Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Charms of melody, or, Siren medley

170
THE CHARMS OF MELODY.
Beauty's Votary.
TO beauty born, a willing Have,
A merry happy man ;
I flight the nymph I cannot have.
And doat on thofe I can.
This conftant maxim ftill I hojd.
To baffle all defpair ;
The frov/ard ugly are arid old,
The kind are young and fair.
The women wou'd no more perplex,
Were men refolv'd and free/,
Soft fmiles become the charming fax.
No pouting Mifs for me.
This conjiant maxm,'^e.
In -wjedlocTi's bands if e'er I join,
Good humour be my guide ;
Let dimple fmiles and love be mine,
I laugh at female jride.
Thh cenftaitt maxim, v^c.
To-day and To-morrow.
LET thofe who woi/ld wifli to hear reafon.
Attend to the leffon I give,
Since To-day is for pleafure tjie feafon,
O feize the dear moment and live ",
'Tis a maxim vi e all mult remember,
While the fun fliines, be fure to mate hay ;
Which reminds us from June to December,
We ought to make much of To-day.
Away then with care and with forrow.
And all which may burden the mind ;
He who pleafure puts ofF till To morrow,,
Lofes that which he wifhc-s to find.
The prefent for mirth is the hour,
The prefent the time to be gay :
With hafte let us take then the flower,
Which can only be gather'd To-day.
Our condition as quickly may vary,
As the wind, or the tide, or the moon.
Our fchemes and our projeAs mifcarry.
Nay e'en Death may overtake us as foon.
Then fince, life is no more than a bubble.
Enjoy all its gifts whilft you may.
To-morrow may enter v.ith trouble.
Then at leaft be fecure of To-day.
The Tobacco Pipe.
PRETTY tube of mighty power,
Charmer of an idle hour ;
Objeft of my hot defire,
Lip of wax, and eye of fire-;
And thy fnowy taper waift.
With my finger gently brac'd;
And thy lovely fwelling creft.
With my bended flopper preft ;
And the fweeteft bljfs of bliffes,
breathing from thy balmy. kifles:
Happy ihfice, and thrice again—)'
Happieil he,of happy men !
Who, when again the night returns,
V/hen again the taper burns ;
When again the cricket* gay,
(Little crickets full of play)
Can afford his tube to feed
With the fragrant Indian weed;
Pleafure for a rofe divine,
Incenfe of the god of wine !
Happy thrice, and thrice again— >i
HariiiiiH he of happy men I
The defpairing Damfel.
RECITATIVE.
"''T'WAS when the feas were roaring
X With hollow blafts of wind,
A damfel lay deploring.
All on E roik reclin'd I
Wide o'er the foaming billows
She cafl a wifhful look ;
Her head was crown'd with willows
That trembl'd o'er the brook.
" Twelve months are gone »nd over,
" And nine long tedious days ;
" Why didft thou, vent'rous lover,
" Why didft thou truft the feas ?
" Ceafe, ceafe thou troubled ocean,
" And let my lov^r reft ;
" Ah I what's thy troubled motion
" To that within my breaft ?
" The merchant robb'd of treafure,
" Views tempefts with defpair ;
" But what's the lofs of treafure
" To lofing of my dear ?
" Should you fome coa'ft be laid on,
" Where gold and di'monds grow,
" You'd find a richer maiden,
" But none that lov'd you fo.
" How can they fay that Nature
" Has nothing made in vain ;
" Why, then, beneath the water,
" Do hideous rocks remain ?
" No eyes thofe rocks difcover,
" That lurk'beneath the deep,
" To wreck the wand'ring lover,
" And leave the maid to weep."
All melancholy lying,
Thus wail'd fhe for her dear.
Repaid each blafl with fiphing,
Each billow with a tear :
When o'er the white waves ftooping.
His floating corfe flie fpy'd ;
1 hen, like a willow drooping,
t>he bow'd her head^— and dy'd.
Gay.
The happy Return.
TWELVE months are pafs'd, fince on ihisftrand.
In fad diftrefs we parted.
And as the boat forfiok the land,
The oar -my hand deferied,
My eyes on yours were fondly bent.
And feem'd their tears to borrow,
And fure from you a look was fent.
That well repaid my forrov/.
To bear me quickly from the (hore.
The crew our grief furveyingi
With lengthen'd ftroke ftill kept the oar.
In v.ell-tim'd meafure playing;
'Till diftance and approaching night,
Your lovely image fliaded,
Yet ever in ideal fight.
Your beauty rofe unfaded.
Oft when the midnight watch I've kept.
And feas were round usfwellmg;
1 fear'd alone the ftorm that fwept
Too rudely o'er your dwelling.
But nov/, my love, no more your breali ^
Shall Ijeat with fad emotion,
I'll ftrive to make each moment bleft,
NoJT tempt again the ocean.