[Page 263]

On SICKNESS.

1 WHEN Heav'n's almighty King prepares,
2 The angry Shaft to throw;
3 Ev'n Fortitude itself despairs
4 To bear the deadly Blow.
[Page 264]
5 Cold Tremors shake each fainting Limb,
6 That weeps a sickly Dew;
7 The Features, chang'd to pale and dim,
8 Resign their chearful Hue.
9 No more soft Eloquence shall flow,
10 Nor dress the silent Tongue;
11 But the dull Heart refuse to glow,
12 Tho' charm'd by melting Song.
13 Those laughing Eyes, that lately shone
14 So sprightly and so gay,
15 Sunk down with Sickness, faint and wan,
16 Decline the piercing Day.
17 And scarcely bear a chearful Beam,
18 To light the drooping Soul;
19 While round the weak afflicted Brain
20 Romantick Vapours roll.
[Page 265]
21 Deceitful Earth and all its Joys
22 Elude our grasping Hands:
23 Tho' Nature all her Skill employs,
24 To bind the failing Bands.
25 Death drives us to the horrid Steep;
26 And while we vainly mourn,
27 He pointing shews th'unmeasur'd Deep,
28 From whence we ne'er return.
29 There the grim Spectre, with a Smile,
30 His panting Victim sees:
31 Who fain wou'd linger here a while,
32 To swallow nauseous Lees.
33 Who Death's great Empire wou'd dispute,
34 And hugs the gilded Pill,
35 Not knowing That his faithful Mute,
36 Whose Business is to kill.
[Page 266]
37 The lost, the slipp'ry Hold to save,
38 To lenient Arts we run;
39 They cast us headlong on the Wave,
40 And we are twice undone.
41 The Pow'r who stamp'd the reas'ning Mind,
42 Its Partner can restore;
43 There we a lasting Cordial find,
44 And learn to sigh no more.
45 But if the slow-consuming Ill
46 Shou'd lead us to the Grave,
47 Our Faith persuades us that he will
48 The trembling Spirit save.
49 O thou, whose Bounty all things taste,
50 Whose Anger none can bear;
51 Revive the melancholy Breast,
52 Nor let the Wretch despair.

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Title (in Source Edition): On SICKNESS.
Author: Mary Leapor
Themes:
Genres: topical verse; occasional poem

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Leapor, Mrs. (Mary), 1722-1746. Poems upon several occasions: By Mrs. Leapor of Brackley in Northamptonshire. London: printed: and sold by J. Roberts, 1748, pp. 263-266. 15,[5],282p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T127827; Foxon p. 413; OTA K101776.000) (Page images digitized from a copy at University of California Libraries.)

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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 Mary Leapor