ON HER MERRIAGE .

Though to Hymen's gay season belong
Light airs, and the raptures of youth;
Yet listen to one sober song;
O listen, fair Stella, to truth.

Farewell to the triumphs of beauty,
To the soft serenade at your bow'r,
To the lover's idolatrous duty,
To his vigils in midnight's still hour.

To your frowns darting amorous anguish,
To your smiles chasing every care,
To the power of your eyes' lively languish,
To each glance waking hope or despair.

Farewell to soft bards, that in Heaven
Dipt the pencil to picture your praise,
And blended the colours of even
With morning's gay opening rays:

They no longer on Thames shall proclaim you
A naiad new sprung from the flood,
Nor to Bushy's soft echoes shall name you
Bright Dian, the queen of the wood.

Farewell to Love's various season,
Smiling days hung with tempests and night;
But welcome the reign of fair Reason,
O! welcome securer delight.

O! welcome, in Nature's own dress,
Purest pleasures of gentler kind;
O! welcome the power to bless,
To redeem Fortune's wrongs on mankind.

Be a goddess indeed, while you borrow
From Plenty's unlimited store,
To gild the wan aspect of Sorrow,
To cheer the meek eyes of the poor.

When your virtues shall mix with the skies,
When your beauty, bright phaenix, decays:
In your image new graces shall rise,
And enlighten Posterity's days.

Future ages shall trace every air;
Every virtue deriv'd to your blood,
Shall remember that Stella was fair,
Shall remember that Stella was good.