VERSES WRITTEN UPON A PEDESTAL BENEATH A ROW OF ELMS IN A MEADOW NEAR RICHMOND FERRY, BELONGING TO RICHARD OWEN CAMBRIDGE, ESQ. SEPTEMBER 1760. Samuel Whyte Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
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Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T116245 1137 K093079.004 Pearch, G. A collection of poems in four volumes. By several hands. Vol. IV. [The second edition]. London printed for G. Pearch 1770 pp. 263-266. 4v. ; 8⁰.

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VERSES WRITTEN UPON A PEDESTAL BENEATH A ROW OF ELMS IN A MEADOW NEAR RICHMOND FERRY , BELONGING TO RICHARD OWEN CAMBRIDGE , ESQ . SEPTEMBER 1760. BY THE SAME . The first line of this little piece is borrowed from an Ode of Mr. Mason's , published in Dodsley's Miscellanies . YE green-hair'd Nymphs , whom Pan allows To guard from harm these favour'd boughs ; Ye blue-ey'd Naiads of the stream , That soothe the warm poetic dream ; Ye elves and sprights , that thronging round , When midnight darkens all the ground , In antic measures uncontroul'd , Your fairy sports and revels hold , And up and down , where-e'er ye pass , With many a ringlet print the grass ; If e'er the bard hath hail'd your power At morn's grey dawn , or evening hour ; If e'er by moon-light on the plain Your ears have caught th' enraptur'd strain ; From every flow'ret's velvet head , From reverend Thames's oozy bed , From these moss'd elms , where , prison'd deep , Conceal'd from human eyes , ye sleep , If these your haunts be worth your care , Awake , arise , and hear my prayer ! O banish from this peaceful plain The perjur'd nymph , the faithless swain , The stubborn heart , that scorns to bow And harsh rejects the honest vow : The fop , who wounds the virgin's ear , With aught that sense would blush to hear , Or , false to honour , mean and vain , Defames the worth he cannot stain : The light conquet , with various art , Who casts her net for every heart , And smiling slatters to the chace Alike the worthy and the base : The dame , who , proud of virtue's praise , Is happy if a sister strays , And , conscious of unclouded fame , Delighted , spreads the tale of shame : But far , O ! banish'd far be they , Who hear unmov'd the orphan's cry , Who see , nor wish to wipe away The tear that swells the widow's eye ; The unloving man , whose narrow mind Disdains to feel for human-kind , At others' bliss whose cheek ne'er glows , Whose breast ne'er throbs with others' woes , Whose hoarded sum of private joys His private care alone destroys ; Ye fairies cast your spells around , And guard from such this hallow'd ground ! But welcome all , who sigh with truth , Each constant maid and faithful youth , Whom mutual love alone hath join'd , Sweet union of the willing mind ! Hearts pair'd in Heaven , not meanly sold , Law-licens'd prostitutes for gold : And welcome thrice , and thrice again , The chosen few , the worthy train , Whose steady feet , untaught to stray , Still tread where virtue marks the way ; Whose souls no thought , whose hands have known No deed , which honour might not own ; Who , torn with pain , or stung with care , In others' bliss can claim a part , And , in life's brightest hour , can share Each pang that wrings another's heart : Ye guardian spirits , when such ye see , Sweet peace be theirs , and welcome free ! Clear be the sky from clouds or showers ! Green be the turf , and fresh the flowers ! And that the youth , whose pious care Lays on your shrine this honest prayer , May , with the rest , admittance gain , And visit oft this pleasant scene , Let all who love the Muse attend : Who loves the Muse is Virtue's friend ! Such then alone may venture here , Who , free from guilt , are free from fear ; Whose wide affections can embrace The whole extent of human race ; Whom Virtue and her friends approve ; Whom Cambridge and the Muses love .