1 
 
 
 
 5: 
 
 7: 
 
 Keate 
 
 A Poem to the Memory of the 
 celebrated Mrs. Cibber
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 /Is ^ 
 
 p 
 
 o 
 
 E 
 
 M 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 MEMORY 
 
 O F 
 
 The Celebrated Mrs. C I B B E R.
 
 A 
 
 P 
 
 O 
 
 E 
 
 M 
 
 TO THE 
 
 MEMORY 
 
 G V 
 
 THE CELEBRATED 
 
 Mrs. GIBBER, 
 
 Siderate Jlaptus lugebat Alumna. 
 
 Claud, de Rap. Prcf. Lib. iii. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. Dodsle y, in Pail-Mall. 
 JVJDCCLXVL
 
 A 
 
 POEM 
 
 *-m.' 
 
 3r^ 
 
 TO THE KlS-o 
 
 MEMORY 
 
 O F 
 
 The Celebrated Mrs. GIBBER. 
 
 XTT7HAT Form is that, which on the mould'ring Heaps 
 Of Earth, upturn'd from yonder new-made Grave, 
 In this dim Cloifter painful Vigils keeps, 
 And by diftra&ed Geftures feems to rave ? 
 
 The Sexton's Lamp ftill glimmers on the Ground ; 
 CLofe at her Side the Axe and Spade are thrown, 
 And many a human Bone lies fcatter'd round, 
 The namelefs Reliques of a Race unknown ! 
 
 Long 
 
 959408
 
 I ? 3 
 
 Long is her fable Robe, and veil'd iher Face ; 
 Up to the vaulted Roof her Groan afcends ; 
 Now fomething in the Duft fhe feems to trace. 
 Now o'er the Sepulchre deje&ed bends. 
 
 " Say, thou fequefter'd Mourner, whence thy Woe ? 
 " Whence, I exclaim, thofe Signs of deep-felt Grief? 
 " Why thus the chearful Haunts of Life forego? 
 " Why in thefe lonely Mansions feek Relief? 
 
 £c Afk you, fhe cries, the Caufe of my Defpair ? 
 " Will not this Scene the fatal Story tell ? 
 <f Mark where yon Train fad Obfequies prepare! 
 11 Hear you the Summons of that paufing Bell ? 
 
 " It calls my Cibber to her Houfe of Clay, 
 " She, who the Paflions can no more engage, 
 " Rich in Theatric Glory, fnatch'd away, 
 11 The darling Daughter of the British Stage. 
 
 « She
 
 C 3 ] 
 
 " She comes, my Juliet comes — O dire Divorce ! 
 ce Torn from my Arms by Heav'n's refiftlefs Doom.^ — 
 " A Juliet chang'd indeed! — a real Corfe! 
 " And borne lamented to a real Tomb!" 
 
 I turn, and while my Eye the Cloifter roves, 
 The flaring Tapers pour upon my Sight ; . 
 Solemn and flow the black Proceflion moves, 
 And darts a Terror thro' the Gloom of Night. 
 
 Sorrowing, Ifee the holy Rites begin;: 
 Refign'd, the fad fepulchral Office hear :. 
 A thoufand foft Ideas fKr within, 
 And afk once more the tributary Tear. 
 
 But when the fable Pall afide was flung, 
 Who can this Mourner's feeming Anguifh tell ! - 
 As o'er the Margin of the Grave fhe hung, , 
 That foon muft clofe on one fhe lov'd fo well. ! 
 
 Eager:
 
 I 4 ] 
 
 Eager fhe feem'd to catch a parting Look, 
 Fix'd in expreilive Silence o'er the Dead : 
 Then fighing deep, the dreary Spot forfook, 
 And thro' the monumental Region fled. 
 
 " Might I, thou gen'rous Friend, that Face behold] 
 " Can'ft, thou a Partner in thy Tears refufe ? 
 " Can'ft, thou — " but while her Robe I ftrove to hold, 
 Her falling Veil difclos'd the Tragic Muse. 
 
 " Divine Melpomene ! art thou I cry'd, 
 u From Fancy's Regions come this Train to join? 
 " Tut'refs of virtuous Grief, why feek to hide 
 " Sorrows, which claim Preeminence o'er mine ? 
 
 " Yes, fhe reply 'd, from happier Realms I came, 
 " To fee my C i beer laid in hallow'd Reft ; 
 " By her, while living, I increas'd my Fame, 
 " By her, fecur'd my Empire in the Breaft. 
 
 Still
 
 :i 
 
 I 5 3 
 
 Still muft my Thoughts the plaintive Theme purfue, 
 " Still in my Mind her fond Remembrance fpring ; 
 " Now all her wond'rous Pow'rs rife frefh to View, 
 " And only fharper point Affliction's Sting ! 
 
 t( Clos'd are thofe Eyes which knew each vary'd Art, 
 " And could my Meaning with fuch Force infpire j 
 (i Call Tears of Pity from the melting Heart, 
 " Freeze with wild Horror, or with Rapture fire ! 
 
 " By Death's cold Hand thofe Features now are bound, 
 " That once could ev'ry Change of Paflion wear ! 
 " Mute is that Voice, whofe more than magic Sound 
 <c Stole like foft Mufic on the ravifh'd Ear! 
 
 " And fix'd thofe Limbs in fun'ral Weeds array 'd, 
 
 " Us'd to the fludy'd Elegance of Drefs, 
 
 " That ev'ry graceful Attitude difplay'd, 
 
 " Great as thefe circling, fculptur'd Forms exprefs! — ■ 
 
 « Who
 
 [ 6 ] 
 
 " Who. can like her the haughty Pyrrhus bend ? 
 " Or in the Wife of faithlefs Jaffier melt? 
 " Such filial Softnefs to Cordelia lend ? 
 " Or fhew the Struggles wretched Constance felt?' 
 
 " How fhall the falfe Calista weep her Fate ? 
 " Or poor deceiv'd Monimia now complain ? 
 " Who, Isabella, can thy Woes relate ? 
 " Or paint die Tortures of Alicia's Brain ?* — 
 
 " O gentle Gibber ! long thy Lofs I'll mourn;: 
 " And many a time, by flrong Affection led; 
 " To this lone Place at filent Night return* 
 " And o'er thy Dun: ambrofial Odours fnedi 
 
 " Yet am I not of ev'ry Hope bereft;: 
 " Nor ftifled in the Tomb my Taper dies ;: 
 " Still to relume the Blaze a Pr it chard's left, 
 " Whofe Breath mall fend it flaming to the Skies. 
 
 " She
 
 [ 7 ] 
 
 " She can to Nature urge the juft Appeal •, 
 " Genius and Judgment both in her are ken ; 
 " She thro' the Heart's deep Windings makes us feel, 
 " And adds new Grandeur to the fwelling Scene. 
 
 " But while exulting, thus her Pow'rs I praife, 
 u My Sportive Sister is a Rival there; 
 " Too frequent from my folemn Path fhe flrays, 
 i( And gives the pert Ufurper half her Care ! — 
 
 " O may fhe long retain her wonted Fire! — 
 " For fhould'ft thou Garrick ftill my Suit refufe, 
 41 And from the Stage replete with Fame retire, 
 u Who fhall fupport the drooping Tragic Muse?' 1 
 
 THE END.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF 
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