[Page 104]
Terpsichore: A Lyrick Muse, On the Death of John Dryden, Esq; extempore.
1 Just as the Gods were listening to my Strains,
2 And thousand Loves danc'd o're the Æthereal Plains;
3 With my own radiant Hair my Harp I strung,
4 And in glad Consort all my Sisters Sung;
5 An universal Harmony above,
6 Inspir'd us all with Gaiety and Love.
7 A horrid Sound dash'd our immortal Mirth,
8 Wafted by Sighs, from the unlucky Earth.
9 (Who'd think celestial Forms should Sorrows know,
10 Or sympathize with sad Events below?
11 But by our great immortal Selves we do.
12 For when the loud unwelcome Message spread,
13 With dismal Accents tuneful, Dryden's dead,
14 All our gay Joys in hast affrighted fled.
15 A sullen Gloom seiz'd all the Gods around,
16 My feeble Hand no more the Lyre could sound:
17 And all the soft young Loves with drooping Wings,
18 Lisp't their Concern, and my neglected Strings;
[Page 105]19 Trembl'd themselves into a mournful Air,
20 Then Sight and Husht into a sad Despair.
21 There let them ever unreguarded lye,
22 Apollo's too, do's cease its Harmony.
23 He with us sacred Nymphs profusely Mourns,
24 With us the least desire of Respite scorns;
25 Intire eternal Grief our Beings seize
26 For him who best could us and Mankind please.
27 Great Dryden, in whose vast capacious Mind,
28 Our utmost Pow'r did fit Reception find;
29 Which Favours he did generously dispense,
30 Joy'd the glad World with his amazing Sense,
31 And like us too diffus'd his Influence;
32 His Genius would such Inspiration bear,
33 That his Illustrious Lines did not appear
34 As if our Product, but our Selves were there.
35 Mourn ye forsaken Worlds, you'l ne're again
36 Be blest with so Divine, so great a Swain.
37 In you no more let tuneful Mirth be found,
38 The very Spheres shall cease their wonted Sound,
39 And every Orb stop its harmonious round:
40 All Nature hush as if intranc't she lay,
41 Sunk in old Chaos e'er the inlight'ning Ray
42 Of Heaven awak'd her in the first-born Day.
[Page 106]43 With such still Horrour let's our sorrows bear,
44 Lest Sighs in time, harmonious should appear.
45 If e'er to write again is Man's intent,
46 (Uncall'd on let us silently lament,)
47 And take his Works, for an Eternal President,
About this text
Author: Sarah Fyge Egerton
Themes:
Genres:
heroic couplet; elegy
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Egerton, Sarah Fyge, 1668-1723. Poems on Several Occasions, Together with a Pastoral. By Mrs. S. F. [poems only] London: printed, and are to be sold by J. Nutt, near Stationers-Hall, 1703, pp. 104-106. [20],117,[3],15,[1]p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T125148) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [280 e.4058].)
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 Sarah Fyge Egerton
- The Advice. ()
- At my leaving Cambridge August the 14th, Extempore. ()
- Delia to Phraartes on his mistake of three Ladies writing to him. ()
- Delia to Phraartes on his Playing Cæsar Borgia. ()
- The Emulation. ()
- Erato the Amorous Muse on the Death of John Dryden, Esq. ()
- Euterpe: The Lyrick Muse, On the Death of John Dryden, Esq; An ODE. ()
- The Extacy. ()
- The Fatality. ()
- The Fate. ()
- THE Female Advocate, OR, An Answer to a late Satyr against the Pride, Lust and Inconstancy, &c. of Woman. ()
- The fond Shepherdess. A PASTORAL. ()
- The Gratitude. ()
- The Invocation. ()
- The Liberty. ()
- Love. ()
- An occasional Copy, in Answer to Mr. Joshua Barns, Extempore. ()
- An Ode on the Death of Mr. Dryden. ()
- On a Gentleman and his Wife visiting a Lady. He sleeping the while. Extempore. Spoke by Morpheus. ()
- On a Sermon Preach'd Sept. the 6th, 1697. on these Words, You have sold your selves for Nought. ()
- On Atheism. ()
- On being —— tax'd with Symony. ()
- On Friendship. ()
- On my leaving London, June the 29. ()
- On my leaving S—y. ()
- On my wedding Day. ()
- On the Author of Religion by Reason, or the Light of Nature a Guide to Divine Truth. ()
- On the death of dear Statyra. ()
- On the Death of William III, King of England. ()
- On the Honourable Robert Boyl's, Notion of Nature. ()
- The Platonick. ()
- The Power of Love. ()
- The Repulse to Alcander. ()
- The Retreat. ()
- Satyr against the Muses. ()
- Song on Madam S—. ()
- A SONG. ()
- A SONG. ()
- A SONG. ()
- A SONG. ()
- A SONG. ()
- To Alexis, on his absence. ()
- To Clarona drawing Alexis's Picture and presenting it to me. ()
- To Marcella. ()
- To Marina. ()
- To Mr. Norris, on his Idea of Happiness. ()
- To Mr. Yalden, on his Temple of Fame, Extempore. ()
- To my much valu'd Friend Moneses. ()
- To N. Tate, Esq; on his Poem on the Queen's Picture, Drawn by Closterman. ()
- To one who in Love, set a Figure. ()
- To One who said I must not Love. ()
- To Orabella, Marry'd to an old Man. ()
- To Philaster. ()
- To the Lady Cambell, with a Female Advocate. ()
- To the Queen. ()
- To Thyrsis on his Pastoral to Mr. Creech. ()
- The Vision. ()