The
goddess
of
Indolence
.
VACUNA
.
By
Mr.
D—
.
SCEPTRE
of
ease
!
whose
calm
domain
extends
O'er
the
froze
Chronian
,
or
where
lagging
gales
Fan
to
repose
the
Southern
realms
.
O
!
whom
More
slaves
obey
than
swarm
about
the
courts
The
capital
of
China
.
Pekin
,
or
The
capital
of
the
Mogul's
country
,
lately
plunder'd
by
T.
Kouli
Kan
.
Agra
—
universal
queen
!
Me
hap'ly
slumb'ring
all
a
summer's
day
,
Thy
meanest
subject
,
often
hast
thou
deign'd
Gracious
to
visit
.
If
thy
poppy
then
Was
e'er
infus'd
into
my
gifted
quill
,
If
e'er
my
nodding
Muse
was
blest
with
pow'r
,
To
doze
the
reader
with
her
opiate
verse
—
Come
,
goddess
;
but
be
gentle
;
not
as
when
On
studious
heads
attendant
thou
art
seen
Fast
by
the
twinkling
lamp
,
poring
and
pale
Immers'd
in
meditation
,
sleep's
great
foe
?
Where
the
clue-guided
casuist
unwinds
Perplexities
;
or
Halley
from
his
tower
Converses
with
the
stars
:
In
other
guize
Thy
presence
I
invoke
.
Serene
approach
,
With
forehead
smooth
,
and
sauntring
gait
;
put
on
The
smile
unmeaning
,
or
in
sober
mood
Fix
thy
flat
,
musing
,
leaden
eye
:
as
looks
Simplicius
,
when
he
stares
and
seems
to
think
.
Prompted
by
thee
,
Reservo
keeps
at
home
,
Intent
on
books
:
he
when
alone
applies
The
needle's
reparation
to
his
hose
,
Or
studious
slices
paper
.
Taught
by
thee
Dullman
takes
snuff
,
and
ever
and
anon
Turns
o'er
the
page
unread
.
Others
more
sage
,
Place
,
year
,
and
printer
not
unnoted
,
well
Examine
the
whole
frontispiece
,
and
if
Yet
stricter
their
enquiry
,
e'en
proceed
To
leaves
within
,
and
curious
there
select
Italicks
,
or
consult
the
margin
,
pleas'd
To
find
a
hero
or
a
tale
:
all
else
,
The
observation
,
maxim
,
inference
Disturb
the
brain
with
thought
—
It
sure
were
long
To
name
thy
sev'ral
vot'ries
,
Pow'r
supine
,
And
all
thy
various
haunts
.
Why
should
I
speak
Of
coffee-house
?
or
where
the
eunuch
plays
,
Or
Roscius
in
his
buskin
?
These
and
more
Thy
crowded
temples
,
where
thou
sit'st
enshrin'd
Glorious
,
thy
incense
ambergris
,
and
time
Thy
sacrifice
.
—
About
thee
cards
and
dice
Lie
scatter'd
,
and
a
thousand
vassal
beaux
Officiate
at
thy
worship
.
—
Nor
mean
while
Is
solitude
less
thy
peculiar
sphere
;
There
unattended
you
vouchsafe
to
shroud
Your
beauties
,
gentle
Potentate
;
with
me
By
vale
or
brook
to
loiter
not
displeas'd
:
Hear
the
stream's
pebbled
roar
,
and
the
sweet
bee
Humming
her
fairy-tunes
,
in
praise
of
flowers
;
Or
clam'rous
rooks
,
on
aged
elm
or
oak
,
Aloft
the
cawing
legislators
sit
,
Debating
,
in
full
senate
,
points
of
state
.
My
bower
,
my
walks
,
my
study
all
are
thine
,
For
thee
my
yews
project
their
shade
:
my
green
Spreads
her
soft
lap
,
my
waters
whisper
sleep
.
Here
thou
may'st
reign
secure
,
nor
hostile
thought
,
Nor
argument
,
nor
logick's
dire
array
Make
inroad
on
thy
kingdom's
peace
.
—
What
tho'
Malicious
tongues
me
harmless
represent
,
A
traitor
to
thy
throne
:
or
that
I
hold
Forbidden
correspondence
with
the
Nine
,
Plotting
with
Phoebus
,
and
thy
foes
!
What
tho'
Of
satire
they
impeach
me
,
strain
severe
!
Thou
know'st
my
innocence
:
'tis
true
indeed
I
sometimes
scribble
,
but
'tis
thou
inspir'st
:
In
proof
accept
,
O
goddess
,
this
my
verse
.