At modern Rome an easy Nymph was bred
In tender tales & soft Romances read
These on the brain a wild impression brought
& made her sure she saw what ere she thought
Within her Fancy shady groves were reard
& Dancing nymphs & piping swains appeard
Complaints were heard rewarded passions glowd
A plain extended & a river flowd
But Soon Alas her friends successfull care
from the sweet frenzy disengagd ye fair
Untimely friends restore my Joys again
Restore my grove my river & my plain
She often cryd & often cryd in vain
Till a bright youth with skill to manage came
Who while he fed her fancy raisd her flame
Then the fond creature lost her heedless heart
In making Celia's answer Damons part.
Change but ye sex make poetry ye thing
& the whole story to my case you bring
When first to think with order I began
& dawning reason aimd to show the man
Pleasd with the flowing graces of a line
Methought I wishd ye name of poet mine
The wish grew stronger & became design
Strange modells in my fancy then were reard
& ye thin shades of different styles appeard
My pastorall enervate movd along
My rough was Satyr & my smooth was song
Ah cruell world thou foe to calm repose
from thee the knowledge of this errour rose
I thought I coud have taught the birds to love
& wakt the tunefull Ecchoes of ye grove
What made your truths my pleasing cheat destroy
Tho' twas opinion twas a reall Joy
But see the fetters of your wisdome loose
A friend once more provokes ye silent muse
the magick charms which in his numbers reign
Strike on ye tender part that turnd my brain
buisness & verse he calls consistent things
& Ile believe that 'tis a truth he sings
I yield I yield unusuall heats arise
twere now resisting pleasure to be wise
I hate ye vulgar with untunefull ears
Soules uninspird & negligent of verse
Hence ye prophane be farr removd away
While to my powr I woud my friend repay
When Greece did truth in mystick fables shroud
& with delight instruct the listning croud
An ancient bard (I need not tell his name)
These strains deliverd down to future fame
Still as he sung he touchd the trembling lyre
& felt the notes his rising song inspire
Forgive my Genius where I want his fire
Witt is the Muses horse & bears on high
The daring rider to the muses Sky
Who while his strength to mount aloft he trys
By regions varying in their nature flyes
By the poor trifling region first he goes
Where words inverted anagrams compose
Where Jingling puns the meagre couplets raise
That do the pointed Epigram debase
Where mean Acrosticks labourd in a frame
On scatterd letters raise a painfull scheme
Whose scanty bounds exclude ye sprightly flame
Ah sacred verse within my thoughts adord
Ah be for ever in my lines deplord
If men get fame by tricks upon a word
Can such as these to character pretend
Can any muse the worthless toil befriend
At this awhile ye poet held his peace
& scornfull smiles were spread upon his face
Which moving off he thus resumd the layes
By a cold country next ye rider goes
Where all is coverd with eternall snows
Ore which the shining Genius never rose
Bleak level realm where frigid styles abound
Where never yet a mounting thought was found
But starvd conceits that chill the readers mind
& counted feet is poetry defind
Ah sacred verse replete with heavnly flame
If such a frozen piece invade thy name
The name of man may breathless statues claim
Here grief awhile delayd his hand & tongue
But then again he playd again he sung.
Pass the next region which appears to show
Tis very open very green & low
No noble flight no strength of sence is there
Its turns are common childish is their air
On callow wings & like a plague of flyes
The little fancys through a poem rise
The Jaded reader every where to strike
& move his passions every where alike
There the best beautys which ye brightest write
are copy'd ill or flourishd out of sight
There metaphors on metaphors abound
& sence with differing images confound
Strange injudicious management of fire
Ah sacred verse from such a realm retire
Tis credit lost no better to inspire
Here a soft pitty rolld within his breast
& soon his voice the following strains exprest
Mount higher still, still keep thy faithfull seat
Mind the firm reins & curb thy coursers heat
Nor lett him touch the realms yt next appear
They're all composd of castles in ye air
Whose threatning turrets seem a fall to fear
Thoughts for extravagance & words for noise
are here the reasons that conclude their choice
The swelling lines with stalking strutt proceed
& in the clouds terrifick rumblings breed
The reader scard with sounds does plainly see
Tyrannick port mistook for majesty
While the loud Bard does on Apollo call
he bids him enter to possess him all
& makes his flames afford a wild pretence
to keep him unrestraind by common sence
Ah sacred verse least reason quitt thy state
Give none to such or give a gentler heat
The poet here awhile collected stood
Within himself & thus his track pursud.
Above ye beautys farr above ye show
in which weak nature dresses here below
Stands the great Palace of ye bright & fine
That does around with fair Ideas shine
Eternall modells of unbounded parts
The pride of minds & conquerours of hearts
Tis here that guided by the muses fire
& full of warmth divine her friends retire
To tast repose & elevated Joys
Which in a deep untroubled leisure rise
from hence the charms that most engage they chuse
& as they please the glittering objects use
While to their genius more than art they trust
Yet art acknowledges their labours Just
from hence they look from this exalted place
On the low world sublimely rich in layes
to crown a victour wth rewarding praise
The Soul with knowledge gently to improve
to knitt a friendship or obtain a love
& but to speak of heaven look above
Hail sacred verse ye sacred muses hail
Coud I your pleasures with your fire reveal
The world might then be brought to know you right
& court your rage & envy my delight
But time may bring a genius on his wings
With admiration stoppd no more he sings
No more his flying fingers shake ye strings
To this recess do you my friend retreat
From thence report the pleasures of the seat
Describe the raptures which a writer knows
When in his breast a vein of fancy glows
say what he feeles while op'ning of ye mine
& what he feeles when first he sees it shine
say when a reader views a beauteous piece
How much the writers mind can act on his
How images in charming numbers sett
a sort of likeness in the soul begett
What various things ye softned swiming eye
Believes it sees & onely seems to see
Pierce further still thro' natures maze to find
How passions drawn give passions to ye mind
Is verse a Soveraign regent of the soul
& fitted all its motions to controul
Or are they sisters tund at once above
& shake like unisons if either move
For at a fine description of a fight
Ive heard a souldiers voice confess delight
Ive seen his eyes with crowding spirits bright
When from his fair the fickle Trojan flyes
& in enchanting lines Eliza cryes
Ive seen ye tears stand in ye virgins eyes
Ive seen ym blush at soft Corinnas name
& in red Characters confess a flame
say tender maids (to such my lays appeal)
If here the powr of verse my verses tell
Oft does a nymph by sweet experience prove
the passions well describd her passions move
& longs to meet a swain & longs to love
Then if by chance the sighing youth arrives
In pleasure lost her melted heart she gives
& the raisd lover by the poet lives
