Classic Poem

Performed on the Eve of *******'s Birth-day,
BY
Miss J. aged 11┬¢ years. — — Miss I. 6┬¢.
Miss M.... 9 years. — — Mast. A. 4┬¢.
Miss E. 2›.

Before their Parents; Brother and Relations.

PROLOGUE .

( Master A.)

T O-NIGHT the Muse her pow'r resumes,
And deck'd in Fancy's airy plumes,
Her yearly tribute seeks to pay,
And hail with joy the rising day.
With tender awe devoid of fear,
She brings that simple tribute here;
Within this little circle lies
The only fame which she can prize:
And if by you to-night approv'd,
By you, the honour'd and the lov'd,
By you, for whom her bosom glows,
To whom her little pow'r she owes,
Her fondest hopes will all be crown'd,
And all she wishes for be found.

Enter Miss J. as Queen of the Fairies .

Ye Fairies and Spirits in aether who glide,
Who mount to yon azure, or skim o'er the tide;
Ye Elfins who melt in the dew-drops of morn
Or rise with the star of the ev'ning new born;
Who catch from fond Echo the pale lover's moan,
Who seeks by the moon-beam to wander alone;
And tell the chaste maiden her lover is true,
Whom oceans and distance have torn from her view:
— Sweet Philomel chases the last beam of day,
Then haste to my calling, haste hither away!
But ye who delight on the helm to abide,
Who can still the rough blast, and can smoothe the salt tide;
For him who now wanders remote from the shore,
Whom, haply, Britannia may smile on no more;
For him whom fair Honour and Friendship adorn,
Tho' doom'd by Misfortune a rover forlorn,
O! yet round his vessel continue to play,
And hide in the shrouding by night and by day:
O! quit not for pleasure the charge which I gave,
But guide him in safety across the green wave.
But others, in aether or ocean who stray,
Haste! haste! to my calling, haste hither away!
O! hasten to revel on this happy spot,
Where smiling Contentment has built her a cot;
Where innocent Pleasure illumines the glade,
And Affection oft summons the Muse to her aid.
Haste, haste to my calling, nor longer delay,
Haste, haste, to my calling, haste hither away!

Enter Miss M. Miss I. Master A. and Miss E; as Fairies .

Mighty Queen of fairy land, All in Fairies .
With nimble tread behold we stand;
And tell us what is thy command? Queen . —

List! oh, list! ye gentle train,
And the cause I'll soon explain,
Why I call'd you from your rounds,
To revel on these happy grounds.
Now twice eleven years are fled,
By Hope, the fond enticer, led,
Since rising o'er the eastern wave,
The ruddy morn to nature gave
A Youth with early genius fir'd,
With ev'ry tender thought inspir'd.
And did I not, kind Fairies, fear,
These words by chance might meet his ear,
I would those merits loud reveal,
His modest bosom would conceal.
But, as we melt before the light,
And are but in the shades of night,
We, ere the morn that gave him birth,
Will celebrate the eve in mirth.
But, ere I further say, I claim
To know from whence you hither came. 1st Fairy, Miss M .

In old Ocean's sea-green hall,
First I heard thy mighty call;
There I left my oozy bed,
Deck'd with sprigs of coral red,
Deck'd with gems from ev'ry shore,
Such as monarchs never wore;
And swifter than the rein-deer goes,
O'er eternal Lapland snows,
Swifter than the blast of Fame,
Bears around the Patriot's name,
Swifter, swifter, far, I came. 2s Fairy, Miss I .

When the red sun hid his face,
When the moon began her race,
When the sky-lark ceas'd her song,
And darkness hid the busy throng;
When the dewy drops of Heav'n,
Told the fairy world 'twas even;
Where yon grey cloud hides the light
Of the moon from mortal sight,
Wafted by the western gale,
I view'd each hill and flow'ry vale:
But when bor'ne on wings of air,
Thy invocation reach'd my ear,
Attentive to thy powerful spell,
Wrapt in a dew-drop, down I fell. 3rd Fairy, Master A .

Where chaste Dian's silver beam,
Plays on Avon's lucid stream;
Where immortal Shakspeare rov'd,
Bard of Fairies best belov'd;
I, his favour'd walks among,
Where he tun'd his deathless song,
Crept beneath the grass unseen,
To deck it with unfading green:
But when round thy voice did ring,
Mounted on the owlet's wing,
Swift I cut the yielding air,
And hasten'd, thy commands to share. 4th Fairy, Miss E .

I, in an acorn cup was crept,
There secure from harm I slept,
'Til at thy call I hither fled,
By duty to my Sov'reign led. Queen . —

Thanks, gentle Fairies, first and last,
Thanks, gentle Fairies, for your haste:
All should their duty gladly prove,
For sweet is duty join'd with love.

Queen and Fairies.

For sweet is duty join'd with love.

Queen.

Let us then, (ere rising day,
Banish us and ours away)
Ere the grey morn bids us part,
Think what best may please his heart —
There Love will some time throw a dart —
Each, alternate then declare
All the gifts which deck the Fair,
All the graces she shall share.

1st Fairy.

Let the Maiden be chaste as the breath of the morn;

2d Fairy.

And sweet as the dew drop that hangs on the thorn.

3d Fairy.

As gentle as Zephyr companion of May,

4th Fairy.

And blythe as the sky-lark that wakens the day.

Queen.

And may she, since mortals can't live upon dew,
And feast upon snails-eggs, like me and like you,
With sufficient from Nature each bosom to please,
Have sufficient from Fortune to set them at ease.

1st Fairy.

In this wish I gladly join.

2d Fairy.

Mine it is,

3d Fairy.

And mine,

4th Fairy,

And mine,

Queen.

Now with mirth and festive song,
Glide ye moments, glide along;
Joy and Laughter hasten here,
Ope the portals of the ear;
Sorrow as the moon beam pale,
Haste to yonder distant vale;
Peace, affection, love, are here:
Let us then companions dear,
In spite of care, let guiltless mirth
Thy lowly cot adorn:
Throughout our path decreed on earth,
No joy without a pang has birth,
No rose without a thorn.