STANZAS TO MR. BENTLEY. A FRAGMENT. [These were in compliment to Mr. Bentley, who drew a set of Designs for Mr. Gray's Poems, particularly a Head-piece to The Long Story. IN silent gaze the tuneful choir among, Half pleas'd, half blushing let the Muse admire, While Bentley leads her sister art along, And bids the pencil answer to the lyre. See, in their course, each transitory thought Fix'd by his touch a lasting essence take; Each dream, in Fancy's airy colouring wrought, To local symmetry and life awake! The tardy rhymes that us'd to linger on, In swifter measures animated run, And catch a lustre from his genuine flame. Ah! could they catch his strength, his easy grace, But not to one in this benighted age That burns in Shakespeare's or in Milton's page, As when conspiring in the diamond's blaze, And dazzle with a luxury of light. Enough for me, if to some feeling breast And as their pleasing influence flows confest, * * * * * * [52] The words in Italick were supplied by Mr. Mason. SONG. [This was written, at the request of Miss Speed, to an old Air of Ge. miniani: the thought from the French.] THYRSIS, when he left me, swore And the bud that decks the thorn! Idle notes untimely green! Why such unavailing haste? Gentle gales and sky serene Prove not always Winter past. Cease, my doubts, my fears to move, Spare the honour of my love. THE ENQUIRY. [The following amatory Lines having been found among the MSS. of Gray, but bearing no title, I have ventured, for the sake of uniformity in this Volume, to prefix the above. The Lines themselves will be found in a Note in the second volume of Warton's Edition of Pope's Works, lately published.] WITH Beauty, with Pleasure surrounded, to languish To weep without knowing the cause of my an guish ; To start from short slumbers, and wish for the morning To close my dull eyes when I see it returning ; Sighs sudden and frequent, looks ever dejectedWords that steal from my tongue, by no meaning connected! Ah, say, fellow-swains, how these symptoms befel me? They smile, but reply not-Sure DELIA CAN TELL ME! TOPHET: AN EPIGRAM, [Mr. Etough [53], of Cambridge University, was a person as remarkable for the eccentricities of his character, as for his personal appearance. A Mr. Tyson, of Bene't College, made an etching of his head, and presented it to Mr. Gray, who wrote under it the following lines:] THUS Tophet look'd; so grinn'd the brawling fiend, Whilst frighted prelates bow'd, and call'd him friend. Our mother-church, with half-averted sight, Blush'd as she bless'd her grisly proselyte; Hosannas rung thro' Hell's tremendous borders, And Satan's self had thoughts of taking orders. [53] Some information respecting this gentleman (who was Rector of Therfield, Herts, and of Colmworth, Bedfordshire) will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. LVI. p. 25. 281. For the SKETCH of his PORTRAIT I am indebted to the kindness of JOHN NICHOLS, Esq. |