The following Lines were sung by DURASTANTI,* when she took her leave of the English Stage. The words were in haste put together by Mr. POPE, at the request of the Earl of PETERBOROUGH. GENEROUS, gay, and gallant nation, Happy soil, adieu, adieu ! Let old charmers yield to new. In arms, in arts, be still more shining; All your joys be still encreasing; All your tastes be still refining; All your jars for ever ceasing : But let old charmers yield to new : Happy soil, adieu, adieu ! NOTES. * Durastanti was brought to England by Handel to sing at the Opera, 1721. She was so great a favourite at Court, that the King stood godfather to one of her children. Bowles. Upon the Duke of MARLBOROUGH's House at Woodstock. Atria longè patent; sed nec cœnantibus usquam, SEE, Sir, here's the grand approach, Mart. Epig. This way is for his Grace's coach; The spacious court, the colonnade, Thanks, Sir, cry'd I, 'tis very fine, NOTES. * The same idea is used by Lord Chesterfield in his Epigram on Burlington-House : "How well you build, let flatt'ry tell; And all mankind, how ill you dwell!" Bowles. Verses left by Mr. POPE, on his lying in the same Bed which WILMOT, the celebrated Earl of RoCHESTER, slept in at Adderbury, then belonging to the Duke of ARGYLE, July 9th, 1739. WITH no poetic ardour fir'd I press the bed where Wilmot lay; That here he lov'd, or here expir'd, Begets no numbers grave, or gay. Beneath thy roof, Argyle, are bred Such flames as high in patriots burn, THE CHALLENGE. A COURT BALLAD. To the Tune of " To all you Ladies now at Land," &c. I. To one fair lady out of court, And two fair ladies in, Who think the Turk* and Pope† a sport, And wit and love no sin; Come these soft lines, with nothing stiff in, To Bellenden, Lepell, and Griffin.‡ With a fa, la, la. II. What passes in the dark third row, * Ulrick, the little Turk. † The Author. NOTES. Ladies of the Court of the Princess Caroline. III. Then why to courts should I repair, And ev'ry speech with Zounds end; With a fa, la, la. IV. Alas! like Schutz I cannot pun, Like Grafton court the Germans ; Tell Pickenbourg how slim she's grown, Like Meadows† run to sermons ; To court ambitious men may roam, But I and Marlbro' stay at home. With a fa, la, la. V. In truth, by what I can discern, Some wit you have, and more may learn With a fa, la, la. NOTES. * Ireland. † Mentioned before in the verses to Mrs. Howe. |