"Come, gentle Sleep, my Eye-lids close, / These dull Impressions help me lose:"
— Hughes, John (1678?-1720)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. Tonson and J. Watts
Date
1735
Metaphor
"Come, gentle Sleep, my Eye-lids close, / These dull Impressions help me lose:"
Metaphor in Context
Delightful Mansion! Blest Retreat!
Where all is Silent, all is Sweet!
Here Contemplation prunes her Wings,
The raptur'd Muse more tuneful Sings,
While May leads on the Chearful Hours,
And opens a New World of Flow'rs.
Gay Pleasure here all Dresses wears,
And in a Thousand Shapes appears.
Pursu'd by Fancy, how she roves
Thro' Airy Walks, and Museful Groves;
Springs in each Plant and blossom'd Tree,
And Charms in all I hear and see!
In this Elysium while I stray,
And Nature's fairest Face survey,
Earth seems new-born, and Life more bright;
Time steals away, and smooths his Flight;
And Thought's bewilder'd in Delight.
Where are the Crowds I saw of late?
What are those Tales of Europe's Fate?
Of Anjou, and the Spanish Crown;
And Leagues to pull Usurpers down?
Of Marching Armies, Distant Wars;
Of Factions, and Domestick Jars?
Sure these are last Night's Dreams, no more;
Or some Romance, read lately o'er;
Like Homer's antique Tale of Troy,
And Pow'rs Confed'rate to destroy
Priam's proud House, the Dardan Name,
With Him that stole the ravish'd Dame,
And, to possess another's Right,
Durst the whole World to Arms excite.
Come, gentle Sleep, my Eye-lids close,
These dull Impressions help me lose:
Let Fancy take her Wing, and find
Some better Dream to sooth my Mind;
Or waking, let me learn to Live;
The Prospect will Instruction give.
For see, where beauteous Thames does glide
Serene, but with a fruitful Tide;
Free from Extremes of Ebb and Flow,
Not swell'd too high, nor sunk too low:
Such let my Life's smooth Current be,
Till, from Time's narrow Shore set free,
It mingle with th'Eternal Sea;
And, there enlarg'd, shall be no more
That trifling Thing it was before.
Where all is Silent, all is Sweet!
Here Contemplation prunes her Wings,
The raptur'd Muse more tuneful Sings,
While May leads on the Chearful Hours,
And opens a New World of Flow'rs.
Gay Pleasure here all Dresses wears,
And in a Thousand Shapes appears.
Pursu'd by Fancy, how she roves
Thro' Airy Walks, and Museful Groves;
Springs in each Plant and blossom'd Tree,
And Charms in all I hear and see!
In this Elysium while I stray,
And Nature's fairest Face survey,
Earth seems new-born, and Life more bright;
Time steals away, and smooths his Flight;
And Thought's bewilder'd in Delight.
Where are the Crowds I saw of late?
What are those Tales of Europe's Fate?
Of Anjou, and the Spanish Crown;
And Leagues to pull Usurpers down?
Of Marching Armies, Distant Wars;
Of Factions, and Domestick Jars?
Sure these are last Night's Dreams, no more;
Or some Romance, read lately o'er;
Like Homer's antique Tale of Troy,
And Pow'rs Confed'rate to destroy
Priam's proud House, the Dardan Name,
With Him that stole the ravish'd Dame,
And, to possess another's Right,
Durst the whole World to Arms excite.
Come, gentle Sleep, my Eye-lids close,
These dull Impressions help me lose:
Let Fancy take her Wing, and find
Some better Dream to sooth my Mind;
Or waking, let me learn to Live;
The Prospect will Instruction give.
For see, where beauteous Thames does glide
Serene, but with a fruitful Tide;
Free from Extremes of Ebb and Flow,
Not swell'd too high, nor sunk too low:
Such let my Life's smooth Current be,
Till, from Time's narrow Shore set free,
It mingle with th'Eternal Sea;
And, there enlarg'd, shall be no more
That trifling Thing it was before.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "fancy" and "impression" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Only 1 entry in ESTC (1735).
John Hughes, Poems on Several Occasions. With Some Select Essays in Prose. In Two Volumes. By John Hughes; Adorn'd with Sculptures. (London: Printed by J. Tonson and J. Watts, 1735). <Link to vol. I in Google Books> <Link to vol. II in Google Books> <See also 1779 edition in Google Books><Link to ECCO>
John Hughes, Poems on Several Occasions. With Some Select Essays in Prose. In Two Volumes. By John Hughes; Adorn'd with Sculptures. (London: Printed by J. Tonson and J. Watts, 1735). <Link to vol. I in Google Books> <Link to vol. II in Google Books> <See also 1779 edition in Google Books><Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
05/20/2005
