54-31 
 
 ol 
 
 Oi 
 0| 
 7l 
 Oi 
 
 4\ 
 
 91 
 3^ 
 5[ 
 
 Dyer 
 The carnation
 
 l^^rc- 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD 
 ENDOWMENT FUND
 
 THE 
 
 C ARN ATI O N. 
 
 (^> dft/fi^'^^^ ^^ ^^ Honourable ,,/^ 
 
 MISS GRA^CK PELHAM, 
 
 A POEM , 
 
 UPON 
 
 HER MARRIAGE 
 
 To the Honourable 
 
 LEWIS JVATSON, Efq; 
 
 To Thee, fair Excellence ! I fly, 
 
 And in thy Bofom beg to die ! the Carnati on. 
 
 T'elle, MimahJI^en fin air, tnais humble dans fon Style, 
 Doit eclat'er fans po?npe line elegante Idylle. Boileau. 
 
 Hail, wedded Love ! 
 
 Perpetual Fountain of domeftic Sweets! Milton. 
 
 Y R. D r E R. 
 
 i?m-lj N D N. 
 
 Printed for J. and Ft. T o n s o n and S. D r a p e r in the Strand; and Sold 
 by R. D o D s L E V in Pall-Mall^ and M. Cooper in Pater-?ioJler Row. 
 
 / MDCCLm>
 
 * f - » ;^n
 
 pniijiiHmmmiiHHil 
 
 ADVERTISE 
 
 M E N T, j)^^ 
 
 HE Author has not, for feveral Years, propofed to himfelf 
 any other Advantage from Poetry -^ than that innocent Amufe- 
 ment which it privately affords him in his Httle Study : And there- 
 fore did not think to let his humble Mufe wander abroad any more, 
 after having received greater Favour and kinder Treatment from the 
 World, than fhe deferved :: But being, at his leifure Hours, much 
 delighted with the pleadng ProduEiions of a fmall Garden-, and 
 having the Honour to be known to the G r e a t Family with whofe 
 Name he has graced his Title-P age^ he compofed a Nofegay of va- 
 rious Flowers, and the following yf^/?^/^ Strains to accompany it to 
 the Honourable young Lady to whom they are now thus publicly ad- 
 dreffed. The principal Flowers in the Compolition of that little 
 Eoiiqiiette were Carnations, which the Author had raifed, with 
 uncommon Bloom and Fragrance^ at this dead Seafon of the Year. 
 
 As he knows how little Praife he may deferve from Poetry, he is as 
 little anxious and folicitous about obtaining it, efpecially as he is now 
 fo far advanced in Years : And therefore having no poetical Vanity to 
 
 A 2 indulge, 
 
 85S5r^ 
 
 I^O/W
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 indulge, he is fo very indifferent about troubling the World with any 
 of his Performances, that it has been, for fome time, a Queftion with 
 him, whether he fhould risk the Publication of this Trifie or not ; which 
 is the true and real Reafon that it has been fo long delayed : And 
 therefore the Humility with which it is now fubmitted to the Public^ 
 fhould incline every geiierous-fpirited Reader to look with Ibme degree 
 of Candour and Good-?2ature upon its many Errors and LnperfeBiom, 
 
 Stamp-Office, Lincoln's-Inn, 
 March 2, 1753. 
 
 T H E
 
 THE 
 
 CARNATION. 
 
 To the Honourable 
 
 MISS GRACE P E LH A M 
 
 OUCHSAFE^ fairPELHAM, to pcrufe 
 I The Tripngs of an humble Mufe j 
 
 Too much deprefs'd by Fortunes Wheel 
 i En'vy to fear, or Praife to feel j 
 To find the Way is paft her Skill, 
 To Pmdus or Tarnajjus Hill ; 
 Yet round their flow'ry Vales fhe ftrays, 
 Well pleas'd while Others fhe furveys 
 
 Their
 
 [6] 
 
 Their Harps upon the Summit firing. 
 And grow immortal as they fing ; 
 With L-T-L-T-N their Voices raife 
 To merit Vniverfal Praife 5 
 Contented, if with Lays like thefe. 
 She can a darling Daughter pleafe 5 
 A Daughter, blefs'd with ev'ry Grace, 
 
 Of Pelham's, and of Rutland's Racer 
 Whofe Virtues fhall her Strains infpire. 
 
 And animate the languid Lyre. 
 
 But, ivlAD AM, tho' it low may feem. 
 
 Yet fure uncommon is her Theme ; 
 
 In Nature's pure Simplicity, 
 
 Her Suhjecl: and her Verfe agree : 
 
 No Strokes of Art, no ftudy'd Senfe, 
 
 Her lowly Language influence j 
 
 Her whole Support is Innocence. 
 
 Nor, at th' Expencc of Virtue, dares 
 
 To lay for Readers impious Snares; 
 
 Nor,
 
 [7] 
 
 Nor, at fo dear a Price, would raife 
 A Friend to give her partial Praife. 
 
 And left your Judgment fhould complain 
 She makes a fimple Drop of Rain^ 
 And (as abfurd) a Flowr to fpeak^ 
 And thro* the Laws of Nature break. 
 The Mufe your Patience muft befeech 
 To own they're out of Nature's Reach ,- 
 To own they're Miracles to Thought, 
 Which Bards of ancient Days have wrought j 
 Who went, tho' glorioufly, aftray 
 From Reafon and from Nature^ Way ; 
 And this — furprifing ftill, and odd ! — 
 Without the Aid of any * God ; 
 As we could Inftances arrange. 
 From Homer, ^fop, tO L'Efirange ; 
 For Homer, mighty Bard ! in Greek, 
 Makes Frogs, and Mice, and Horfes fpeak : 
 
 * The Critics and Commentators have cenfured Homer and Virgil, for introducing fuch Ex- 
 travagancies as /peaking Horfes and Heeding Myrtles^ without the Intervention of fome Deitjf, to 
 render fuch things probabk as well as marvellous. 
 
 And
 
 [8] 
 
 And Virgil, in his Latian Lays, 
 (Whofe Brows for ever wear the Bays ! ) 
 His Mafter, Homer, to exceed. 
 Makes Myrtles in the ^neid bleed j 
 Nay, modern doughty Wits expofe 
 Strange and unheard-of Things in Profe-, 
 Which fhould, fairpELHAM, intercede 
 For this poor Verfe which now you read 5 
 And therefore thus its Tale purfues. 
 For what can't pleafe may yet amufc. 
 
 A. GO N * by Age almoft a-ground, 
 A little Houfe at Kmghtshridge found 5 
 And, on the wcftern Side of that, 
 
 A fmall, but ufeful Garden-Plat j 
 
 Where he might breathe ferener Air, 
 
 Decaying Nature to repair : 
 
 The Mufes there, with all their Train, 
 
 Would oft divert the ancient Swaift ; 
 
 For he was early taught to fing 5 
 
 Was taught to ftrikc the tuneful String 5 
 
 • yEgotij the Jul/jor. Was
 
 [9] 
 
 Was taught by Addison and Steele, 
 
 The Pow'r of Poetry to feel ,• 
 
 But in his Garden lay the Snare 
 
 To catch old Agon's Pains and Care 3 
 
 Tor there he, at his leifure Hours, 
 
 Would raife variety of Flow\s 5 
 
 At Chrifimas aCARNATioN had. 
 
 In all the Pride of Summer clad j 
 
 In which the Bloom of June appear 'd. 
 
 As if 'twas in that Seafon rear'd 5 
 
 Which he had nurs'd with tender Care, 
 
 And kept from the inclement Air. 
 
 By Agon's Converfe one might trace 
 (Though mean his Rank, and low his Place,) 
 He'd long rever'd the Pelham Race. 
 P E L H A M ! attentive and fedate. 
 Still watchful o'er Britanma\ Fate 3 
 He, gracious Guardian of the Realm, 
 Calm and ferene direds the Helm ,- 
 
 B His
 
 [ 10] 
 
 His Sov'reign's Servant and his Friend/ 
 On whom his People may depend : 
 He, pleas'd to be lefs Great than Good, 
 Firm to his fFord and Ho^^our flood, 
 Th' inherent Firtue of his Blood: 
 The World, who all his Ac1:ions fcan, 
 Acknowledge Him an honcft Man, 
 He fondly loves the Mufe\ Song, 
 When Truth direds her Strains along 5 
 Eiit yet rejeds her with Difdain, 
 When govern 'd by a venal Vein. 
 Eleft be the Patron and the Bard, 
 Who fhall this righteous Rule regard \ 
 And doubly bleft will be the ^ Lays, 
 Which Pelham fhall vouchfafe to praife 
 
 Old Agon dcem'd his Tlower fair. 
 And its Produdion fingular j 
 Then thus he faid, with Thoughts elate, 
 Oh ! happy fure will be thy Fate 1 
 
 * Vide Priori Alma. 
 
 Go
 
 [ II ] 
 
 Go then, nor here remain and fade, 
 To P E L H A M, that illuflrious Maid ,• 
 With Myrtle I have prop'd thee round. 
 Which with a filken Twine I've bound > 
 And if, with Awe and Lowlmefs, 
 Thou doft the high-horn Maid addrefs, 
 I then may thus thy Fate foretell — 
 She'll deign thy balmy Sweets to fmell, 
 Then haply in her Breaft be plac'd. 
 And there with higheft Honour grac'd I 
 
 Meeknefs with Meannefs fllOuld be feell. 
 
 So fuit thy JVords, thy Air and Mten 5 
 
 For Meeknefs oft a Merit prOVes, 
 
 A Merit which that fair One loves ; 
 Meeknefs^ ftie knows, exalts the Mind, 
 As Tride debafes humankind j 
 The' plac'd on high llie Pride difdains. 
 As if a Njmpk upon the Plains. 
 
 B 2 The
 
 [ ^2 ] 
 
 The poor Car n at i o n foon was'come 
 
 To EJher — - P E L H A m's * Tufculuvn ! 
 Its conrcious Lowlinefs expreft. 
 And thus the mUe Maid addreft. 
 
 Offspring of Patriot Pelham's Plamel 
 Pair Daughter of z pnncely 'Dame! 
 To court thy Hand, bright Charmer, fee 
 A Flow\ of Winter's Progeny j 
 Rais'd by a tender, aged Hand,- 
 And by vvhofe foft and mild Command, 
 
 To Thee, fair Excellence! I fly. 
 
 And in thy Bofom beg to die I 
 Por tho' we Flowers bloom apace, 
 Adorn'd, like Thee, with ev'ry Grace, 
 We live but for a little Space L 
 I long in Claps was confin'd, 
 Saf: from the Rage of IFmters Wind j 
 Where fliclter'd from the Froft and Smw^ 
 By Art^ not Nature^ forc'd to blow j 
 
 -» Tufculunu a Town of Latium, where Cicero had a Country- Houfc, as Mr, Pelham has at 
 Ejher ; and about the fame diflance from Roifie as that is froni London. 
 
 Put
 
 [ 13 ] 
 
 But could not fhed my Odours round. 
 Where all in icy Chains were bound j 
 Yet I as frefh and fair appear. 
 As in the prime time of the Year ; 
 And all my Vtrgm Bloom I bring. 
 Like Flora on her Zephy/s Wing, 
 To hail thy equal fprightly Spring. 
 
 O fave me yet awhile from Death ! 
 And chear me with thy fweeter Breath/ 
 For tho' the Sun, of Flo-zurs the Sire, 
 Did ne'er my fhiv'ring Soul infpire. 
 Yet grateful fliall my Fragrance rife, 
 Warm'd by the * Sun-flnne of thy Eyes ! 
 
 Sweetnefs I boaft and Modejijy 
 
 Tho' neither can I add to Thee. 
 My Fofter-Father^ at thy Gate, 
 Stands anxious for his Flower s Fate ; 
 Let not his hoary Brow complain. 
 We begr'd atEsHER-PLACEin vain ! 
 
 * The Author is very fenfible that the Sun-pine of a Ladfs Eyes^ is a trite pceticd Expref- 
 fion, yet he could not refill the Fitnefs and Propriety of admitting it in this Place. 
 
 But
 
 I 14] 
 
 But with Benignity divine, 
 Native to noble Pelham's Line, 
 Regard thy SuppHant's fond Requeft, 
 And let me as thy Bofom-Guefi, 
 At Court my little Charms dilplay, 
 Upon Great G E O R G e's Natal Day ; 
 Where I, ftill proud of being thine ^ 
 May in the Royal Circle ihine j 
 For tho' I am, alas, too mean 
 With P E L H A m's Daughter to be feen, 
 Yet once, H u m i ly could gain 
 Preferment for a Drop of * Rain j 
 And, M ADAM, if you'll lend an Ear, 
 Its Fate and Fortune you fhall hear. 
 
 'Tis by a Perfian Fable told. 
 And Fables often Truths unfold. 
 That on a fultry Summer's Day, . 
 About the Month of June or May, 
 This ancient Story took its Date j 
 A Story wond'rous to relate I 
 
 * Vide Spedtator, N^ 293. Gay
 
 [ n ] 
 
 Gay as the Seafon of the Year, 
 Our Goddefs Flora did appear,- 
 Her Head with rofeat Chaplets crovvn'd. 
 Which fpread ambrofial Sweets around : 
 The Sun too influence her Flow'rs, 
 As God-like George does Europe s Pow'rs : 
 The Sea was cahn, the Sky ferene j 
 * Halcyon to build her Neft was feen , 
 Yet, lefs than in a Moment's Space, 
 A fudden Gloom veil'd Heaven's Face ,* 
 The Bird^ diftradted and diftreft, 
 Unfinilh'd left her floating Nefi-^ 
 And round the Shores did fluttering fly, 
 As if fome dreadful Storm was nigh : 
 A fullen Cloud hung o'er the Main j 
 It threaten'd much — but did not rain > 
 Yet, as the Cloud did wider fwell. 
 
 This little Drop of IVater fell 
 
 * Halcyon, a Bird called The King's-Fifier, which makes her Nefl: upon the Sea, when it is 
 
 Out
 
 [ 16 ] 
 
 Out of its Skirts, by Fate\ Decree, 
 Into the brinv, boundlefs Sea ! — 
 — This but begins its Hiftory ! — 
 
 While there from tVav€ to Wa^e 'twas toft. 
 And, as it were, its Being loft. 
 To its poor Self it pond'ring faid — 
 " Wherefore — O wherefore was I made! 
 '' Of what Significance am I, 
 '' Amongft this vaft Immenfity 
 " Of over-whelming ftuid Matter, 
 " This troubled World of rcftlefs Water! 
 '' While here I undiftinguifti'd lie, 
 '' What to the Vm^erfe am I ! 
 '' What Good from my Exiftence fprings, 
 *• To the amazing Frame of Things ! 
 '^ From me can fomething be produc d, 
 " That am to «o^/7/>2^ thus reduc'd ? 
 '« Or elfe I furely am the leaft 
 '' Of all that Heav'n with Being blcft! 
 
 While
 
 
 while thus it fadly made its Moan 
 
 /][disfortune feldom comes alone) 
 
 An OisTER in its Neighbourhood lay. 
 Which gaping eager for its Prey, 
 Soon fvvallow'd up this Drop of Rairiy 
 Amidfl: its moraUzing Strain. 
 
 Of fure Deilrudtion then afraid. 
 
 Where am I now, alas! it fa id: 
 
 How could my cruel, wayward Fate, 
 
 Doom me to this more dang'rous State, 
 *' Than that in which I was before, 
 " Where I could range the Ocean o'er? 
 
 I there of Liberty could boaft; 
 
 But that I priz'd not --till 'twas loft ! 
 '' From Nature Poets oft relate 
 " None are contented with their State: 
 " Moft humbly therefore I fubmit, 
 " To what the Will of Heav'n thinks fit! 
 A Fo'vur unfeen does all things guide. 
 In whom all Beings fliould confide 5 
 
 C For 
 
 cc 
 
 ((
 
 [ ,8] 
 
 For in Difireps often lies : V 
 
 The greateft Bleffmg in Difgmfe > 
 
 And true Suhmijfwn {hall obtain 
 
 A fure Reward for all its Pain j 
 
 Which now the prefent Cafe will prove. 
 
 And from the Truth all Doubts remove. 
 
 ^Twas all in vain to feek for Aid: 
 Within the Otfier long it laid; 
 But hard'ning there, by flow degrees, 
 (O who the Fate of things forefees ! 
 
 And yet my Tale^ tho' ftrange^ is true) 
 
 Into a brillant P e a R l it grew ; 
 
 Which, being by a Droer found. 
 
 Is now by Vame^ loud Voice renown'd, 
 
 And after all its Troubles paft. 
 
 Is rais'd to Dignity at laft ; 
 
 And Ihines aloft a glorious Gem 
 
 Upon the Ferfian Diadem ! 
 
 This Talc has Ihown a marvellous Change ! 
 A Tale for vulgar Faith too ftrange !
 
 [ 19] 
 
 A Tale £o wond'rous ne'er was told 
 
 In Metamor^hofes of old 1 
 
 In Ovid's Verfe we cannot fee 
 A Tale fo full of Prodigy I "^] 
 
 Yet I fliall think it mean and low. 
 To what my Happinefs may grow, i 
 
 If I can, Madam, you infpire 
 To give me all my Heart's Deilre; 
 And all its boafted Dignity 
 Shall ftand unenvyd ftill for me : 
 From Meeknefs all its Fortune came. 
 And my Pretenfions are the fame. 
 Then grant me in your Breafi a Place, 
 
 To give unneceffary Grace j 
 
 Our mutual Fragrance there (hall meet. 
 And while we mingle Sweet with Sweet, 
 Each noble Youth, with envious Pain, 
 Shall grudge the Pleafure I obtain j 
 Far greater Pleafure and Renown 
 Than being plac'd on Perfias Crown ! — 
 
 C 2 No
 
 [20] 
 
 No more! — There/^/>7 Tales difdain! 
 Mufe! ftrike a loftier, Ljric Strain, 
 
 As loftier Thoughts infpire: 
 The TPjeme, which now, thou muft rehearfe. 
 Demands the Pow'r of Pindar s Verfe^ 
 
 And all his Grecian Fire. 
 
 For lo 1 a potent Rival came, 
 A Rrual! with refifllefs Claim 
 
 To fair G r a ci a n a's Bread ; 
 Where he has fix'd his blifsful Throne, 
 Where he refolves to reign alone. 
 
 And be, by bleffing, bleft. 
 
 There needs not thy fupcrRuous Aid, 
 He to the poor Carnation faid, 
 
 Where all Arabia breathes j 
 Which feeble Agon can't defcribe. 
 And far tran(cends thy jlovfry Tribe 
 
 CoD:ibin'd in fragranjt Wreaths. 
 
 Her
 
 [ 21 ] 
 
 Her virtuous Mind^ ^TiA youthful Bloom 
 DifFufe Qitonnd fincere Perfume^ 
 Sincere devoid of Art: 
 
 Her Praifes dwell on ev'ry Tongue, 
 Like that bright T>ame\^ from whom Ihe fprung, 
 Who charms great Pelham's Heart. 
 
 The Mufe^ with pleafing Tranfport rais'd. 
 To hear her Patronefs thus prais'd, 
 Confulted foon with Fame j 
 
 Who did the welcome News unfold. 
 And other glorious Truths fhe told. 
 While {he reveal'd his Name, 
 
 For Fame induftrioufly reports 
 At Britain Sy and at foreign Courts 
 
 How Wat s o n is belov'd ; 
 Completely in himfelf endow'd 
 For Social Life, and Ful^lic Good, 
 
 And for each State approv'd. 
 
 Trembling
 
 [22] 
 
 Trembling the confcious Mufe proceeds 
 To praife what all her Pow'r exceeds; 
 
 His Tap, his IVit and Senfe ; 
 Yet reftlefs that fhe can t recite 
 
 How fiudious, learned and polite 
 He does thefe Gifts difpenfe. 
 
 Superior Bards, in fprightlier Lays, 
 Shall fing his modefl; Merit's Praife, 
 
 And fet that Merit forth ; 
 Merit! ^hic\\ CQillj Honours V^ On, 
 Honours! which yet are but begun. 
 
 Shall crown his noble Worth. 
 
 Whofe Virtues foon fhall brighter fhine, 
 P E L H A M ! con jun61:ively with thine, 
 
 Th'Oppreffed to relieve ,• 
 And with Good-nature like thy own. 
 
 Like Thee for Truth and Juftice known, 
 Difdaining to deceive. 
 
 From
 
 [23] 
 
 From LiNCOLN^s and from Watson's Loins 
 (For Heav'n to Pamot'Prajrs inclines) 
 
 A long and lafting Race 
 Of future Worthies fhall be born 5 
 
 Sages our Senates tO adorn. 
 
 And ev'ry Station grace. 
 
 Thus fhalt thou, in thy Daughters, fee 
 Increafe of num'rous Progeny 
 To glad Increafe of Years : 
 From Them illuftrious Sons fhall rife. 
 
 To blefs thy noble K ath'rine's Eyes, 
 And fhine among our Peers! . 
 
 For Pe LH am's Race deferves no lefs 
 Than thofe high Honours they poflefs. 
 
 And evry Nation owns 
 'Tis higher Glory and Renown 
 To fer^e Great George and Britain's Crown, 
 
 Than fit on other Thrones. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book U DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 THF IIBRAV
 
 PAM PHLET BINDER 
 
 ^^^ Syracuse, N. y. 
 ^Z^ Stockton, Colif. 
 
 000: 
 
 ^04 935