pipe was ever made,
But to delight her in the Shade;
All that the Shepherds Wit or Skill
Could do, was done to please her still.
Willie,
[Page 4]This is a happy day indeed!
Let's leave our Flocks alone to feed,
And joyn our homely Rural Lays,
To welcom HIM, and sing HER praise.
Hobbinol,
Happy! In truth you well may say
It is the happiest happy day;
We shall not only have a Swain
To Rule, and to secure the Plain,
One that is skill'd in ev'ry Art,
Can use the Crook as well as Dart,
Will clear our Folds from Wolves and Thieves,
That kill'd our Lambs, and stole our Beeves:
But Sylvia too will have no less
Than perfect Joy and Happiness;
How pleas'd She looks; how Sweet and Grave,
To see so Great a Man Her Slave:
Oh! what must we expect and find
From such a Noble Pair, and so combin'd!
Tomalin,
Behold, the Dam'sels all appear,
Each one a Garland too does bear,
[Page 5] To dress the Fields more fine and gay,
And make this Shepherds Holy-day.
Willie,
They ne'r more reason had than now,
Since Sylvia does to Cupid bow;
Each one may now go choose her Mate,
And so submit to Love and Fate.
Tomalin,
And now w'are all together met,
Beneath this shady Grove let's sit,
Adorn'd in harmless Shepherds Weed,
And tune each Oaten-pipe and Reed,
And with our Songs and Roundelays
To sing the Noble Damon's Praise;
Sylvia shall be our Theme, and then
To both we'll play, of both we'll sing agen;
To both we'll wish a happy Fate,
And both their happy Joys Congratulate.
Hobbinol,
Come bring our Instruments before us,
And let each honest Heart
And artful Hand now bear a part,
To make a joyful Chorus:
[Page 6] Auspitious Pan! look down, and be
Propitious to our Harmony;
Assist each Oaten-pipe and Quill,
And teach us Thy diviner Skill,
That we in Rural Sonnets may set forth
The Praise of DAMON, and Fair SYLVIAS Worth.
SONG.
Tomalin,
I.
YE Pow'rs that influence Chast Loves,
And You that rule o'r Meads and Groves,
Look down, and see,
And let this Pair
As happy be,
As She's most Good, most excellently Fair.
Willie,
II.
Never before in Albions Plain
Appear'd so brisk, so gay a Swain;
So Princely brave,
His look does awe
Each Rural Slave,
Whose ev'ry Word to ev'ry Swain's a Law.
Hob.
[Page 7]III.
Sylvia, the Goddess of the Groves,
That reigns in all our Hearts and Loves,
To Her this day
We celebrate,
And sing and play,
To wish Her joy in Her now happy Fate.
CHORUS.
May all the Joys that Heav'n can give light here,
Blest with a God-like Fathers tender Care,
Under the Wings of Mighty PAN, may You
All His, and your Great Fathers Foes subdue,
That all the World may see what You and Heav'n can do.
[Page 8]
SONG.
Tom.
Your Flocks shall all increase,
Wil.
And you shall live in Peace;
Hob.
Your Sheep shall never stray;
Wil.
Your Lambs
Hob.
The Wolf shall never slay;
Wil.
Their Dams
Tom.
Shall always fruitful be;
Wil.
Each Swain
Tom.
Shall Off'rings bring to Thee;
Wil.
The Plain,
All.
And never-dying loud-mouth'd Fame,
Shall still resound with Noble Damon's Name.
Tom.
Sylvia shall be,
Thou Mighty Man, to Thee
A Blessing,
Hob.
Possessing
More Charms
In Her Arms
Than e'r blest Swain before.
Wil.
Ev'ry Field
Still shall yield
Somewhat more,
To Thy Store.
All.
[Page]Whole Nature shall conspire
To fulfil
Thy great Will,
And more Noble Desire.
Tom.
In this great Union, We
Expect not only Happiness,
But that in future Ages it should bless,
And send down Joys to our Posterity.
Willie.
Ne'r may you want a Son,
To grace the fertile Albion Plain;
How wonderfully blest would be each Swain,
To pay their Homage at His Rural Throne.
CHORUS by All.
May ev'ry thing assist your Love;
May all the Pow'rs that rule above
Conspire together how to bless,
And give You everlasting Happiness.
Hobbinol,
[Page]'Twas well perform'd; but 'fore we sleep
Let's careful be to fold our Sheep:
Then practice o'r our Rural Lays
We sung to day in DAMON'S Praise.
Willie,
Agreed, my Hobbinol, we will,
And ev'ry day increase our Skill;
And ev'ry year, more brisk and gay,
Welcome this happy Pair, this Shepherds Holy-day.
FINIS: