[Page 166]
On the QUEEN's Grotto, in RICHMOND Gardens.
1 NOW blush, CALYPSO; 'tis but just to yield,
2 That all your mossy Caves are here excell'd.
3 See how the Walls, in humble Form, advance,
4 With careless Pride, and simple Elegance:
5 See Art and Nature strive with equal Grace,
6 And Fancy charm'd with what she can't surpass.
7 Flow swiftly, THAMES; and flowing, still proclaim.
8 This Building's Beauty, and the Builder's Fame;
9 Tell Indian Seas, thy NAIADS here have seen
10 The sweetest Grotto, and the wisest QUEEN;
11 Whose Royal Presence bless'd this humble Seat:
12 How small the Mansion, and the Guest how Great!
[Page 167]13 So Angels sat in Canaan's sweet Abodes,
14 So rural Shades were honour'd with the Gods.
15 Here may her Soul th'Almighty's Wonders trace,
16 Far as the Worthies, that adorn the Place;
17 Whose awful Busts around the Grot appear,
18 The brightest Stars in Learning's Hemisphere:
19 Their Fathers dimly view'd the dawning Ray;
20 These rose like Suns, and brought a Flood of Day.
21 BUT cease, my Muse, and cast thy wond'ring Eyes,
22 Where PHOEBUS' lofty*
* Eaton and Westminster Schools.
Domes majestic rise;23 Whose tuneful Train have sung this Grotto's Praise,
24 Contending each, till each deserves the Bays.
25 O pardon me, ye learned Sons of Fame!
26 Who saintly, after you, attempt the Theme;
27 Nor think, I rival your poetic Fires;
28 My QUEEN commands, and Gratitude inspires
[Page 168]29 And You, Imperial Foundress! deign to smile,
30 Nor scorn the least, the latest Muse's Toil;
31 Who brings the tardy Off'ring of her Lays,
32 The first in Duty, tho' the last in Praise.
About this text
Author: Stephen Duck
Themes:
glory of the British nation
Genres:
heroic couplet; occasional poem
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Duck, Stephen, 1705-1756. Poems on several occasions: By Stephen Duck. London: printed for the author, 1736, pp. 166-168. xl,334,[2]p. ; 4⁰. (ESTC T90234; OTA K073280.000)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, 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 Stephen Duck
- The ABSENT LOVER. ()
- [Ad JOANNEM MILTONUM.] ()
- The ANSWER. ()
- AVARO and AMANDA. A POEM, in FOUR CANTO's, Taken from the Spectator, Vol. I. No. xi. ()
- CHLOE's CONQUEST. ()
- CONTENTMENT. ()
- A Description of a Journey To Marlborough, Bath, Portsmouth, &c. To the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount PALMERSTON. ()
- An EPIGRAM. ()
- FELIX and CONSTANCE. A POEM, taken from BOCCACE. ()
- GRATITUDE. A PASTORAL. ()
- Imitated from CLAUDIAN. ()
- An IMITATION Of the Sixteenth Ode Of the Second Book of HORACE. ()
- An Imitation of the Sixteenth Ode of the Third Book of HORACE. ()
- An Imitation of the Tenth Ode of the Second Book of HORACE. To the Right Hon. the Lord Viscount PALMERSTON. ()
- Occasion'd by a Dispute with a LADY. ()
- An ODE, presented to their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of WALES, in Richmond Gardens, on Thursday, May 6. 1736. ()
- Of FRIENDSHIP. To CELIA. ()
- On a GOOD CONSCIENCE. ()
- On a Screen, work'd in Flowers by Her Royal Highness ANNE, Princess of ORANGE. ()
- On Celia's Picture, drawn by Sir Godfrey Kneller. ()
- On Delia singing, and playing on Music. ()
- On FLORELLA's Birth-Day. ()
- On MITES. To a LADY. ()
- On Mrs. L—s. ()
- On MUSIC. ()
- On POVERTY. ()
- On RICHMOND PARK, and ROYAL GARDENS. ()
- On the Hon. Mrs. HORNER's Travelling for the Recovery of her Health. ()
- On the Marriage of his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange. ()
- On Two Young Ladies leaving the Country. ()
- A PASTORAL ELEGY. ()
- PENELOPE to ULYSSES. Paraphras'd from OVID. ()
- A Poem on Her MAJESTY's Birth-Day. ()
- Proper Ingredients to make a Sceptic. ()
- The SHUNAMMITE. To Mrs. STANLEY. ()
- The THRESHER's LABOUR. To the Revd. Mr. STANLEY. ()
- To a Gentleman, who requested a Copy of Verses from the Author. ()
- To a Young LADY, who had a CUPID given Her. ()
- To DEATH. An IRREGULAR ODE. ()
- To His ROYAL HIGHNESS The DUKE of CUMBERLAND, On His BIRTH-DAY. ()
- To Mr. Winder, (now Fellow) of Corpus-Christi, Oxford; in Answer to a Latin Epistle, which he sent me. ()
- To Mr. WORSDALE: Occasion'd by seeing CELIA's Picture unfinish'd. Writ extempore at Kensington. ()
- To the Author of a Poem on the Duke of Lorrain's Arrival at the British Court. ()
- To the Rev. Dr. Freind, on his quitting Westminster School. ()
- To the Right Honourable William Clayton, Esq (now Lord Sundon) on his being Elected Representative in Parliament for Westminster without Opposition. ()
- TRUTH and FALSHOOD. A FABLE. ()
- The Two Beavers. A FABLE. ()
- VERSES to the Author, In IMITATION of HORACE's ODE on PINDAR. Apply'd to the Marriage of his Highness the Prince of Orange with ANNE, Princess Royal of Great Britain. ()