The pleasures of imagination. A poem / In three books.

  • Mark Akenside
Date:
1754
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The pleasures of imagination. A poem / In three books. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    When ftarting Full on fancy's guihing eye The mournful image of Parthenia’s fate. That hour, O longbelovsd and long deplor’d! 195 When blooming youth, nor gentled wifdorri'S arts. Nor Hymen’s honours gather’d for thy brow. Nor ail thy lover’s, all thy father’s tears Avail’d to fnatch thee from the cruel grave; Thy agonizing looks, thy laft farewel 20G Struck to the inmod feeling of my foul As with the hand of death. At once the fliade 0 More horrid nodded o’er me, and the winds ‘ f ) With hoarfer murm’ring fhook the branches. Dark As midnight dorms, the fcene of human things 205 Appear’d before me ; defarts, burning fands, W here the parch’d adder dies; the frozen fouth* And defolation blading all the wed With rapine and with murder : tyrant pow’r Here fits enthron’d with blood; the baleful charms 210 Of fuperdition there infeed the fkies. And turn the fun to horror. Gracious heav’n! What is the life of man ? Or cannot thefe. Not thefe portents thy awful will fuffice ? That ► t