Page:Poems of Anne Countess of Winchilsea 1903.djvu/191

This page has been validated.
Countess of Winchilsea
53
And ouer both the Sexes thus far reignsTo chear all Hearts and to suspend our painsWho when such Eyes, so soft and bright we viewSoften our Cares and grow enlighten'd tooIn sweet conformity to Things so fineNo motions feel but such as in them shine.Cou'd but the Witt that on her paper flowsAffect my Verse and tune itt to her ProseThrough every Line a kindly warmth inspireAnd raise my Art equal to my desire 40Then shou'd my Hand snatch from the Muses storeTransporting Figures n'ere expos'd beforeSomthing to Please so mouing and so newAs not our Denham or our Cowley knew.Or shew (the harder labour to compleat)The real splendours of our fam'd Long-leateWhich above Metaphor itts Structure rearesThô all Enchantment to our sight appearsMagnificently Great the Eye to fillMinut'ly finish'd for our nices[t] skill 50Long-leate that justly has all Praise engross'dThe Strangers wonder and our Nations boastPaint her Cascades that spread their sheets so wideAnd emulate th' Italian waters prideHer Fountains which so high their streames extendTh' amazed Clouds now feel the Rains ascendWhilst Phœbus as they tow'rds his Mantion flowGraces th' attempt and marks them with his Bow.Then shou'd my Pen (smooth as their Turf) conveySwift Thought o're Terasses that lead the way 60To flow'ry Groves where ev'ning Odours strayTo Lab'rinths into which, who fondly comes,Attracted still and wilder'd with Parfumes,Till by acquaintance he their stations knowsHere twists a Woodbine there a Jasmin grows
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.