[Page 164]
To VENUS.
A RANT, 1732.
RECITATIVE.
1 O Goddess most rever'd above,
2 Bright parent of almighty Love,
3 Whose pow'r th' immortal Gods confess,
4 Hear and approve my fond address:
5 In melting softness I thy doves outvie,
6 Then teach me like thy swans to sing and fly;
7 So I thy vot'ry will for ever be;
8 My song, my life I'll consecrate to thee.
AIR.
9 Give me numbers strong and sweet,
10 Glowing language, pointed wit;
11 Words that might a Vestal move,
12 And melt a frozen heart to love.
13 Bid, bid thy blind boy
14 All his vigour employ;
[Page 165]15 On his wings wou'd I soar up to fame:
16 'Tis but just, if he scorch
17 My breast with his torch,
18 In my wit too he kindle a flame.
RECITATIVE.
19 Trophies to Chastity let others raise,
20 In notes as cold as the dull thing they praise,
21 To rage like mine more sprightly themes belong;
22 Gay youth inspires, and beauty claims my song;
23 Me all the little Loves and Graces own;
24 For I was born to worship them alone.
AIR.
25 Tell not me the joys that wait
26 On him that's rich, on him that's great:
27 Wealth and wisdom I despise:
28 Cares surround the rich and wise.
29 No, no, — let love, let life be mine:
30 Bring me women, bring me wine:
31 Speed the dancing hours away,
32 And mind not what the grave ones say;
33 Speed, and gild 'em as they fly
34 With love and freedom, wit and joy:
35 Bus'ness, title, pomp, and state,
36 Give 'em to the fools I hate.
About this text
Author: Thomas Lisle
Themes:
sex; relations between the sexes; love; mythology
Genres:
song
References:
DMI 27846
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Dodsley, Robert, 1703-1764. A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes. By Several Hands. Vol. VI. London: printed by J. Hughs, for R. and J. Dodsley, 1763 [1st ed. 1758], pp. 164-165. 6v.: music; 8⁰. (ESTC T131163; OTA K104099.006) (Page images digitized by the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive from a copy in the archive's library.)
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 Thomas Lisle
- An EXCUSE for INCONSTANCY, 1737. ()
- The HISTORY of PORSENNA, King of RUSSIA IN TWO BOOKS. ()
- LETTER from MARSEILLES to my Sisters at CRUX-EASTON, MAY 1735. ()
- LETTER from SMYRNA to his Sisters at CRUX-EASTON, 1733. ()
- Part of a LETTER to my Sisters at CRUX-EASTON, wrote from CAIRO in EGYPT, AUGUST 1734. ()
- The POWER of MUSIC. A SONG. ()