[Page 73]
To Mrs. Jacob, On her Seat called, The Rocks, in Gloucestershire.
1 At easy Distance from the Town,
2 An hospitable Seat
3 From Crowd and Noise there stands retir'd,
4 A sweet and cool Retreat;
5 Securely seated on a Rock,
6 Whence silver Streams descend,
7 From Cliffs the Ruins of old Time,
8 And murmur as they bend.
9 The antient Honours of the Wood
10 Adorn and guard the Pile;
11 At humble Distance down it sees
12 The fruitful Vallies smile.
[Page 74]13 Here Woods and Shades, and Grots and Glades,
14 Feel sultry Summer mild;
15 Diversify'd a thousand Ways,
16 And beautifully wild.
17 When we, amidst the Shades below,
18 From the steep Hill descend,
19 Where crystal Streams in Mazes flow,
20 That tow'ring Elms defend;
21 Like Pluto's Regions wrapt in Gloom
22 We think the darksome Way,
23 That ends in the Elysian Plains,
24 Fair, flow'ry, calm, and gay.
25 Romantic Views these Prospects yield,
26 That feed poetic Fire;
27 Each broken Rock, and Cave, and Field,
28 And Hill, and Vale, inspire.
[Page 75]29 These various, gay, delightful Scenes,
30 Like Paradise appear;
31 Serene as ev'ning Sky my Soul,
32 And hush'd is ev'ry Care.
33 A thousand Birds soft warbling join
34 The Music of the Trees;
35 Whose waving Boughs and whisp'ring Leaves,
36 Play wanton in the Breeze.
37 The happy Genius of the Place,
38 Inspire with softest Joys;
39 And Contemplation pure as Light,
40 My rap'tur'd Soul employs.
41 Within the Gates new Scenes arise,
42 Which equal Joys disclose;
43 There Beauty, Goodness, Friendship smiles,
44 And gen'rous Plenty flows.
Source edition
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. 73-75. 77p. (ESTC T63103) (Page images digitized from a copy at Princeton University.)
Editorial principles
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 Mary Chandler
- A Description of Bath. Humbly Inscribed to Her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia. ()
- A LETTER to Lady F—. From the Other World. ()
- A Letter to the Right Honourable the Lady Russel. Written at her Ladyship's Desire, on the Conversation at Breakfast. ()
- My Own EPITAPH. ()
- My WISH. ()
- On Mr. B—'s Garden. To Mrs. S—. ()
- On my Recovery. ()
- A POEM on the Princess Amelia. In Answer to Damon, who invited the Nymphs of Bath, to sing her Praise. ()
- A SONG. ()
- To Dr. Oliver, Who corrected my Bath Poem. ()
- To Miss Moor, On her FIRE-SCREEN. ()
- To Mrs. Boteler. A Description of her Garden. ()
- To Mrs. Moor, A Poem on Friendship. Written in 1729. ()
- To Mrs. Shales. ()
- To Mrs. Stephens. ()
- To Mrs. Ward. ()
- To the Reverend Doctor S—. An Invitation to a Morning-Walk in the Spring. ()
- To the Reverend Mr. Sam. Chandler. On WISDOM. ()