The Poetical Works of the Right Hon. George Granville, Lord Lansdowne/8

by George Granville

THE PROGRESS OF BEAUTY.

The god of Day, deſcending from above,
Mix’d with the ſea, and got the queen of Love.
Beauty that fires the world ’t was fit ſhould riſe
From him alone who lights the ſtars and ſkies.
In Cyprus long, by men and gods obey’d,5
The lovers’ toil ſhe gratefully repaid;
Promiſcuous bleſſings to her ſlaves aſſign’d,
And taught the world that Beauty ſhould be kind.
Learn by this pattern, all ye fair! to charm;
Bright be your beams, but without ſcorching warm.10
Helen was next from Greece to Phrygia brought,
With much expenſe of blood and empire ſought.
Beauty and love the nobleſt cauſe afford
That can try valour or employ the ſword:
Not men alone incited by her charms,15
But Heav’n ’s concern’d, and all the gods take arms.
The happy Trojan, gloriouſly poſſeſt,
Enjoys the dame, and leaves to Fate the reſt.
Your cold reflections. Moraliſts! forbear;
His title ’s beſt who beſt can pleaſe the fair.20
And now the gods, in pity to the cares,
The fierce deſires, diſtractions, and deſpairs
Of tortur’d men, while Beauty was confin’d,
Reſolv’d to multiply the charming kind.
Greece was the land where this bright race begun,25
And ſaw a thouſand rivals to the ſun;

Hence follow’d arts, while each employ’d his care,
In new productions, to delight the fair.
To bright Aſpaſia Socrates retir’d;
His wiſdom grew but as his love inſpir’d.30
Thoſe rocks and oaks which ſuch emotions felt,
Were cruel maids whom Orpheus taught to melt.
Muſic and ſongs, and ev’ry way to move
The raviſh’d heart, were ſeeds and plants of love.
The gods, entic’d by ſo divine a birth,35
Deſcend from heav’n to this new heav’n on earth.
Thy wit, O Mercury! is no defence from love;
Nor, Mars! thy target; nor thy thunder, Jove!
The mad immortals, in a thouſand ſhapes,
Range the wide globe: ſome yield, ſome ſuffer rapes;40
Invaded or deceiv’d, not one eſcapes:
The wise, tho’ a bright goddeſs, thus gives place
To mortal concubines of freſh embrace.
By ſuch examples were we taught to ſee
The life and ſoul of love is ſweet variety.45
In those firſt times, ere charming womankind
Reform’d their pleaſures, poliſhing the mind,
Rude were their revels, and obſcene their joys,
The broils of drunkards, and the luſt of boys:
Phœbus laments for Hyacinthus dead,50
And Juno, jealous, ſtorms at Ganymede.
Return, my Muſe! and cloſe that odious ſcene,
Nor ſtain thy verſe with images unclean:

Of Beauty ſing, her ſhining progreſs view,
From clime to clime the dazzling light purſue,55
Tell how the goddeſs ſpread, and how in empire grew.
Let others govern or defend the ſtate,
Plead at the bar, or manage a debate,
In lofty arts and ſciences excel,
Or in proud domes employ their boaſted ſkill;60
To marble and to braſs ſuch features give,
The metal and the ſtore may ſeem to live;
Deſcribe the ſtars and planetary way,
And trace the footſteps of eternal day:
Be this, my Muſe! thy pleaſure and thy care,65
A ſlave to Beauty, to record the fair;
Still wand’ring in love’s ſweet delicious maze
To ſing the triumphs of ſome heav’nly face,
Of lovely dames, who with a ſmile or frown
Subdue the proud, the ſuppliant lover crown;70
From Venus down to Mira bring thy ſong,
To thee alone ſuch tender taſks belong.
From Greece to Afric Beauty takes her flight,
And ripens with her near approach to light.
Frown not, ye Fair! to hear of ſwarthy dames75
With radiant eyes, that take unerring aims;
Beauty to no complexion is confin’d,
Is of all colours, and by none defin’d:
Jewels that ſhine, in gold or ſilver ſet,
As precious and as ſparkling are in jet.80

Here Cleopatra, with a liberal heart,
Bounteous of love, improv’d the joy with art;
The firſt who gave recruited ſlaves to know
That the rich pearl was of more uſe than ſhow;
Who with high meats, or a luxurious draught,85
Kept love for ever flowing and full fraught.
Julius and Anthony, thoſe lords of all,
Each in his turn, preſent the conquer’d ball;
Thoſe dreadful Eagles that had fac’d the light
From pole to pole, fall dazzled at her ſight:90
Nor was her death leſs glorious than her life,
A conſtant miſtreſs, and a faithful wife.
Her dying truth ſome gen’rous tears would coſt,
Had not her fate inſpir’d “The World Well Loſt.”^[1]
With ſecret pride the raviſh’d Muſes view95
The image of that death which Dryden drew.
Pleas’d in ſuch happy climates, warm and bright,
Love for ſome ages revell’d with delight.
The martial Moors, in gallantry refin’d,
Invent new arts to make their charmers kind.100
See! in the liſts, by golden harriers bound,
In warlike ranks they wait the trumpet’s ſound;
Some love-device is wrought on ev’ry ſword,
And ev’ry ribbon bears ſome myſtic word:
As when we ſee the winged winds engage,105
Mounted on courſers foaming flame and rage,

Ruſtling from ev’ry quarter of the ſky,
North, eaſt, and weſt, in airy ſwiftneſs vie,
One cloud repuls’d, new combatants prepare
To meet as fierce, and form a thund’ring war:110
So when the trumpet ſounding gives the ſign,
The juſtling chiefs in rude rencounter join;
So meet, and ſo renew the dext’rous fight,
Each fair beholder trembling for her knight,
Still as one falls another ruſhes in,115
And all muſt be o’ercome or none can win:
The victor, from the ſhining dame whoſe eyes
Aided his conqu’ring arm, receives a precious prize.
Thus flouriſh’d Love, and Beauty reign’d in ſtate,
Till the proud Spaniard gave theſe glories date:120
Paſt is the gallantry, the fame remains,
Tranſmitted ſafe in Dryden’s lofty ſcenes:
Granada^[2] loſt beheld her pomps reſtor’d,
And Almahide^[3] once more by kings ador’d.
Love, driven thence, to colder Britain flies,125
And with bright nymphs the diſtant ſun ſupplies;
Romances, which relate the dreadful fights,
The loves and proweſs of advent’rous knights,
To animate their rage, a kiſs record
From Britain’s faireſt nymph was the reward.130
Thus ancient to Love’s empire was the claim
Os Britiſh beauty, and ſo wide the fame,

Which, like our flag upon the ſeas, gives law
By right avow’d, and keeps the world in awe.
Our gallant kings, of whom large annals prove135
The mighty deeds, ſtand as renown’d for love:
A monarch’s right o’er Beauty they may claim,
Lords of that ocean from whence Beauty came.
Thy Roſamond, great Henry! on the ſtage
By a late Muſe preſented in our age,140
With aching hearts and flowing eyes we view,
While that dissembled death presents the true :
In Bracegirdle^[4] the perſons ſo agree,
That all ſeems real the ſpectators ſee.
Os Scots and Gauls defeated, and their kings145
Thy captives, Edward! Fame for ever ſings;
Like thy high deeds thy noble loves are prais’d,
Who haſt to Love the nobleſt trophy rais’d.
Thy ſtatues, Venus! tho’ by Phidias’ hand
Deſign’d immortal, yet no longer ſtand;150
The magic of thy ſhining zone is paſt,
But Saliſbury’s garter ſhall for ever laſt,
Which, thro’ the world by living monarchs worn,
Adds grace to ſceptres, and does crowns adorn.
Is ſuch their fame who gave theſe rights divine155
To ſacred Love, O what diſhonour ’s thine,
Forgetful Queen! who ſever’d that bright head^[5]
Which charm’d two mighty monarchs to her bed?

Hadſt thou been born a man, thou hadſt not err’d;
Thy fame had liv’d, and Beauty been preferr’d.160
But, O! what mighty magic can aſſwage
A woman’s envy and a bigot’s rage?
Love tir’d at length, Love! that delights to ſmile,
Flying from ſcenes of horror, quits our iſle:^[6]
With Charles the Cupids and the Graces gone,165
In exile live, for Love and Charles were one:
With Charles he wanders, and for Charles he mourns;
But, O! how fierce the joy when Charles returns!
As eager flames, with oppoſition pent,
Break out impetuous when they find a vent;170
As a fierce torrent bounded in his race,
Forcing his way, rolls with redoubled pace;
From the loud palace to the ſilent grove,
All by the King’s example live and love;
The Muſes with diviner voices ſing,175
And all rejoice to pleaſe the godlike king.
Then Waller in immortal verſe proclaims
The ſhining court, and all the glitt’ring dames.
Thy beauty Sidney,^[7] like Achilles’ ſword,
Reſiſtleſs ſtands upon as ſure record;180
The fierceſt hero and the brighteſt dame,
Both ſung alike, ſhall have their fate the ſame.

And now, my Muſe! a nobler flight prepare,
And ſing ſo loud that heav’n and earth may hear.
Behold from Italy an awful ray185
Of heav’nly light illuminates the day,
Northward ſhe bends, majeſtically bright,
And here ſhe fixes her imperial light.
Be bold, be bold, my Muſe! nor fear to raiſe
Thy voice to her who was thy earlieſt praiſe:190
What tho’ the ſullen Fates refuſe to ſhine,
Or frown ſevere on thy audacious line?
Keep thy bright theme within thy ſteady ſight,
The clouds ſhall fly before the dazzling light,
And everlaſting day direct thy lofty flight.195
Thou who has never yet put on diſguiſe
To flatter faction, or deſcend to vice,
Let no vain fear thy generous ardour tame,
But ſtand erect, and ſound as loud as Fame.
As when our eyes ſome proſpect would purſue,200
Descending from a hill, looks round to view,
Paſſes o’er lawns and meadows, till it gains
Some fav’rite ſpot, and, fixing, there remains;
With equal rapture my tranſported Muſe
Flies other objects, this bright theme to chuſe.205
Queen of our hearts, and charmer of our ſight,
A monarch’s pride, his glory, and delight;
Princeſs ador’d and lov’d! if verſe can give
A deathleſs name, thine ſhall for ever live;

Invok’d where’er the Britiſh Lion roars,210
Extended as the ſeas that gird the Britiſh ſhores.
The wiſe immortals in their ſeats above,
To crown their labours, ſtill appointed Love:
Phœbus enjoy’d the goddeſs of the Sea,
Alcides had Omphale, James has thee.215
O happy James! content thy mighty mind,
Grudge not the world, for ſtill thy queen is kind,
To lie but at whoſe feet more glory brings
Than ’t is to tread on ſceptres and on kings:
Secure of empire in that beauteous breaſt,220
Who would not give their crowns to be ſo bleſt?
Was Helen half ſo fair, ſo form’d for joy,
Well choſe the Trojan, and well burnt was Troy.
But, ah! what ſtrange viciſſitudes of fate,
What chance, attends on ev’ry worldly ſtate!225
As when the ſkies were ſack’d, the conquer’d gods,
Compell’d from heav’n, forſook their bleſs’d abodes,
Wand’ring in woods they hid from den to den,
And ſought their ſafety in the ſhapes of men:
As when the winds with kindling flames conſpire,230
The blaze increaſes as they fan the fire,
From roof to roof the burning torrent pours,
Nor ſpares the palace nor the loftieſt tow’rs;
Or as the ſtately pine, erecting high
Her lofty branches, ſhooting to the ſky,235
If riven by the thunderbolt of Jove,
Down falls at once the pride of all the grove,

Level with loweſt ſhrubs lies the tall head
That rear’d aloft, as to the clouds was ſpread:
So————————————————————240
But ceaſe, my Muſe! thy colours are too faint;
Hide with a vail those griefs which none can paint.
This sun is ſet—but ſee in bright array
What hoſts of heav’nly light recruit the day!
Love in a ſhining galaxy appears245
Triumphant ſtill, and Grafton leads the ſtars:
Ten thouſand Loves, ten thouſand ſeveral ways,
Invade adoring crowds, who die to gaze;
Her eyes, reſiſtleſs as the Syren’s voice,
So ſweet ’s the charm we make our fate our choice.250
Who moſt reſembles her let next be nam’d,
Villiers,^[8] for wiſdom and deep judgment fam’d;
Os a high race victorious Beauty brings
To grace our courts, and captivate our kings.
With what delight my Muſe to Sandwich flies,255
Whoſe wit is piercing as her ſparkling eyes!
Ah! how ſhe mounts, and ſpreads her airy wings,
And tunes her voice, when ſhe of Ormond ſings,
Of radiant Ormond! only fit to be
The ſucceſſor of beauteous Oſſory!260
Richmond ’s a title that, but nam'’d, implies
Majeſtic graces and victorious eyes.
Fair Villiers firſt, then haughty Stewart came,
And Brud’nel now no leſs adorns the name.

Dorſet already is immortal made265
In Prior’s verſe, nor needs a ſecond aid.
By Bentinck and fair Rutenbtrg we find
That beauty to no climate is confin’d.
Rupert, of royal blood, with modeſt grace
Bluſhes to hear the triumphs of her face.270
Not Helen with St. Albans might compare.
Nor let the Muſe omit Scroop, Holms, and Hare.
Hyde Venus is, the Graces are Kildare.
Soft and delicious, as a southern sky,
Are Daſhwood’s ſmiles; when Darnley^[9] frowns we die.275
Careleſs, but yet ſecure of conquest, ſtill
Lu’fon, unaiming, never fails to kill:^[10]
Guiltleſs of pride, to captivate or ſhine,
Bright without art, ſhe wounds without deſign.
But Wyndham like a tyrant throws the dart280
And takes a cruel pleaſure in the ſmart;
Proud of the ravage that her beauties make,
Delights in wounds, and kills for killing ſake;
Aſſerting the dominion of her eyes,
As heroes fight for glory, not for prize.285
The ſkilful Muſe’s earlieſt care has been
The praiſe of never-fading Mazarine;
The poet^[11] and his theme, in ſpight of Time,
For ever young, enjoy an endleſs prime.

With charms ſo num’rous Mira does ſurpriſe,290
The lover knows not by which dart he dies;
So thick the volley, and the wound ſo ſure,
No flight can ſave, no remedy can cure.
Yet dawning in her infancy of light,
O ſee another Brud’nel^[12] heav’nly bright,295
Born to fulfil the glories of her line,
And fix Love’s empire in that race divine!
Fain would my Muſe to Cecil^[13] bend her ſight,
But turns aſtoniſh’d from the dazzling light,
Nor dares attempt to climb the ſteepy flight.300
O Kneller! like thy pictures were my ſong,
Clear like thy paint, and like thy pencil ſtrong,
Theſe matchleſs beauties ſhould recorded be
Immortal in my verſe, as in thy gallery.^[14]304

1. All For Love; or, The World Well Loſt. Written by Mr. Dryden.
2. The Conqueſt of Granada. Written by Mr. Dryden.
3. The part of Almahide performed by Mrs. Eleanor Gwyn, miſtreſs to King Charles II.
4. A famous actreſs.
5. Mary Queen of Scots, beheaded by Queen Elizabeth.
6. The rebellion, and death of King Charles I.
7. The Lady Dorothy Sidney, celebrated by Mr. Waller under the name of Sachariſſa.
8. Counteſs of Orkney.
9. Lady Catharine Darnley, Ducheſs of Buckingham.
10. Lady Gower.
11. St. Evremond, who has celebrated Madam Mazarine under the name of Hortenſe.
12. Lady Molyneux.
13. Lady Ranclaugh.
14. The gallery of beauties in Hampton Court, drawn by Sir Godrey Kneller.