Whyte, Samuel (1733-1811)

A Familiar Epistle, From a Law-Student, in the Country, To his Friend, at the Temple. [from The Shamrock: or, Hibernian Cresses]

Dublin

Printed by R. Marchbank

1772

"'There oft, with fond, maternal Love, / 'She visits whom the Nine approve; / 'Beam'd from the Mind's interior Powers"

'O! if for Happiness you strive,
'For which alone the Wise would live,
'For which, through Nature's various Plan
'Attentive strains the Mind of Man,
'Seek not her Smile in idle State,
'Amidst the Tumults of the Great;
'Nor yet with Wealth abides the Fair,
'Wealth, the sure Host of pining Care;
'Nor Power, nor Public-Fame, bestows
'The moral Bliss of calm Repose:
'But, in the Muse's lonely Seat
'She deigns to fix her calm Retreat;
'There oft, with fond, maternal Love,
'She visits whom the Nine approve;
'Beam'd from the Mind's interior Powers,
'She gilds the virtuous Poet's Hours;
'And, soaring to sublimer Things,
'Leaves Pomp and Misery to Kings:
'O let not, then, this Wizard's Tongue
'Allure thee from the Sons of Song,
'To busy Noise, and wordy Strife,
'The wrangling Dissonance of Life;
'Nor, by his Promise led astray,
'Think Fortune shall attend thy Way;
'If aught the Muse aright divine,
'For thee no Hoards of Gold shall shine;
'No Honours shall around thee wait;
'No Clients shall besiege thy Gate;
'Nor Fame in blooming Wreaths shall spread
'The civic Crown around thy Head:
'Then vain thy most assiduous Toil,
'Thy early Watch, thy Midnight Oil,
'Thy Hours of Labour never past,
'Each Day shall frown upon the last.'

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Searching "mind" and "interior" in HDIS (Poetry)

5 entries in the ESTC (1772, 1773, 1774, 1782).

See The Shamrock: or, Hibernian Cresses. A Collection of Poems, Songs, Epigrams, &c. Latin as well as English, The Original Production of Ireland. (Dublin: Printed by R. Marchbank, 1772). <Link to ECCO> <Link to 1774 edition in Google Books>

08/09/2005