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CUPID

ON VALENTINE'S DAY.

BY MR. PARROT.

COME, thou rosy-dimpled boy,
Source of every heart-felt joy,
Leave the blissful bow'rs awhile,
Paphos and the Cyprian isle :
Visit Britain's rocky shore,
Britons too thy pow'r adore;
Britons hardy, bold, and free,
Own thy laws, and yield to thee.
Source of every heart-felt joy,
Come, thou rosy-dimpled boy.

Haste to Sylvia, haste away:
This is thine, and Hymen's day.
Bid her thy soft bondage wear,
Bid her for Love's rites prepare.
Let the nymphs with many a flower
Deck the sacred nuptial bower.

Thither lead the lovely Fair;
And let Hymen too be there.
This is thine, and Hymen's day :
Haste to Sylvia, haste away.

Only while we love, we live ;
Love alone can pleasure give.
Pomp and power, and tinsel state,
Those false pageants of the great,
Crowns and sceptres, envied things,
And the pride of Eastern kings,
Are but childish empty toys,

When compar'd to Love's sweet joys.
Love alone can pleasure give:

Only while we love, we live.

ADDRESSED

TO VALENTINE,

ON THE RETURN OF SPRING.

BY THE REV. SAMUEL SAY.

HAIL! best of Bishops, and of Saints the best;
By flaming love distinguish'd from the rest;

By Love, the life in heaven, and business of the blest.

Love made the world! 'Twas love alone could draw The disagreeing seeds to Nature's law;

Heaven saw th' effects of Love, and bless'd them when it

saw.

Hence, mighty Saint, thy power; deriv'd from Love, Thy great commission reaches all above,

And earth and sea beneath, and all that live and move.

Thou call'st the flowers: they feel the glad command;

On sunny banks in smiling rows they stand,

Broke from their mother's womb, and drest by Nature's

hand.

By thee the birds salute the welcome Spring; Inspir'd by thee and Love, in pairs they sing: With music and with joy the woods and vallies ring.

Fierce tigers yield to thee. To hear thy voice,
The gentle hind and rugged bears rejoice,

And fishes scud the waves to meet their happy choice.

See, see, the cheerful morn! how bright it shines! With larger steps the sun his course reclines, As conscious of thy day, and favouring thy designs.

All wed below, and he above would wed;

The youthful Earth has drest her fragrant bed, And promises her shades to shroud his radiant head.

At his approach the storms and winter fly; The joyful bride her snowy vest lays by, Nor does, untimely coy, her naked form deny.

Ah! could thy power so warm Lucretia's heart, And make the winter there and cold depart, How wouldst thou bless a wretch, and ease his raging

smart!

Couldst thou but make her soul consent with mine, And with her heart her answering hands to join, For thee should Phoebus sing, and all the tuneful Nine.

While I in annual songs thy name would raise,
Thy day should stand above the rest of days,

All lovers bless the Saint,and crown my head with bays!

ON

THE SPRING.

GENTLE Zephyrs come away!
On this sweet, this silent grove,
Sacred to the Muse and Love,
In softest-whisper'd murmurs play.
Come, let thy soft, thy balmy breeze
Diffuse the vernal sweets around
From sprouting flowers and blossom'd trees;
While echoing hills and vales resound
With notes, which wing'd Musicians sing
In honour to the bloom of Spring.

Lovely Season of desire!

Nature smiles with joy to see

The amorous months led on by thee,
That kindly wake her genial fire.
The brightest object in the skies,

The fairest lights that shine below,
The Sun and Myra's charming eyes,

At thy return more charming grow.
With double glory they appear,
To warm and grace the infant year.