---

Matthew Prior - Verses - Spoken to Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles-Harley, Countess of Oxford
Work rating: Low

Madam, Since Anna visited the muse`s seat,
(Around her tomb let weeping angels wait)
Hail, thou, the brightest of thy sex, and best,
Most gracious neighbour and most welcome guest:
Not Harley`s self, to Cam and Isis dear,
In virtues and in arts great Oxford`s heir,
Not he such present honour shall receive
As to his consort we aspire to give.

Writings of men our thought to-day neglects,
To pay due homage to the softer sex:
Plato and Tully we forbear to read,
And their great followers whom this house has bred,
To study lessons from thy morals given,
And shining characters impress`d by Heaven.
Science in books no longer we pursue,
Minerva`s self in Harriet`s face we view;
For when with Beauty we can Virtue join,
We paint the semblance of a form divine.

Their pious incense let our neighbours bring
To the kind memory of some bounteous king:
With grateful hand due altars let them raise
To some good knight`s or holy prelate`s praise;
We tune our voices to a nobler theme,
Your eyes we bless, your praises we proclaim;
Saint John`s was founded in a woman`s name.
Enjoin`d by statute, to the fair we bow;
In spite of time we keep our ancient vow;
What Marg`ret Tudor was, in Harriet Harley now.
Source
The script ran 0.001 seconds.