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POEMS

OF

WILLIAM THOMPSON.

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Around the bark they daunce, wherein there A lady fresh and fair, ah! such a one, [sat So tresh and fair, so ainiably great, So goodly-gracious seem'd as never none, And like thy sweet-beam'd planet, Venus shone, They much admire, O very much her face, Her shape, her breast, for Love a downy throne! Her beauty's glorious shine, her every grace; An angel she appear'd, at least of angel-race. 3 * Presently. Beautiful looks.

1 A boat. 2

Her Thamis (on his golded urn he lean'd)
Saluted with this hymeneal song,

And hail'd her safe. Full silent was the wind,
The river glided gently-soft along,

Ne4 whispered the breeze the leaves emong,
Ne Jove-learn'd Philomel out-trill'd her lay;

A stilness on the waves attentive hung,

A brighter gladness blest the face of day, [May. All nature gan to smile, her smiles diffus'd the

"Ah sacred ship, to Albion wafting good,
Our wish, our hope, our joy! who safe convey'd
This beauty's paragon, this royal maid,
Through perilous sea, from Ila's little flood,
Isprung, iwist, of high empyreal seed;
The child of Heav'n, the daughter of Delight,
Nurst by a Grace, with milk and honey fed!
Oh Frederick! oh, certes, blessed wight, [hight.
To whom the Gods consign the nymph Augusta

"Ah sacred ship! may favourable gales,
The kindest breath of Heav'n attend thy way,
And swell the winged canvass of thy sails:
May calmness be thy path, and pleausance lay
On the soft bosom of the yielding sea,
Where-e'er thou wind; or to the spicy shore
Of Araby the blest, or India's bay,
Where diamonds kindle, and the golden ore
Flames into purity, to deck Augusta more!

"Augusta, fairest princess under sky,
Welcome to Albion's renowned land,
Albion, well known to thy great ancestry,
Made dearer far to thee by Hymen's band,
The band of love, of honour and command!
Deign to receive the nation's public voice,
Of heartiness unfeign'd, who gleeful stand
In meet array, and thus express their joys [noise.
in peals of loud acclaim, and mirths confused

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But dreams of thee long, livelong nights and days, By Beauty led through all Love's rosy-thorny

ways.

"To heal his pains soft music does divide Most heavenly melody in soothing strains; Nor heavenly melody, nor aught beside, Save thee, ah dearest Dread! can heal his pains. Thy form too deeply in his breast remains. So ever and anon he chides the gales, That slowly seem to brush the liquid plaius; Oh! fly on all the wings of Heav'n, ye sails, Oh fly! he crys; and lo! a lover's pray'r prevails.

"Now cease thy sighs. She comes, (oh blessed day!)

She comes, by all the Loves and Graces drest,
In proud humility. See, Hymen play,
With saffron robe and flame-embroider'd vest,
(Such colours, sikerly", suit Hymen best.)
And Cupid catches rosy wafts of air

To stretch the sails and fan the royal guest,
Nor Chastity, meek-ey'd, is wanting there,

"O blessed youth! receive thy bonnibel, Eternal fount of virtue, love and grace! O kneel to all the gods and pray to all, Who sparkle so divinely in her face, And with celestial fires ber bosom bless. So shines Aurora in her rich attire, When she Hyperion wou'd fain caress: Gaze all the host of stars, and all admire, Then twinkle in their urns, and into night retire.

"O blessed maid! receive thy belamour3, With glee receive him and o'erflowing heart: Ne in high monarch's court, ne lady's bow'r, A youth so form'd by Nature and by Art, Conspiring both, e'er cherish'd Cupid's dart. So Phoebus, lusty bridegroom of the sky, With native splendours shines on every part; From east to west his pointed glories fly, He warmeth every heart, he dazzleth every eye.”

Here Thamis ended. Now the goodly train Of all the Naïds, in most comely wise, A present make of myrtle-girland green,

For she, and Modesty, sweet blushing, guide the Entrail'd with flowrets and with rare device.

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The Graces eke, with laughter-swelling eyes,' A rosy-chaplet, steep'd in nectar bring, (The roses gather'd in the morning skies) Then, joining with the Naids, form a ring, And round them deftly daunce, and round them blithly sing.

"As roses and as myrtles kindly weave Their sweets in one, much sweeter as they blend; Emblem of marriage-love! So you, receive Sweets interchang'd, and to each other lend; Then, in a blest perfume, to Heav'n ascend, And mingle with the gods! While here below, New myrtles, roses new, withouten end, From your luxurious stock, full plenteous, grow, And with their parent-sweets, and parent-beauty glow."

Next Albion's Genius came, bedite in gold, An oaken chaplet nodded on his head; The crown he held was glorious to behold, And royally he taught his feet to tread. Soon as he spy'd the prince's goodlyhead, He pointed to the crown, and rais'd his voice To hail the royal pair and bless their bed: The jolly Chorus catch the grateful noise, Echo the woods and vales, and Heav'n and Earth rejoice.

Next Liberty, the fairest nymph on ground;
The flowing plenty of her golden hair
Diffusing lavishly ambrosia round;
Her hands a flow'ry cornucopia bear,
Which scatters joy and pleasaunce through the air.
Earth smil'd, and Gladness danc'd along the sky;
Before her vanish'd Grief and pale-ey'd Care,
And eft, in courteous guise, she cast her eye
On that same gentle twain, her glory and her joy.

And these beside, a sacred pers'nage came,
Immaculate and sweet as Sharon-rose:
Upon her breast a bloody cross did flame,
Aumail'd with gold and gems in goodly rows:
A pall of lawn adown her shoulders flows:

* Beautiful virgin. 3 Charming lover. Often.

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