To Marion

  1. 1MARION! why that pensive brow?
  2. 2What disgust to life hast thou?
  3. 3Change that discontented air;
  4. 4Frowns become not one so fair.
  5. 5'Tis not Love disturbs thy rest,
  6. 6Love's a stranger to thy breast:
  7. 7He, in dimpling smiles, appears,
  8. 8Or mourns in sweetly timid tears;
  9. 9Or bends the languid eyelid down,
  10. 10But shuns the cold forbidding 'frown'.
  11. 11Then resume thy former fire,
  12. 12Some will love, and all admire!
  13. 13While that icy aspect chills us,
  14. 14Nought but cool Indiff'rence thrills us.
  15. 15Would'st thou wand'ring hearts beguile,
  16. 16Smile, at least, or seem to smile;
  17. 17Eyes like thine were never meant
  18. 18To hide their orbs in dark restraint;
  19. 19Spite of all thou fain wouldst say,
  20. 20Still in truant beams they play.
  21. 21Thy lips--but here my modest Muse
  22. 22Her impulse chaste must needs refuse:
  23. 23She blushes, curtsies, frowns,--in short She
  24. 24Dreads lest the Subject should transport me;
  25. 25And flying off, in search of Reason,
  26. 26Brings Prudence back in proper season.
  27. 27All I shall, therefore, say (whate'er
  28. 28I think, is neither here nor there,)
  29. 29Is, that such lips, of looks endearing,
  30. 30Were form'd for better things than sneering.
  31. 31Of soothing compliments divested,
  32. 32Advice at least's disinterested;
  33. 33Such is my artless song to thee,
  34. 34From all the flow of Flatt'ry free;
  35. 35Counsel like mine is as a brother's,
  36. 36My heart is given to some others;
  37. 37That is to say, unskill'd to cozen,
  38. 38It shares itself among a dozen.
  1. 39Marion, adieu! oh, pr'ythee slight not
  2. 40This warning, though it may delight not;
  3. 41And, lest my precepts be displeasing,
  4. 42To those who think remonstrance teazing,
  5. 43At once I'll tell thee our opinion,
  6. 44Concerning Woman's soft Dominion:
  7. 45Howe'er we gaze, with admiration,
  8. 46On eyes of blue or lips carnation;
  9. 47Howe'er the flowing locks attract us,
  10. 48Howe'er those beauties may distract us;
  11. 49Still fickle, we are prone to rove,
  12. 50These cannot fix our souls to love;
  13. 51It is not too severe a stricture,
  14. 52To say they form a pretty picture;
  15. 53But would'st thou see the secret chain,
  16. 54Which binds us in your humble train,
  17. 55To hail you Queens of all Creation,
  18. 56Know, in a word, 'tis Animation.