THE MAN OF PLEASURE. Fulke Greville Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
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Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T116245 1122 K093079.001 Pearch, G. A collection of poems in four volumes. By several hands. Vol. I. [The second edition]. London printed for G. Pearch 1770 pp. 308-310. 4v. ; 8⁰.

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THE MAN OF PLEASURE . BY THE SAME . YES , to the Sages be it told , However great , or wise , or old — Fair Pleasure's my pursuit ; For her I breathe the joyful day , For her thro' Nature's wilds I stray , And cull the flowers and fruit . Sweep , sweep the lute's enchanting string , And all thy sweets lov'd Luxury bring ! " To enjoy is to obey ; " The heavenly mandate still prevail , And let each unwise wretch bewail The dire neglected day . Ah ! graceless wretch ! to disobey , And devious quit the flowery way , And slight the gods decree ! Still , still , ye gods , the blessings send ! If e'er my guilty hands offend , Indeed my heart is free . In Pleasure's ray see Nature shine , How dull , alas ! at Wisdom's shrine ! " 'Tis Folly to be wise : " Collusive term , poor vain pretence , Enjoyment sure is real Sense In philosophic eyes . I love the carol of the hound , Enraptur'd on the living ground , In dashing ecstasy ; I love the aukward courser's stride , The courser that has been well tried , And with him eager fly . And yes , I love , ye sneering wise ! — Fair Honour , spurning still at lies , As courting Liberty ; Still hand in hand great Nature goes , With joys to honour never foes , And all those joys are free . And welcome thrice to British land , From Italy's voluptuous strand , Ye destin'd men of art ; Breathe on the thrilling meaning sound , Each grace shall still be faithful found , At your admirer's heart . Avert , ye gods ! that curse of fools , The pride of theoretic rules ; That dupery of sense : I ne'er refuse the proffer'd joy , With every good — that can annoy — Most easily dispense . I catch each rapture as it flies , Each happy loss a gain supplies , And boon still follows boon : The smile of beauty gilds my day , Regardless of her frowns I stray ; — Thus thro' my hours I run ! But let me not for idle rhyme Neglect , ungrateful , good old Time : Dear watch ! thou art obey'd — 'Twas thus the Man of Pleasure spoke , His jovial step then careless took To Celia — or her maid .