[Page 122]

To THIRSIS, On his signifying his intention to lay aside his Hautboy.

1 What spurious offspring of low-thoughted care
2 Assumes the graceful muses winning air,
3 And bids my Thirsis lay aside his reed,
4 That dulness may serenity succeed;
5 This step still onward her dark purpose brings,
6 For out of dulness, melancholy springs;
7 Nor here the gloomy phantom ends her care,
8 For next to melancholy, comes despair:
9 When fainting virtue makes her slow retreat,
10 Vice ready stands, to fill the vacant seat.
11 Oft have I seen the swains assembled round,
12 With silent awe, till Thirsis led the sound:
13 Still, as your breath, the cheering pipe inspires,
14 Conduct the voices of the hymning choirs:
15 If thou, their leader and support should'st fail,
16 Slack negligence will o'er the rest prevail;
17 No more the evenings of the holy-days,
18 Shall send to Heav'n their well-accepted lays;
19 But giddy youths to vanities shall run,
20 Nay, well if darker scenes of vice they shun.

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Title (in Source Edition): To THIRSIS, On his signifying his intention to lay aside his Hautboy.
Themes:
Genres: heroic couplet; pastoral

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Hands, Elizabeth, 1746-1815. The death of Amnon. A poem. With an appendix: containing pastorals, and other poetical pieces. By Elizabeth Hands. [Coventry]: Printed for the author, by N. Rollason, Coventry, M,DCCLXXXIX., 1789, p. 122. [40],127,[1]p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T141063) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Dunston B 961 (1)].)

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Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. 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 Elizabeth Hands (née Herbert)