TO THE Right Honourable THE EARL OF KENT, Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesties Houshold, &c. THIS POEM Is humbly Address'd, BY Your LORDSHIP's Most Obedient and Most humble Servant. Mary Pix
A POEM.
DArk Chaos reign'd e're green the Earth o'respread,
And Nature seem'd beneath the Rubbish dead;
Then Light and Heat confus'd together lay,
And gave no promise of approaching Day:
Till the Great Word delighting to Create,
Ordain'd the various Chain of certain Fate.
What we call Change, discerning Mortals know,
In the first Cause was fix'd, and must be so:
Fortune and giddy Chance, vain words alone,
In wiser happier Ages never known.
[Page 4]The Almighty Wisdom spake, and all around
Great Nature heard, and bless'd the awful Sound.
The Sun was call'd to Adorn the fragrant East,
Nor sleeps he fan'd by Zephir's in the West,
Since first he rowl'd along the Azure Sphere,
And swiftly measur'd the revoling Year:
No peaceful End his active Race has found,
Still fleeting on in one perpetual round.
Moisture and Cold to th' distant North were hurl'd,
And beauteous Order grac'd the new made World:
Then Man was made Vice-Monarch of the whole,
Of Angel Form, with an Immortal Soul.
But tho' o're Creatures he extends his Sway,
Of higher Trust, yet humane Flesh is Clay,
And mould'ring frames to pristine Dust decay:
Virtue and Vice within the sullen Grave,
Sink below Thought, and no distinction have.
Vainly the Hero wou'd his Lawrels boast,
If with his Life they wither'd and were lost:
But Heaven that Wills great Acts shou'd live intire,
Struck forth a Spark of the Celestial Fire;
And styl'd it Muse, the Sovereign Queen of Fame,
Whose tuneful Art Records each noble Name:
She sings the illustrious Virtues of the Great,
And makes them dear to each succeeding State.
[Page 5]Whilst in return to her immortal Song,
The Great and Good protect her humble Throng:
Bless'd with their Smiles the Muse new Flights aspires,
Redoubles all her Strengths, and kindles all her Fires.
And when her Patron she wou'd strive to sing,
She calls her Train, and mounts upon the Wing.
'Tis You, my Lord, in this High Office stand,
The Great Protector of the Muse's Land:
You their Paladium, whose consenting Smile,
will make them Flourish in their much-lov'd Isle.
When Ignorance, their blind inveterate Foe,
Seek their Disgrace, and wou'd their Peace o'rethrow
Your Pow'r can drive the threatning Mists away,
Defend their Lawrels in this stormy Day,
And all their Trophies at your Feet they'l lay:
They claim in you a faithful Vassal's Right,
You'r made for them and Musick to delight.
The Vulgar World who huddl'd up in hast,
Want the distinguishing discerning Taste;
Affect not tuneful Numbers, moving Strains,
They hate the Muse, and them the Muse disdains.
You she Adores, nor blush, Great Sir, to find,
The Daring Muse claim kindred with your Mind.
The favorite King whom all the World admir'd,
Was by the soft Harmonious Muse inspir'd;
He struck the Sacred Lyre, and strait around,
Infernal Spectors fled the Heavenly Sound,
Left the tormented Soul, & cleft the trembling Ground.
[Page 6]Hence 'tis we Poetry and Musick trace,
And find them both of bright Immortal Race:
And from beneath they sure derive their Birth,
Who slight their Power and hate them here on Earth
Own them, my Lord, they'r worthy of your Care,
Your leisure Hours to their Diversion spare.
I heard them sigh and long to sound your Name,
And write it large in the great Book of Fame.
Sleeping beneath Apollo's Verdant Shade,
The Virgin Tree to Poets sacred made,
Methought the Muse descended gay and fair,
Wreaths ever young confin'd her flowing Hair;
Her Feet were even, and her Wings were spread,
Her Voice had Power to animate the Dead;
In her smooth hand an open Scrole she bore,
Inscrib'd with Names I oft had seen before;
Immortal Homer, Virgil most Divine,
The Poets of the Greek and Latin Line,
But turning quick I found the British Race,
A numerous Stock, and fill'd a glorious Space;
Chaucer and Spencer were preserv'd with care,
But DRYDEN did in Capitals appear.
I saw her plain, and trembled at the sight
Fierce was her Look, refulgent was her Light:
Ah, glorious Muse, I cry'd, rais'd with surprise!
Queen of my Heart, and Wonder of my Eyes!
Com'st thou to me, the meanest of thy Train,
Whose Artless Numbers oft thy Fires Prophane:
[Page 7]Hear and obey, she said, go string thy Lyre,
And let the mighty Theme thy Breast inspire:
Tell Noble KENT I smiling read his Fate,
And crowding Joys shall on his Wishes wait:
To every bright auspicious Star I pray'd,
To dart the kindest Influence on this Head.
Hereditary Honours now he wears,
But greater still shall bless his coming Years.
Next to the Paphian Queen I made request,
That his soft Hours might be with Beauty blest;
The bliss that does all other Joys improve:
For what is Life without the Cordial Love?
The charming Goddess with my Sute compli'd,
And gave the fairest Nymph to be his Bride:
Adorn'd her Form with each peculiar Grace,
And Copied chast Perfection on her Face:
Lucina too her fruitful Gifts did shed
And little Cherubs bless the genial Bed.
Titles, and flowing Wealth, and pompeous State,
Show him the Just, the Happy, and the Great.
What can be added to exalted Bliss?
What left to wish for in a Life like this?
As Rivers, Joys to his accession flow,
He can no more receive but to bestow.
So Egypt's Nile surmounts the swelling Sand,
And bears its Plenty to the barren Land.
Old Rome Five Ages wonder and delight,
By me attain'd her envied matchless Height:
[Page 8]Her Amphitheatres by my Sons were rais'd,
Some gave the Structures, some their Founders prais'd;
I both their Heroes and their Poets Fir'd,
They Fought, and Rul'd, and Wrote as I Inspir'd,
Go warm Great KENT with generous Thoughts like these,
Who guards my Rites shall never fail to please.
Sickness and Shame o'retake that sullen Race,
Who fly my Altars, and my Shrines deface:
But he will save you from their gloomy hate,
And to Preserve is held as to Create.
To him ye drooping Throng your Griefs apply,
He'l hear your Wrongs, and no just Suit deny.
Come all ye Swains and fill the warbling Choir,
Let tuneful Rage the loftiest strains Inspire:
Let Earth and Air resound Great ANNA's Name,
To list'ning Winds, and crowding Waves proclaim,
Your ANNA's Glory, and your Patrons Fame.
Long may she live, and every Blessing prove
With Victory Crown'd, and with her Subjects Love.
Whilst Loyal KENT the Harmonious Train commands,
And takes the Garlands from their grateful Hands:
Myriads of Honours circle round his Head,
Such as may far exceed th' Illustrious Dead:
Bless'd be his Days, and to the Worlds above,
Oh let him late ye sacred Powers remove.
Thus spake the Muse, and vanish'd from my view,
And at your Feet I lay the humble Tribute due.
FINIS.