[Page 12]
VERSES ON WREXHAM,
AND THE INHABITANTS OF ITS ENVIRONS.
1 PROUD of her ancient Race, Britannia shows
2 Where, in her Wales, another Eden glows,
3 And all her Sons, to Truth, and Honor dear,
4 Prove they deserve the Paradise they share.
5 Thrice happy Wrexham, 'mid thy neighbouring groves
6 Stray, with 'twin'd arms, the Virtues, and the Loves,
7 There FLETCHER*
* Mrs. Fletcher of Gwernheyled — Gwernheyled, means Sunny Alders.
from her own Gwernheyled, beams,8 Fair as its meads, and liberal as its streams;
9 The Sister APPERLYS†
† The two Miss Apperlys.
, in Youth's soft morn,10 With rising charms the festal scenes adorn;
11 And friendly PRICE‡
‡ Mrs. Parry Price, late of that neighbourhood.
, as happy, free, and gay,12 As when, in Life and Beauty's rosy May,
[Page 13]13 She shone, the Hebe of her green retreat,
14 With half the youth of Cambria at her feet;
15 See CUNLIFFE'S*
* The Lady of Sir Foster Cunliffe, Baronet.
eyes diffuse the gladdening ray,16 And shed around her Pleasure's golden day;
17 Meridian loveliness, majestic grace,
18 Stream o'er her form, and lighten in her face;
19 While Sense and Virtue's blended influence dart
20 The look, the voice, resistless to the heart.
21 Nor only, WREXHAM, do thy circling groves
22 Boast the fair Virtues, and the radiant Loves,
23 There HAYMAN'S†
† Watkin Hayman, Esq.
song, with its inchanting powers,24 Floats thro' thy vales, thy mansions, and thy bowers;
25 Her hallow'd temple there Religion shows,
26 That erst with beauteous majesty arose
27 In ancient days, when Gothic Art display'd
28 Her fanes, in airy elegance array'd,
29 Whose nameless charms the Dorian claims efface,
30 Corinthian splendor, and Ionic grace;
31 Then plied, with curious skill, now rarely shown,
32 Th' adorning chisel, o'er the yielding stone.
[Page 14]33 But as those Graces which alone delight
34 With their fine forms the captivated sight,
35 Must not aspire to emulate the Art
36 That, while it charms the eye, pervades the heart,
37 See Gothic Elegance the palm resigns,
38 When Art in intellectual greatness shines.
39 Bright as in*
* Westminster.
Albion's long distinguish'd fanes,40 Within these holy Walls, she lives, she reigns.
41 Her SAINTED MAID†
† Sainted Maid. Mrs. Mary Middleton's monument by Roubilliac, in the Chancel at Wrexham.
, amid the bursting tomb,42 Hears the LAST TRUMPET thrill its murky gloom,
43 With smile triumphant over DEATH, and Time,
44 Lifts the rapt eye, and rears the form sublime.
45 WREXHAM, for thee thus rose, by mental power,
46 Fair modern Science o'er the Arts of yore;
47 For thee exulting she entwines the wreaths,
48 As SCULPTURE speaks, and heavenly MUSIC breathes,
49 Since great ROUBILLIAC decks thy SACRED SHRINE,
50 And GENIUS wakes thy RANDAL'S HARP‡
‡ Mr. Randal, Organist of Wrexham; an exquisite Performer on the pedal Harp. He has been blind from his infancy.
divine. Source edition
Seward, Anna, 1742-1809. Llangollen Vale, with Other Poems. London: Printed for G. Sael, No. 192, Strand, 1796, pp. 12-14. (ESTC T96723) (Page images digitized by University of California Libraries.)
Editorial principles
Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Anna Seward
- EYAM ()
- HERVA, AT THE TOMB OF ARGANTYR. A RUNIC DIALOGUE. ()
- HOYLE LAKE, A POEM, WRITTEN ON THAT COAST, AND ADDRESSED TO ITS PROPRIETOR, SIR JOHN STANLEY. ()
- LLANGOLLEN VALE, ()
- SONNET, To A YOUNG LADY IN AFFLICTION, WHO THOUGHT SHE SHOULD NEVER MORE BE HAPPY; ()
- SONNET. ()
- SONNET. ()
- SONNET. ()
- SONNET. INVITATION TO A FRIEND. ()
- SONNET. WRITTEN ON RISING GROUND, NEAR LICHFIELD. ()
- TO TIME PAST. WRITTEN DEC. 1772. ()