"Tho' smiles, and tears, obey thy moving skill, / And passion's ruffled empire waits thy will?"
— Hill, Aaron (1685-1750)
Author
Date
1741, 1753
Metaphor
"Tho' smiles, and tears, obey thy moving skill, / And passion's ruffled empire waits thy will?"
Metaphor in Context
Sweet Pamela! for-ever-blooming maid!
Thou dear, unliv'ning, (yet immortal) shade!
Why are thy virtues scatter'd to the wind?
Why are thy beauties flash'd upon the blind!
What, tho' thy flutt'ring sex might learn, from thee,
That merit forms a rank, above degree?
That pride, too conscious, falls from ev'ry claim,
While humble sweetness climbs beyond its aim?
What, tho' religion, smiling, from thy eyes,
Shews her plain pow'r, and charms, without disguise?
What tho' thy warmly-pleasing moral scheme
Gives livelier rapture, than the loose can dream?
What, tho' thou build'st, by thy persuasive life,
Maid, child, friend, mistress, mother, neighbour, wife?
Tho' taste, like thine, each void of time can fill,
Unsunk by spleen, un-quicken'd, by Quadrille?
What, tho' 'tis thine, to bless the lengthen'd hour,
Give permanence to joy, and use to pow'r?
Lend late-felt blushes, to the vain, and smart,
And squeeze cramp'd pity, from the miser's heart?
What, tho' 'tis thine, to hush the marriage breeze,
Teach liberty to tire, and chains to please?
Thine, tho' from stiffness, to divest restraint,
And, to the charmer, reconcile the saint?
Tho' smiles, and tears, obey thy moving skill,
And passion's ruffled empire waits thy will?
Tho' thine, the fancy'd fields of flow'ry wit,
Thine, art's whole pow'r, in nature's language, writ?
Thine, to convey strong thought, with modest ease,
And, copying converse, teach its stile to please?
Tho' thine, each virtue, that a God could lend?
Thine, every help, that every heart can mend?
'Tis thine, in vain! thou wak'st a dying land:
And lift'st departed hope, with fruitless hand.
Death has no cure--thou hast mis-tim'd thy aim;
Rome had her Goths--and all, beyond, was shame.
Thou dear, unliv'ning, (yet immortal) shade!
Why are thy virtues scatter'd to the wind?
Why are thy beauties flash'd upon the blind!
What, tho' thy flutt'ring sex might learn, from thee,
That merit forms a rank, above degree?
That pride, too conscious, falls from ev'ry claim,
While humble sweetness climbs beyond its aim?
What, tho' religion, smiling, from thy eyes,
Shews her plain pow'r, and charms, without disguise?
What tho' thy warmly-pleasing moral scheme
Gives livelier rapture, than the loose can dream?
What, tho' thou build'st, by thy persuasive life,
Maid, child, friend, mistress, mother, neighbour, wife?
Tho' taste, like thine, each void of time can fill,
Unsunk by spleen, un-quicken'd, by Quadrille?
What, tho' 'tis thine, to bless the lengthen'd hour,
Give permanence to joy, and use to pow'r?
Lend late-felt blushes, to the vain, and smart,
And squeeze cramp'd pity, from the miser's heart?
What, tho' 'tis thine, to hush the marriage breeze,
Teach liberty to tire, and chains to please?
Thine, tho' from stiffness, to divest restraint,
And, to the charmer, reconcile the saint?
Tho' smiles, and tears, obey thy moving skill,
And passion's ruffled empire waits thy will?
Tho' thine, the fancy'd fields of flow'ry wit,
Thine, art's whole pow'r, in nature's language, writ?
Thine, to convey strong thought, with modest ease,
And, copying converse, teach its stile to please?
Tho' thine, each virtue, that a God could lend?
Thine, every help, that every heart can mend?
'Tis thine, in vain! thou wak'st a dying land:
And lift'st departed hope, with fruitless hand.
Death has no cure--thou hast mis-tim'd thy aim;
Rome had her Goths--and all, beyond, was shame.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "heart" and "empire" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
In ECCO I find the poem reprinted with Pamela. At least 7 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1741, 1746, 1753, 1754, 1785, 1792).
Text from The Works of the Late Aaron Hill. 4 vols. (London: Printed for the Benefit of the Family, 1753).
Text from The Works of the Late Aaron Hill. 4 vols. (London: Printed for the Benefit of the Family, 1753).
Date of Entry
08/22/2004
