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The MONTH of AUGUST.

Sylvanus, a Courtier. Phillis, a Country Maid.
SYLVANUS.
1 HAIL, Phillis, brighter than a Morning Sky,
2 Joy of my Heart, and Darling of my Eye;
3 See the kind Year her grateful Tribute yields,
4 And round-fac'd Plenty triumphs o'er the Fields.
5 But to yon Gardens let me lead thy Charms,
6 Where the curl'd Vine extends her willing Arms:
7 Whose purple Clusters lure the longing Eye,
8 And the ripe Cherries show their scarlet Dye.
PHILLIS.
9 Not all the Sights your boasted Gardens yield,
10 Are half so lovely as my Father's Field,
11 Where large Increase has bless'd the fruitful Plain,
12 And we with Joy behold the swelling Grain,
13 Whose heavy Ears towards the Earth reclin'd,
14 Wave, nod, and tremble to the whisking Wind.
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SYLVANUS.
15 But see, to emulate those Cheeks of thine,
16 On yon fair Tree the blushing Nect'rins shine:
17 Beneath their Leaves the ruddy Peaches glow,
18 And the plump Figs compose a gallant Show.
19 With gaudy Plumbs see yonder Boughs recline,
20 And ruddy Pears in you Espalier twine.
21 There humble Dwarfs in pleasing Order stand,
22 Whose golden Product seems to court thy Hand.
PHILLIS.
23 In vain you tempt me while our Orchard bears
24 Long-keeping Russets, lovely Cath'rine Pears,
25 Pearmains and Codlings, wheaten Plumbs enough,
26 And the black Damsons load the bending Bough.
27 No Pruning-knives our fertile Branches teaze,
28 While yours must grow but as their Masters please.
29 The grateful Trees our Mercy well repay,
30 And rain us Bushels at the rising Day.
SYLVANUS.
31 Fair are my Gardens, yet you slight them all;
32 Then let us haste to you majestick Hall,
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33 Where the glad Roofs shall to thy Voice resound,
34 Thy Voice more sweet than Musick's melting Sound:
35 Now Orion's Beam infests the sultry Sky,
36 And scorching Fevers through the Welkin fly;
37 But Art shall teach us to evade his Ray,
38 And the forc'd Fountains near the Windows play;
39 There choice Perfumes shall give a pleasing Gale,
40 And Orange-flow'rs their od'rous Breath exhale,
41 While on the Walls the well-wrought Paintings glow,
42 And dazzling Carpets deck the Floors below:
43 O tell me, Thou whose careless Beauties charm,
44 Are these not fairer than a Thresher's Barn?
PHILLIS.
45 Believe me, I can find no Charms at all
46 In your fine Carpets and your painted Hall.
47 'Tis true our Parlour has an earthen Floor,
48 The Sides of Plaster and of Elm the Door:
49 Yet the rub'd Chest and Table sweetly shines,
50 And the spread Mint along the Window climbs:
51 An aged Laurel keeps away the Sun,
52 And two cool Streams across the Garden run.
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SYLVANUS.
53 Can Feasts or Musick win my lovely Maid?
54 In both those Pleasures be her Taste obey'd.
55 The ransack'd Earth shall all its Dainties send,
56 Till with its Load her plenteous Table bend.
57 Then to the Roofs the swelling Notes shall rise,
58 Pierce the glad Air and gain upon the Skies,
59 While Ease and Rapture spreads itself around,
60 And distant Hills roll back the charming Sound.
PHILLIS.
61 Not this will lure me, for I'd have you know
62 This Night to feast with Corydon I go:
63 To Night his Reapers bring the gather'd Grain,
64 Home to his Barns, and leave the naked Plain:
65 Then Beef and Coleworts, Beans and Bacon too,
66 And the Plumb-pudding of delicious Hue,
67 Sweet-spiced Cake, and Apple-pies good Store,
68 Deck the brown Board; who can desire more?
69 His Flute and Tabor too Amyntor brings,
70 And while he plays soft Amaryllis sings.
71 Then strive no more to win a simple Maid,
72 From her lov'd Cottage and her silent Shade.
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73 Let Phillis ne'er, ah never let her rove
74 From her first Virtue and her humble Grove.
75 Go seek some Nymph that equals your Degree,
76 And leave Content and Corydon for me.

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Title (in Source Edition): The MONTH of AUGUST.
Author: Mary Leapor
Themes: sex; relations between the sexes; rural life; city
Genres: heroic couplet; drama; dialogue; pastoral
References: DMI 23733

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Leapor, Mrs. (Mary), 1722-1746. Poems upon several occasions: By Mrs. Leapor of Brackley in Northamptonshire. London: printed: and sold by J. Roberts, 1748, pp. 34-38. 15,[5],282p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T127827; Foxon p. 413; OTA K101776.000) (Page images digitized from a copy at University of California Libraries.)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

Other works by Mary Leapor