A LETTER to Lady F—. From the Other World. Mary Chandler Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T63103 Chandler, Mary, 1687-1745. The Description Of Bath. A Poem. Humbly Inscribed To Her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia. By Mrs. Mary Chandler. The Third Edition. To which are added, Several Poems by the same Author [poems only]. London Printed for James Leake, Bookseller in Bath 1736 pp. 42-47. 77p.

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A LETTER to Lady F— . From the Other World . From the Elysian Fields I sing , Where ever blooms the balmy Spring : From Roseat Groves and Myrtle Shades , That not a sultry Beam invades . Each Grove with heav'nly Music rings , And Odours rise on Zephyrs Wings . Mild Glory lightens all the Bow'rs , And purest Pleasure wings the Hours . While crystal Streams , incircling , flow Through all the flow'ry Vales below ; That in the softest Murmurs thrill , Adown each slow-descending Hill . Where grows immortalizing Fruit , For ever giving fresh Recruit . No drowsy Slumbers close the Eyes In these gay Regions of the Skies . Nor Dream a frightful Form assumes , Impress'd by indigested Fumes . Nor aking Head from heated Brain , Disease , nor , its Attendant , Pain . Here , no despairing Lover dies ; No base Deluder cheats with Lyes , Nor come or jealous Cares or Sighs . Nor Eye e'er drops a briny Tear ; For Truth and Love are native here . Each Spirit has his Task assign'd As pleases best , or suits his Mind . Some to the central Sun descend ; Some to the neighb'ring Planets tend ; Nor some so small a Space can bound , As does old Saturn's annual Round ; But through the vast unbounded Space , Their Maker's Works with Rapture trace . Of this small Surface losing Sight , Amidst Ten Thousand Worlds of Light , Some tune their golden Harps , and sing The boundless Glories of their King . Or how from Chaos Nature rose , How central Fires these Scenes shall close . How at the last important Day , All shall the Trumpet's Voice obey , With Horror some , and some with Joy . Some on the kindest Errands fly , Adown the azure hilly Sky ; And whisper Celia in the Ear , " Of yon deluding Fop beware . " To Strephon , when the sparkling Wine Does to Excess his Soul incline ; " Exert the Man , and fly the Bait ; " See Poison on the Pleasure wait . " And , pointing to the tempting Fair , " Disease , ill Fame , and Guilt are there . " Bids Reason guide his erring Feet , And ev'ry Virtue grow complete . Bids Wit , within due Bounds confin'd , Adorn , and not debauch , his Mind . If Strephon's deaf , away they fly , And , griev'd , they mount their native Sky . They leave him ' midst a lighter Band , Of airy Beings still at hand ; Who left the World with tainted Breast , With their own Follies still impress'd , Envious , deceitful , and unblest . Who hover round with downward Flight , Visit in Dreams at Dead of Night ; Fill Myra's Head with Dukes and Earls , And Equipage , and costly Pearls . Bid Strephon dance , and drink , and play , Turn Day to Night , and Night to Day ; Till Health , and Fame , and Fortune flies , Strephon repents , despairs , and dies . These tuneful Pope calls Nomes and Sylphs ; These Britons took for fairy Elves ; The Genius was the Pagan Name ; They gave their Bards and Sages Fame . And Milton , Pope , and Dryden fir'd ; And Clarke and Newton these inspir'd . Nor Strephon , nor does Celia know But from themselves their Reas'nings flow . By Sounds so gently we pervade , So unperceiv'd the Trace is made , And Picture to the Mind convey'd . This Message , F— , to you I bear ; You was my Friend , are now my Care . Your sprightly Wit , that all admire , Is an unlicens'd lawless Fire . Restrain its wild impetuous Course ; And give your Reason all its Force . And let that Reason be your Rule : Things sacred bear no Ridicule . Be to your better Self but true , Then ev'ry Grace will shine in You .