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WRITTEN ON A PAPER, WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE CAKE: GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.
1 YE curious hands, that hid from vulgar eyes,
2 By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake,
3 With Virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize,
4 Nor dare a theft for Love and Pity's sake!
5 This precious relick, form'd by magic power
6 Beneath the shepherd's haunted pillow laid,
7 Was meant by Love to charm the silent hour,
8 The secret present of a matchless maid.
9 The Cyprian queen, at Hymen's fond request,
10 Each nice ingredient chose with happiest art;
11 Fears, sighs, and wishes of th' enamour'd breast,
12 And pains that please are mixt in every part.
13 With rosy hand the spicy fruit she brought
14 From Paphian hills, and fair Cythera's isle;
15 And temper'd sweet with these the melting thought,
16 The kiss ambrosial and the yielding smile.
17 Ambiguous looks, that scorn and yet relent,
18 Denials mild, and firm unalter'd truth,
19 Reluctant pride, and amorous faint consent,
20 And meeting ardours, and exulting youth.
21 Sleep, wayward God! hath sworn while these remain,
22 With flattering dreams to dry his nightly tear,
23 And chearful Hope, so oft invok'd in vain,
24 With fairy songs shall sooth his pensive ear.
25 If bound by vows to Friendship's gentle side,
26 And fond of soul, thou hop'st an equal grace,
27 If youth or maid thy joys and griefs divide,
28 O much intreated, leave this fatal place.
29 Sweet Peace, who long hath shunn'd my plaintive day,
30 Consents at length to bring me short delight,
31 Thy careless steps may scare her doves away,
32 And Grief with raven note usurp the night.
About this text
Title (in Source Edition): WRITTEN ON A PAPER, WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE CAKE: GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.
Author: William Collins
Themes:
sex; relations between the sexes; food; drink
Genres:
occasional poem
References:
DMI 32498
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Pearch, G. A collection of poems in four volumes. By several hands. Vol. II. [The second edition]. London: printed for G. Pearch, 1770, pp. 46-47. 4v. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T116245; DMI 1135; OTA K093079.002) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [(OC) 280 o.789].)
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 William Collins
- AN EPISTLE ADDRESS'D TO Sir THOMAS HANMER, On his EDITION of SHAKESPEAR'S WORKS. ()
- THE MANNERS. AN ODE. ()
- ODE ON THE DEATH OF MR. JAMES THOMSON. ()
- ODE ON THE POETICAL CHARACTER. ()
- ODE to EVENING. ()
- ODE TO FEAR. (); AN ODE TO FEAR. ()
- ODE TO LIBERTY. ()
- ODE TO MERCY. ()
- ODE TO PEACE, ()
- ODE TO PITY. ()
- ODE TO SIMPLICITY. ()
- ODE, to a LADY. On the Death of Col. Charles Ross, in the Action at Fontenoy. Written May 1745. ()
- ODE, Written in the same Year. ()
- ORIENTAL ECLOGUES. (); ORIENTAL ECLOGUES. ()
- THE PASSIONS. AN ODE. (); THE PASSIONS, AN ODE FOR MUSIC. ()
- A SONG FROM SHAKESPEAR's CYMBELINE. Sung by GUIDERUS and ARVIRAGUS over FIDELE, supposed to be dead. ()