To William Hall, Esquire; with the Works of Chaulieu
Attend to Chaulieu's wanton lyre;While, fluent as the skylark singsWhen first the morn allures its wings,The epicure his theme pursues:And tell me if, among the choirWhose music charms the banks of Seine,So full, so free, so rich a strainE'er dictated the warbling Muse.
Admires the well-dissembled artThat can such harmony impartTo the lame pace of Gallic rhymes;While wit from affectation clear,Bright images, and passions true,Recall to thy assenting viewThe envied bards of nobler times;
Say, is not oft his doctrine wrong?This priest of Pleasure, who aspiresTo lead us to her sacred fires,Knows he the ritual of her shrine?Say (her sweet influence to thy songSo may the goddess still afford),Doth she consent to be adoredWith shameless love and frantic wine?
Nor Cato, nor Chrysippus hereNeed we in high indignant phraseFrom their Elysian quiet raise:But Pleasure's oracle aloneConsult; attentive, not severe.O Pleasure, we blaspheme not thee;Nor emulate the rigid kneeWhich bends but at the Stoic throne.
We own, had fate to man assign'dNor sense, nor wish but what obey,Or Venus soft, or Bacchus gay,Then might our bard's voluptuous creedMost aptly govern human kind:Unless perchance what he hath sungOf tortured joints and nerves unstrung,Some wrangling heretic should plead.
But now, with all these proud desiresFor dauntless truth and honest fame;With that strong master of our frame,The inexorable judge within,What can be done? Alas, ye firesOf love; alas, ye rosy smiles,Ye nectar'd cups from happier soils,--Ye have no bribe his grace to win.
For toils which patriots have endured,For treason quell'd and laws secured,In every nation Time displaysThe palm of honourable praise.Envy may rail, and Faction fierceMay strive; but what, alas, can those(Though bold, yet blind and sordid foes)To Gratitude and Love oppose,To faithful story and persuasive verse?
O nurse of freedom, Albion, say,Thou tamer of despotic sway,What man, among thy sons around,Thus heir to glory hast thou found?What page, in all thy annals bright,Hast thou with purer joy survey'dThan that where truth, by Hoadly's aid,Shines through imposture's solemn shade,Through kingly and through sacerdotal night?
To him the Teacher bless'd,Who sent religion, from the palmy fieldBy Jordan, like the morn to cheer the west,And lifted up the veil which heaven from earth conceal'd,To Hoadly thus his mandate he address'd:'Go thou, and rescue my dishonour'd lawFrom hands rapacious, and from tongues impure:Let not my peaceful name be made a lure,Fell persecution's mortal snares to aid:Let not my words be impious chains to drawThe freeborn soul in more than brutal awe,To faith without assent, allegiance unrepaid.'
No cold or unperforming handWas arm'd by Heaven with this command.The world soon felt it; and, on high,To William's ear with welcome joyDid Locke among the blest unfoldThe rising hope of Hoadly's name;Godolphin then confirm'd the fame;And Somers, when from earth he came,And generous Stanhope the fair sequel told.
Then drew the lawgivers around(Sires of the Grecian name renown'd),And listening ask'd, and wondering knew,What private force could thus subdueThe vulgar and the great combined;Could war with sacred folly wage;Could a whole nation disengageFrom the dread bonds of many an age,And to new habits mould the public mind.
For not a conqueror's sword,Nor the strong powers to civil founders known,Were his; but truth by faithful search explored,And social sense, like seed, in genial plenty sown.Wherever it took root, the soul (restoredTo freedom) freedom too for others sought.Not monkish craft, the tyrant's claim divine,Not regal zeal, the bigot's cruel shrine,Could longer guard from reason's warfare sage;Nor the wild rabble to sedition wrought,Nor synods by the papal Genius taught,Nor St. John's spirit loose, nor Atterbury's rage.
Words in this poem 30
- skylark n.
- A lark that mounts and sings as it files, especially the common species (Alauda arvensis) found in Europe and in some parts of Asia, and celebrated for its melodious song; -- called also sky laverock.
- morn n.
- The first part of the day; the morning; -- used chiefly in poetry. [OE. morwen, morgen, AS. morgen; akin to D. morgen, OS. morgan, G. morgen, Icel. morginn, morgunn, Sw. morgon, Dan. morgen, Goth. maúrgins. Cf. Morrow, Morning.]
- epicure n.
- A follower of Epicurus; an Epicurean.
- assenting a.
- Giving or implying assent.
- indignant a.
- Affected with indignation; wrathful; passionate; irate; feeling wrath, as when a person is exasperated by unworthy or unjust treatment, by a mean action, or by a degrading accusation. [L. indignans, -antis, p. pr. of indignari to be indignant, disdain. See Indign.]
- elysian a.
- Pertaining, or the abode of the blessed after death; hence, yielding the highest pleasures; exceedingly delightful; beatific. [L. Elysius, fr. Elysium.]
- oracle v. i.
- To utter oracles.
- consult n.
- The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consulation; determination; decision.
- blaspheme v. t.
- To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred); as, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. [OE. blasfem, L. blasphemare, fr. Gr. : cf. F. blasphémer. See Blame, v.]
- aptly adv.
- In an apt or suitable manner; fitly; properly; pertinently; appropriately; readily.
- heretic n.
- One who holds to a heresy; one who believes some doctrine contrary to the established faith or prevailing religion. [L. haereticus, Gr. hérétique. See Heresy.]
- dauntless a.
- Incapable of being daunted; undaunted; bold; fearless; intrepid.
- bribe n.
- A gift begged; a present. [F. bribe a lump of bread, scraps, leavings of meals (that are generally given to a beggar), LL. briba scrap of bread; cf. OF. briber, brifer, to eat gluttonousl]
- sordid a.
- Filthy; foul; dirty. [L. sordidus, fr. sordere to be filthy or dirty; probably akin to E. swart: cf. F. sordide. See Swart, a.]
- albion n.
- An ancient name of England, still retained in poetry. [Prob. from the same root as Gael. alp a height or hill. "It may have been bestowed on the land lying behind the white cliffs visible from the coast of Gaul. Alb]
- tamer n.
- One who tames or subdues.
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- annals n.
- A relation of events in chronological order, each event being recorded under the year in which it happened. [L. annalis (sc. liber), and more frequently in the pl. annales (sc. libri), chronicles, fr. annus year. Cf. Annual.]
- palmy a.
- Bearing palms; abounding in palms; derived from palms; as, a palmy shore.
- jordan n.
- A pot or vessel with a large neck, formerly used by physicians and alchemists. Halliwell. [Prob. fr. the river Jordan, and shortened fr. Jordan bottle a bottle of water from the Jordan, brought back by pilgrims.]
- freeborn a.
- Born free; not born in vasssalage; inheriting freedom.
- generous a.
- Of honorable birth or origin; highborn. [F. généreux, fr. L. generous of noble birth, noble, excellent, magnanimous, fr. genus birth, race: cf. It. generoso. See 2d Gender.]
- stanhope n.
- A light two-wheeled, or sometimes four-wheeled, carriage, without a top; -- so called from Lord Stanhope, for whom it was contrived.
- sequel n.
- That which follows; a succeeding part; continuation; as, the sequel of a man's advantures or history. [L. sequela, fr. sequit to follow: cf. F. séquelle a following. See Sue to follow.]
- wage v. i.
- To bind one's self; to engage.
- mould n.
- Crumbling, soft, friable earth; esp., earth containing the remains or constituents of organic matter, and suited to the growth of plants; soil. [OE. molde, AS. molde; akin to D. mul, G. mull, mulm, OHG. molt, molta, Icel. mold, Dan. muld, Sw. mull, Goth. mulda, and E. meal flour. See Meal, and cf. Mole a]
- genial a.
- Contributing to, or concerned in, propagation or production; generative; procreative; productive. [L. genialis: cf. OF. genial. See Genius.]
- wherever adv.
- At or in whatever place; wheresoever.
- monkish a.
- Like a monk, or pertaining to monks; monastic; as, monkish manners; monkish dress; monkish solitude.
- craft n.
- Strength; might; secret power. [AS. cr strength, skill, art, cunning; akin to OS., G., Sw., & Dan. kraft strength, D. kracht, Icel. kraptr; perh. originally, a drawing together, stretching, fr]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
To William Hall, Esquire; with the Works of Chaulieu is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poetical Works of Mark Akenside, Project Gutenberg ebook #9814; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Mark Akenside, To William Hall, Esquire; with the Works of Chaulieu, in The Poetical Works of Mark Akenside (1744), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #9814, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/akenside-poems/to-william-hall-esquire-with-the-works-of-chaulieu.html, id L09529.
Form and metre
To William Hall, Esquire; with the Works of Chaulieu is 107 lines in 12 stanzas. The commonest rhyme scheme is ABBCADDC, in 3 of the 12 stanzas; the rest vary or could not be confirmed. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 91%). 93% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.8 syllables. 10 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 30% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 -AAB---B lyre · singsA · wingsA · pursuesB · choir · seine · strain · museB
- 2 AAB-CCB artA · impartA · rhymesB · clear · trueC · viewC · timesB
- 3 ABBCADDC wrongA · aspiresB · firesB · shrineC · songA · affordD · adoredD · wineC
- 4 ABBCADDC hereA · phraseB · raiseB · aloneC · severeA · theeD · kneeD · throneC
- 5 ABBCADDC assign'dA · obeyB · gayB · creedC · kindA · sungD · unstrungD · pleadC
- 6 ABBCA--C desiresA · fameB · frameB · withinC · firesA · smiles · soils · winC
- 7 AABB-CCC- enduredA · securedA · displaysB · praiseB · fierce · thoseC · foesC · opposeC · verse
- 8 AABBCDDDC sayA · swayA · aroundB · foundB · brightC · survey'dD · aidD · shadeD · nightC
- 9 ABABACDDECCE bless'dA · fieldB · westA · conceal'dB · address'dA · lawC · impureD · lureD · aidE · drawC · aweC · unrepaidE
- 10 AA--BCCCB handA · commandA · high · joy · unfoldB · nameC · fameC · cameC · toldB
- 11 AABBCDDDC aroundA · renown'dA · knewB · subdueB · combinedC · wageD · disengageD · ageD · mindC
- 12 ABABACDDECCE swordA · knownB · exploredA · sownB · restoredA · soughtC · divineD · shrineD · sageE · wroughtC · taughtC · rageE
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Attend to Chaulieu's wanton lyre; | 8 | ˘/···/˘· |
| While, fluent as the skylark sings | 8 | ·/˘··/·· |
| When first the morn allures its wings, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| The epicure his theme pursues: | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| And tell me if, among the choir | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Whose music charms the banks of Seine, | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| So full, so free, so rich a strain | 8 | ········ |
| E'er dictated the warbling Muse. | 9 | ·˘/˘·/˘˘· |
| Admires the well-dissembled art | 9 | ˘/··˘/˘˘· |
| That can such harmony impart | 8 | ···/˘˘˘/ |
| To the lame pace of Gallic rhymes; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| While wit from affectation clear, | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Bright images, and passions true, | 8 | ·/˘˘·/˘· |
| Recall to thy assenting view | 8 | ˘/··˘/˘· |
| The envied bards of nobler times; | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Say, is not oft his doctrine wrong? | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| This priest of Pleasure, who aspires | 9 | ···/˘·˘/˘ |
| To lead us to her sacred fires, | 10 | ·····/˘˘/˘ |
| Knows he the ritual of her shrine? | 9 | ···/˘˘··· |
| Say (her sweet influence to thy song | 9 | ···/˘˘··· |
| So may the goddess still afford), | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| Doth she consent to be adored | 9 | ··˘/··˘/˘ |
| With shameless love and frantic wine? | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Nor Cato, nor Chrysippus here | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Need we in high indignant phrase | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| From their Elysian quiet raise: | 8 | ··˘/˘/˘· |
| But Pleasure's oracle alone | 8 | ·/˘/˘˘˘/ |
| Consult; attentive, not severe. | 8 | ˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| O Pleasure, we blaspheme not thee; | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| Nor emulate the rigid knee | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Which bends but at the Stoic throne. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| We own, had fate to man assign'd | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Nor sense, nor wish but what obey, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Or Venus soft, or Bacchus gay, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Then might our bard's voluptuous creed | 10 | ··/˘·˘/˘˘· |
| Most aptly govern human kind: | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Unless perchance what he hath sung | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| Of tortured joints and nerves unstrung, | 9 | ·/˘˘····· |
| Some wrangling heretic should plead. | 9 | ·/˘˘/˘˘·· |
| But now, with all these proud desires | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| For dauntless truth and honest fame; | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| With that strong master of our frame, | 9 | ···/˘·/˘· |
| The inexorable judge within, | 9 | ··/˘˘˘··· |
| What can be done? Alas, ye fires | 9 | ····˘/·/˘ |
| Of love; alas, ye rosy smiles, | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| Ye nectar'd cups from happier soils,-- | 9 | ·····/˘˘· |
| Ye have no bribe his grace to win. | 8 | ········ |
| For toils which patriots have endured, | 10 | ···/˘˘·˘/˘ |
| For treason quell'd and laws secured, | 9 | ·/˘···˘/˘ |
| In every nation Time displays | 9 | ·/˘˘/˘·˘/ |
| The palm of honourable praise. | 8 | ········ |
| Envy may rail, and Faction fierce | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| May strive; but what, alas, can those | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| (Though bold, yet blind and sordid foes) | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| To Gratitude and Love oppose, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| To faithful story and persuasive verse? | 10 | ·/˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| O nurse of freedom, Albion, say, | 9 | ···/˘/˘˘· |
| Thou tamer of despotic sway, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| What man, among thy sons around, | 8 | ········ |
| Thus heir to glory hast thou found? | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| What page, in all thy annals bright, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Hast thou with purer joy survey'd | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| Than that where truth, by Hoadly's aid, | 8 | ········ |
| Shines through imposture's solemn shade, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Through kingly and through sacerdotal night? | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| To him the Teacher bless'd, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Who sent religion, from the palmy field | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘· |
| By Jordan, like the morn to cheer the west, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| And lifted up the veil which heaven from earth conceal'd, | 12 | ·/˘····/··˘/ |
| To Hoadly thus his mandate he address'd: | 10 | ·····/··˘/ |
| 'Go thou, and rescue my dishonour'd law | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| From hands rapacious, and from tongues impure: | 10 | ··˘/˘···˘/ |
| Let not my peaceful name be made a lure, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Fell persecution's mortal snares to aid: | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘··· |
| Let not my words be impious chains to draw | 11 | ·····˘/˘··· |
| The freeborn soul in more than brutal awe, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| To faith without assent, allegiance unrepaid.' | 12 | ····˘/˘/˘··· |
| No cold or unperforming hand | 8 | ········ |
| Was arm'd by Heaven with this command. | 9 | ···/˘··˘/ |
| The world soon felt it; and, on high, | 8 | ········ |
| To William's ear with welcome joy | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Did Locke among the blest unfold | 8 | ······˘/ |
| The rising hope of Hoadly's name; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Godolphin then confirm'd the fame; | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| And Somers, when from earth he came, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And generous Stanhope the fair sequel told. | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Then drew the lawgivers around | 8 | ········ |
| (Sires of the Grecian name renown'd), | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| And listening ask'd, and wondering knew, | 10 | ·/˘˘··/˘˘· |
| What private force could thus subdue | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| The vulgar and the great combined; | 9 | ·/˘···˘/˘ |
| Could war with sacred folly wage; | 9 | ···/˘˘/˘· |
| Could a whole nation disengage | 8 | ···/˘˘˘/ |
| From the dread bonds of many an age, | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| And to new habits mould the public mind. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| For not a conqueror's sword, | 7 | ···/˘˘· |
| Nor the strong powers to civil founders known, | 10 | ···/·/˘/˘· |
| Were his; but truth by faithful search explored, | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| And social sense, like seed, in genial plenty sown. | 12 | ·/˘····/˘/˘· |
| Wherever it took root, the soul (restored | 10 | ˘/˘·····˘/ |
| To freedom) freedom too for others sought. | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Not monkish craft, the tyrant's claim divine, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| Not regal zeal, the bigot's cruel shrine, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Could longer guard from reason's warfare sage; | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/·· |
| Nor the wild rabble to sedition wrought, | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘· |
| Nor synods by the papal Genius taught, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Nor St. John's spirit loose, nor Atterbury's rage. | 11 | ···/··/˘·˘· |
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