To Mr. POYNTZ, Ambassador at the Congress of Soissons, in the Year 1728. Written at Paris. George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton 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. T131163 K104099.002 Dodsley, Robert, 1703-1764. A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes. By Several Hands. Vol. II. London printed by J. Hughs, for R. and J. Dodsley 1763 [1st ed. 1758] pp. 31-34. 6v.: music; 8⁰.

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To Mr. POYNTZ , Ambassador at the Congress of Soissons , in the Year 1728. Written at Paris . By the Same . O Thou whose friendship is my joy and pride , Whose virtues warm me , and whose precepts guide ; Thou , to whom greatness rightly understood , Is but a larger power of being good ; Say , Poyntz , amidst the toils of anxious state , Does not thy secret soul desire retreat ? Dost thou not wish ( the task of glory done ) Thy busy life at length might be thy own ; That to thy lov'd Philosophy resign'd , No care might ruffle thy unbended mind ? Just is the wish . For sure the happy meed , To favour'd man by smiling heav'n decreed , Is to reflect at ease on glorious pains , And calmly to enjoy what Virtue gains . Not him I praise , who from the world retir'd , By no enliv'ning gen'rous passion fir'd , On flow'ry couches slumbers life away , And gently bids his active pow'rs decay ; Who fears bright Glory's awful face to see ; And shuns Renown as much as Infamy : But blest is he , who exercis'd in cares , To private Leisure publick Virtue bears ; Who tranquil ends the race he nobly run , And decks Repose with trophies Labour won . Him Honour follows to the secret shade , And crowns propitious his declining head : In his retreats their harps the Muses string , For him in lays unbought spontaneous sing ; Friendship and Truth on all his moments wait , Pleas'd with Retirement better than with State ; And round the bow'r where humbly great he lies , Fair olives bloom , or verdant laurels rise . So when thy Country shall no more demand The needful aid of thy sustaining hand ; When Peace restor'd shall on her downy wing Secure Repose and careless Leisure bring ; Then to the shades of learned ease retir'd , The world forgetting , by the world admir'd , Among thy books and friends , thou shalt possess Contemplative and quiet happiness ; Pleas'd to review a life in honour spent , And painful merit paid with sweet content . Yet though thy hours unclogg'd with sorrow roll , Tho' wisdom calm , and science feed thy soul ; One dearer bliss remains to be possess'd , That only can improve and crown the rest — Permit thy friend this secret to reveal , Which thy own heart perhaps would better tell ; The point to which our sweetest passions move ; Is to be truly lov'd , and fondly love . This is the charm that sooths the troubled breast , Friend to our health , and author of our rest , Bids every gloomy vexing passion fly , And tunes each jarring string to harmony . Ev'n while I write ; the name of Love inspires More pleasing thoughts , and more enliv'ning fires ; Beneath his pow'r my raptur'd fancy glows , And ev'ry tender verse more sweetly flows . Dull is the privilege of living free ; Our hearts were never form'd for Liberty : Some beauteous image well imprinted there , Can best defend them from consuming care . In vain to groves and gardens we retire , And nature in her rural works admire ; Tho' grateful these , yet these but faintly charm , They may Delight us , but can never Warm . May some fair eyes , my friend , thy bosom fire With pleasing pangs of ever gay desire ; And teach thee that soft science , which alone Still to thy searching mind rests slightly known . Thy soul , though great , is tender and refin'd , To friendship sensible , to love inclin'd ; And therefore long thou canst not arm thy breast Against the entrance of so sweet a guest . Hear what th' inspiring Muses bid me tell , For Heav'n shall ratify what they reveal . A chosen bride shall in thy arms be plac'd , With all attractive charms of beauty grac'd ; Whose wit and virtue shall thy own express , Distinguish'd only by their softer dress : Thy greatness she , or thy retreat shall share , Sweeten tranquillity , or soften care : Her smiles the taste of ev'ry joy shall raise , And add new pleasure to renown and praise ; Till charm'd you own the truth my verse would prove , That Happiness is near allied to Love .