# Wine (Gay)

WINE
A
POEM.
Nulla placere diu, nec vivere carmina possunt, Quæ Scribuntur aquæ potoribus.
Epist. 19. Lib. 1 Hor.
LONDON:
Printed and Sold by H. Hills, in Black-Fryars, near the Water-side. 1708.
WINE
A
POEM.
Of Happiness Terrestrial, and the Source Whence human Pleasures flow, sing Heavenly Muse, Of sparkling juices, of th' enliv'ning Grape, Whose quickning Taste adds Vigour to the Soul, Whose Sov'raign pow'r revives decaying Nature, And thaws the frozen Blood of Hoary Age
A kindly warmth diffusing, Youthful fires Gild his dim Eyes, and paint with ruddy hue His Wrizzled Visage, ghastly wan before: Cordial restorative to mortal Man With copious Hand by bounteous Gods bestow'd.
Bacchus Divine, aid my adventrous Song, That with no middle flight intends to soar. Inspir'd, Sublime on Pegasean Wing By thee upborn, I draw Miltonic Air.
When fumy Vapours clog our loaded Brows With furrow'd Frowns, when stupid downcast Eyes Th's external Symptoms of remorse within, Our Grief express, or when in sullen Dumps With Head Incumbent on Expanded Palm, Moaping we sit, in silent sorrow drown'd: Whether Inviegling Hymen has trapand Th' unwary Youth, and ty'd the Gordian Knot Of jangling Wedlock Indissoluble; Worried all Day by loud Xantippes Din, And when the gentle Dew of sleep inclines With slumbrous Weight his Eye-lids She inflam'd With Uncloy'd Lust, and Itch Insatiable, His Stock exhausted, still yells on for more;
Nor fails She to exalt him to the Stars, And fix him there among the Branched rew (Taurus, and Aries, and Capricorn,) The greatest Monster of the Zodiac; Or for the loss of Anxious Worldly Pelf, Or Celia's scornful slights, and cold disdain Had check'd his Am'rous flame with coy repulse, The worst Events that mortals can befal; By cares depress'd in pensive Hypoish mood, With slowest pace, the tedious minutes Roll.
Thy charming sight, but much more charming Gust New Life incites, and warms our chilly Blood, Strait with pert Looks, we raise our drooping Fronts; And pour in Chrystal pure, thy purer Juice, With chearful Countenance, and steady Hand Raise it Lip-high, then fix the spacious Rim T' expecting Mouth, and now with Grateful Tast, The ebbing Wine glides swiftly o're the Tongue, The circling Blood with quicker motion flies; Such is thy pow'rful influence, thou strait Dispell'st those Clouds that lowring dark eclips'd The whilom Glories of our gladsom Face, And dimpled Cheeks, and sparkling rolling Eyes, Thy chearing Virtues, and thy worth proclaim.
So Mists and Exhalations that arise From Hills or steamy Lake, Dusky or Gray Prevail, till Phæbus sheds Titanian Rays, And paints their Fleecy Skirts with shining Gold, Unable to resist the Foggy Damps That veild the Surface of the verdant Fields, At the Gods penetrating Beams disperse: The Earth again in former Beauty smiles, In gaudiest Livery drest, all Gay and Clear.
When disappointed Stephen meets Repulse, Scofft at, despis'd, in melancholic mood Joyless he waits in sighs the lazy Hours, Till Reinforc't by thy Almighty Aid, He Storms the Breach, and wins the Beauteous Fort,
To pay thee Homage, and receive thy Blessings, The British Marriner quits native shore, And ventures through the tractless vast Abyss, Plowing the Ocean, whilst the Upheav'd Oak With beaked Prow, Rides tilting ore the Waves; Shockt by Tempestuous jarring Winds she Rolls In dangers Imminent, till she arrives At those blest Climes, thou favourst with thy presence;
Whether, at Lusitanian sultry Coasts, Or lofty Teneriff, Palma, Ferro, Provence, Or at the Celtiberian Shores;
With gazing Pleasure and Astonishment At Paradice, (Seat of our antient fire,) He thinks himself arriv'd, the Purple Grape In largest Clusters Pendant, grace the Vines Innumerous, in Fields Grottesque and Wild They with Implicit Curles the Oak entwine, And load with Fruit Divine her spreading Boughs; Sight most delicious, not an Irksom Thought, Or of left native Isle, or absent Friends, Or dearest Wife, or tender sucking Babe, His kindly treach'rous mem'ry now presents; The Jovial God has left no room for Cares.
Celestial Liquor, thou that didst inspire Maro and Flaccus, and the Grecian Bard, With lofty Numbers, and Heroic strains Unparalell'd, with Eloquence profound, And Arguments Convincive didst enforce Fam'd Tully, and Demosthenes Renown'd: Ennius first fam'd in Latin Song, in vain Drew Heliconian Streams, Ungrateful whet To Jaded Muse, and oft' with vain attempt Heroic Acts in Flagging Numbers dull With pains essay'd, but abject still and low, His Unrecruited Muse could never reach The mighty Theme, till from the Purple Font
Of bright Lenæan fire, Her barren drought He quench'd, and with inspiring Nect'rous Juice Her drooping Spirits chear'd, aloft the towres Born on stiff Pennons, and of Wars alarms, And Trophies won, in loftiest Numbers sings: 'Tis thou the Hero's breast to Martial Acts, And resolution bold, and ardour brave Excit'st, thou check'st Inglorious lolling ease, And sluggish minds with gen'rous fires inflam'st, O thou, that first my quickned Soul engag'd, Still with thy Aid assist me, What is dark Illumin, What is low raise and support, That to the height of this great Argument, Thy Universal Sway o're all the World, In everlasting Numbers, like the Theme I may record, and sing thy matchless Worth.
Had the Oxonian Bard thy Praise rehears'd, His Muse had yet retain'd her wonted height; Such as of late o're Blenheims Field she soard Aerial, now in Ariconian Bogs She lies Inglorious floundring like her Theme Languid and Faint, and on damp Wing immerg'd In acid Juice, in vain attempts to rise.
With what sublimest Joy from noisy Town, At Rural Seat, Lucretius retir'd, Flaccus, untainted by perplexing Cares, Where the white Poplar, and the lofty Pine Join Neighbouring Boughs, sweet Hospitable shade Creating, from Phæbean Rays secure, A cool Retreat, with few well chosen Friends On flowry Mead Recumbent, spent the Hours In Mirth Innocuous, and Alternate Verse! With Roses Interwoven, Poplar wreaths Their Temples bind, dress of Sylvestrian Gods; Choicest Nectarian Juice Crown'd largest Bowles, And overlook'd the lid, alluring sight, Of fragrant Scent, attractive, tast Divine! Whether from Formian Grape depress'd, Falern Or Setin, Massic, Gauran or Sabine, Lesbian or Cæcuban, the cheating Bowl Mov'd briskly round, and spur'd their heightned Wit To sing Mecænas praise their Patron kind.
But we, not as our Pristrin fires repair T' umbrageous Grot or Vale, but when the Sun Faintly from Western Skies his Rays oblique Darts slopping, and to Thetis watry Lap Hastens in prone Career, with Friends Select Swiftly we hie to Devil Young or Old
Jocund and Boon, where at the entrance stands A Stripling, who with Scrapes and Humil Cringe, Greets us in winning Speech and Accent Bland; With lightest bound, and safe unerring step He skips before, and nimbly climbs the Stairs: Melampus thus, panting with lolling Tongue, And wagging Tail, Gambloes, and frisks before His sequel Lord from pensive Walk return'd, Whether in Shady Wood, or Pastures Green, And waits his coming at the well known Gate. Nigh to the Stairs ascent, in regal Port Sits a Majestick Dame, whose looks denounce Command and Sov'reignty, with haughty Air, And Studied Mien, in Semicirc'lar Throne Enclos'd, she deals around her dread Commands; Behind her {Dazling sight) in order Rang'd, Pile above Pile Chrystallin Vessels shine; Attendant Slaves with eager stride advance, And after Homage paid, bawl out aloud Words Unintelligible, noise confus'd: She knows the Jargon Sound, and strait describes In Characters Mysterious Words obscure; More legible are Algebraic Signs, Or Mystic Figures by Magicians drawn, When they Invoke aid Diabolical.
Drive hence the Rude and Barb'rous Dissonance Of Savage Thracians, and Croatian Boors; The loud Centaurean Broiles with Lapithæ Sound harsh, and grating to Lenæan God: Chafe brutal Feuds of Belgian skippers hence, (Amid their Cups, whole Innate Tempers shown) In clumsy Fist wielding Scymetrian Knife, Who flash each others Eyes, and Blubber'd Face, Prophaning Bacchanalian solemn Rites: Musicks Harmonious Numbers better suit His Festivals, from Instrument or Voice, Or Gasperini's Hand the trembling string Should touch, or from the Tuscan Dames, Or warbling Tofts more soft Melodious Tongue Sweet Symponies should flow, the Delian God For Airy Bacchus is Associate meet.
The Stairs Ascent now gain'd, our Guide unbars The Door of Spatious Room, and creaking Chairs (To ear offensive) round the Table sets, We sit, when thus his Florid Speech begins: Name, Sirs, the WINE that most invites your Tast, Champaign or Burgundy, or Florence pure. Or Hoc Antique, or Lisbon New or Old, Bourdeaux, or neat French White, or Alicant:
For Bordeaux we with Voice Unanimous Declare, (such Sympathy's in Boon Compeers.) He quits the Room Alert, but soon returns, One hand Capacious glist'ring Vessels bore Resplendant, th' other with a grasp secure, A Bottle (mighty charge) upstaid, full Fraught With goodly Wine, He with extended Hand Rais'd high, pours forth the Sanguin frothy Juice, O'respred with Bubbles, dissipated soon: We strait t' our Arms repair, experienc'd Chiefs; Now Glasses clash with Glasses, (Charming Sound,) And Glorious ANNA's Health the first the best Crowns the full Glass, at Her inspiring Name The sprightly Wine Results, and seems to Smile, With hearty Zeal, and wish Unanimous The Health we drink, and in her Health our own.
A Pause ensues, and now with grateful Chat W' improve the Interval, and Joyous Mirth Engages our rais'd Souls, Pat Repartee, Or Witty Joke our airy Senses moves To pleasant Laughter, strait the Ecchoing Room With Universal Peals and Shouts resounds.
The Royal Dane, blest Consort of the blest QUEEN, Next Crowns the Rubied Nectar, all whose Bliss
In ANNA's plac't, with Sympathetic Flame, And Mutual Endearments, all her Joys, Like the kind Turtles pure untainted Love, Center in Him, who shares the grateful Hearts. Of Loyal Subjects, with his Sov'reign QUEEN; For by his Prudent Care, united shores Were sav'd from Hostile Fleets Invasion dire.
The Hero Malbro next, whose vast Exploits Fames Clarion sounds, fresh Laurels, Triumphs new We wish, like those he won at Hockstet's Field.
Next Devonshire Illustrious, who from Race Of Noblest Patriots sprung, whole Soul's endow'd, And is with ev'ry Vertuous gift Adorn'd That shon in his most worthy Ancestors, For then distinct in sep'rate Breasts were seen Virtues distinct, but all in him unite.
Prudent Godolphin, of the Nations weal Frugal, but free and gen'rous of his own. Next Crowns the Bowl, with Faithful Sunderland, And Halifax, the Muses darling Song, In whom Conspicuous, with full Lustre shine The surest Judgment, and the brightest Wit, Himself Mecænas and a Flaccus too, And all the Worthies of the British Realm
In order rang'd succeeded, Healths that ting'd The Dulcet Wine with a more charming Gust.
Now each the Mistress by whose scorching Eyes Fir'd, tosts Cosmelia Fair, or Dulcibella, Or Sylvia Comely Black with jetty Eyes Piercing, or Airy Celia sprightly Maid. Insensibly thus flow Unumber'd Hours; Glass succeeds Glass, till the Dircean God Shines in our Eyes, and with his Fulgent Rays Enlightens our glad Looks with lovely Die; All Blithe and Jolly that like Arthur's Knights Of Rotund Table, Fam'd in Pristrin Records, Now most we seem'd, such is the Power of Wine.
Thus we the winged Hours in harmless Mirth, And Joys Unsully'd pass, till Humid Night Has half her Race perform'd, now all abroad Is hush'd and silent, nor the Rumbling Noise Of Coach or Cart, or smoaky Link-Boys call Is heard; but Universal Silence Reigns: When we in Merry Plight, Airy and Gay, Surpriz'd to find the Hours so swiftly flie, With hasty knock, or Twang of Pendant Cord Alarm the Drowsy Youth from slumb'ring Nod; Startled he flies, and stumbles o're the Stairs Erroneous, and with busie Knuckles plies
His yet clung Eyelids, and with stagg'ring Reel Enters Confus'd, and Mutt'ring asks our Wills; When we with Lib'ral Hand the Score discharge, And Homeward each his Course with steady step Unerring steer'd of Cares and Coin bereft.
FINIS.
Layout 2
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse