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Swift as they felt their ruling power inthron'd,
Ethereal beings, who her empire own'd,
Crowded in glittering pomp the gorgeous fcene,
To pay their homage to their heav'nly queen.

First came chafte Love, whofe fweet harmonious form

Ne'er felt fufpicion's foul-convulfing ftorm;

No baleful arrow in his quiver lies,

No blinding veil enwraps his fparkling eyes;
Here all the rays of varied joy unite,
And jointly shed unspeakable delight.
With him was Friendship, like a virgin dreft,
The foft asbestos form'd her fimple veft,
Whose wondrous folds, in fiercest flames entire,
Mock the vain ravage of confuming fire:
Around this robe, a mystic chain fhe wore,
Each golden link a star of diamonds bore ;
Force could not tear the finish'd work apart,
Nor Int'reft loose it by his fubtlest art:
But, ftrange to tell! if the prefiding power,
Who to her favourite gave this precious dower,
If kind Sophrofyne could fail to breathe
Her vital virtue on this magic wreath,
The parts must fever, faithlefs to their truft,
The gold grow drofs, and every diamond duft.
Thefe Valour follow'd, deck'd with verdant palm,
Gracefully bold, majestically calm.

A mingled troop fucceed, with feftive found,
Wisdom with olive, Wit with feathers crown'd;
Here, hand in hand they move, no longer foes,
Their charms increasing as their union grows;

Pure

Pure fpirits all, who hating mental ftrife,
Exalt creation, and embellish life;

All here attend, and in their fov'reign's praife,
Their circling forms the fong of glory raise.
The bleft Serena drinks, with ravish'd ear,
The melting music of the tuneful sphere.
Now in its close the foothing echoes roll
O'er her rapt fancy, and entrance her foul;
Her fenfes fink in foft Oblivion's bands,
Till faithful Jenny at her pillow stands,
Recals each mental and corporeal power,
While fhe proclaims aloud the paffing hour;
And in a voice expreffive of furprise,

Too fhrill to feem the music of the skies,
Informs the ftartled fair 'tis time to rife.

}

SECT.

XXXI.

HAYLEY.

A PEER INVITES SERENA TO A BALL.

BLEST be the heart of sympathetic mould,

Whatever form that gentle heart enfold,
Whofe generous fibres with fond terror shake,
When keen affliction threatens to o’ertake
Young artlefs beauty, as alarm'd fhe ftrays
Thro' the ftrange windings of this mortal maze!
To fuch, Serena, be thy ftory known,
Whose bofom beft can make thy lot their own,

And,

And, kindly sharing in thy trials past,
Attend with fweet anxiety the last.

The hour approaches, the tremendous hour,
In whose dark moments deeper perils lower;
Still fo enwrapt in Pleasure's gay difguife,
They lurk invifible to Caution's eyes;
And, unfufpected by the fair one, wait
To cancel or confirm her blissful fate.

Her lively mind with bright ideas ftor'd,
She takes her station at the breakfast-board;
Still her foft foul the heav'nly vifion fills,
And sweetest graces in her smile inftils;
New hopes of triumph glide through ev'ry nerve,
And arm her glowing heart with firm reserve;
Confcious the final trying chance impends,
To bear its force her every power she bends;
In her quick thought ambitious to prefage
How Spleen's dark agents may exert their rage,
She ponders on what perils may befal,

And fondly deems her mind a match for all.
Ah, lovely nymph! this dang'rous pride forego;
Pride may betray-Security's thy foe.

While fancied Prudence thus, a foreign guest,
Sits doubly cherish'd in Serena's breast,
Behold a billet her attention steal,

No common arms compofe its ample feal;
Th' unfolding paper breathes a roseate fcent,
Sweet harbinger of joy, its kind intent.
Of courteous Filligree it bears the name,
Clear symptom of the peer's increasing flame!
The gracious Earl, lamenting pleasure loft,
And fair Serena in her wishes croft,

Ha

Has plann'd in honour of the lovely maid
A fancied ball, a private masquerade,

And fupplicates her fire, with warm efteem,
To fmile indulgent on the festive scheme.
All arts he uses to enfure the grant,

Nor leaves unask'd the eager maiden aunt.
Quick at the found Serena's glowing heart
Throbs with gay hopes; but foon those hopes depart:
Reflection, in her foul a faithful guard,

The opening avenues of pleasure barr'd:
She deem'd the plan of this delightful show,
But the new ambush of her secret foe;
The blifs too bright to realize, fhe guess'd,
And chas'd th' idea from her guarded breast.
While these discreet refolves her thought employ,
Tranquil fhe triumphs o'er the fmother'd joy.
Not fo the Knight-to his parental eyes
In dazzling pomp delufive vifions rise:
That coronet, the object of his vow,
He fees fufpended o'er his daughter's brow;
Eager he burns to snap the pendant thread,
And fix the glory on his darling's head.

Far wifer aims the ancient maiden caught,
No empty gew-gaw flutters in her thought;
But, while more keenly fhe applauds the plan,
Her hope is folid and substantial man ;
Not for her infant niece, whose baby frame
She holds unfit for Hymen's holy flame;
But for her riper felf, whofe ftrength may bear,
The heaviest burden of connubial care.

Tho' different phantoms dance before their fight, Niece, aunt, and father, in one wish unite.

T.

To join the banquet is their common choice,
The business past with no diffenting voice;
And the warm fire, in whom ambition burn'd,
A note of grateful courtefy return'd:

His billet feal'd, the glad good-humour'd knight
Launch'd forth, like Neftor, on his youthful might.
HAYLEY.

SE C T. XXXII.

CHARACTER OF THE PEER.

THE Peer himself, his prowess to evince,

Shines in the femblance of a moorish Prince;

And round the brilliant mimic hero wait

All

pomp and circumftance of Moorifh ftate:
Thro' all his fplendid dome no eye could find
Aught unembellifh'd, fave the mafter's mind.
There, tho' represt by courtesy's controul,
Lurks the low mover of the little foul,
Mean vanity; whose slave can never prove
The heart-refining flame of genuine love.
While her cold joys his abject mind amuse,
His thoughts are bufied on connubial views.
His houfe compleat, its decorations plac'd
By the fure hand of fashionable taste,
He only wants, to crown his modish life,
That laft and fineft moveable-a Wife.
She too must prove, to fix his coy defire,
Such as the eye of fashion will admire.
D

His

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