The Virginia Gazette

To Miss
I.

WHILE poets tune their monthly lays,
And snatch at thee instead of bays,
Stoop down to hear my strain;
My hobbling muse attempts thy praise,
Twixt prose and verse she sings or says
To ease my pain.

II.
That vermil cheek, that ruby lip,
Those snowy pillows, even the tip
Of that soft ear, so charm me ;
Not Venus, were her Goddesthip
From Heaven to take another trip,
Could half so much alarm me.

III.
With all their elegance and ease,
Your sighing fellows ne'er can please
Scorn the dull men of merit!
Their solemn courtships only teaze,
The golden NOW then seize,
And bless a lad of spirit.

IV.
I'll talk of operas and plays,
Of laces, fans, and negligées,
Of lapdogs and of Ladies ;
At every ball we'll tread the maze,
And chequer life ten thousand ways,
Our days shall all be gay days.

V.
My fortune is not large, 'tis true,
But yours tack'd to't you know will do,
And sure we'll spend it freely ;
On second thoughts, faith, thus to woo
May seem a little odd to you,
But hang the mouth that's mealy.

On dusty Greek let Parsons pore,
Or thumb their Bibles o'er and o'er,
Can they be fram'd for loving?
Close tether'd to their classic lore,
Ulysses like, they heed no more
The Syrens voice tho' moving.

VII.
They all adown a river's side
"Where little fishes they do glide,"
May hymn their songs of Sion
On couch of moss, with daisies pied,
Stretch'd out, all luxury deride,
Give ME a bed to lie on.

VIII.
'Mongst country girls and country swains,
Let puling lovers pipe their strains,
Till Marion's bosom heaves ;
Such conquests are not worth the pains,
Nor such the tearful address that gains,
The heart of loftier belles.

IX.
Full eight long stanzas having wrote
(A thousand such not worth a groat)
My Pegasus grows jaded;
Each cranny of my brain I've sought,
Nor find one lurking embryo thought
By Phœbus left unaided.

X.
Yet sure before your eyes I've set
That on Love's score you're in my debt,
Ah! can you longer doubt me?
Take then, O take, my lovely
Thy best, thy second Colinet,
Or he must live without thee.

COLINET: