ODE. BY MR. SHAW. O THAMES with chrystal face, Not where thy wave beside, O! let not there my youth pursue age will rue. False joys that sober Nor where thy bank along, Some princely villa crowns the plain, But where thy silver springs To seek the seats of kings; O! Thames, there let me rear my bower, There like thy noiseless tide, And as thy waters flow, Smoothly the years shall pass, Along thy margent green, The gentle Muses oft at morn, In garb by rural virgin worn, Shall round my bower be seen; Then shall they place me in their ranks, And lead me to their favourite banks. Let not the Muses crown With laurel wreath my tender head, There like thy noiseless tide, And as thy waters flow, Smoothly the years shall pass, Along thy margent green, The gentle Muses oft at morn, In garb by rural virgin worn, Shall round my bower be seen; Then shall they place me in their ranks, And lead me to their favourite banks. Let not the Muses crown With laurel wreath my tender head, Nor let the Muses bring To grace my hand the sounding shell, But let them bear to me at morn, Softly the reed shall blow, And thy clear springs shall love the strain, Who haunts the vales below; But O! beyond the shepherd's bounds, Oft by thy watery glass, Along the smooth green grass, Wrapt in soft thought and musing deep, There if I chance to mark The downward sky in thy clear stream, If bending o'er the brink, O! hope, thy glass still cheats our sight, |