35 

 ADDRESSES TO SHAKSPEARE; 



SUPPOSED TO BE SPOKEN, TO THE POET^S STATUE, BY THE 

 TRAGIC AND COMIC MUSES. 



TRAGIC MUSE. 



Supreme Magician of the human soul, 



Whose might instinctive sunder'd the controul 



Of native ignorance ; and, in one mind. 



Did congregate all knowledge of thy kind ! 



Great master of the passions, in whose breast — 



Externally the seat of happy rest — 



Dwelt all the elements of anger's fire; 



Of jealous rage and mad ambition's ire; 



Of mighty sorrow dignified in woe ; 



Of suffering meekness yielding to the blow; 



Of deep relentless malice — generous love — 



Fierce as the eagle — gentle as the dove : — 



First of my votaries ! The tragic muse 



Would now approach thy form, and pay her dues 



Of reverence unto thy deathless name, 



Dear son of Memory : great heir of Fame ! 



Thee would she cherish as her only one, 



And almost grieves thou art not hers alone : 



Ev'n now, the partner of her claim on thee 



Arrests her words : — Speak, joyous Comedy : — 



COMIC MUSE. 



Shall s|ately Tragedy, with solemn tone. 

 Proclaim thee hers — or wish thee hers alone ? 

 For me (more generous) I'm content that she 

 Should have what's hers, and leave what's mine to me. 

 Still have we each a greater cause for pride 

 In Shakspeare's half than any whole beside ; 

 For show, mid other poets any he 

 Whose whole half equals Shakspeare's moiety. 

 Ah ! thou beloved form ! the Comic muse 

 Now, smiling, bends before thee. Thou'lt excuse 

 Her mirthful greeting, for those sweet lips tell 

 She was a mistress whom thou lovedst well. 

 Her didst thou oft invoke with laughing eye 

 And brow full beaming with wit's pleasantrie ; 

 ^ Nor did she e'er refuse thy pen t'inspire, 



I Till quite exhausted of her comic fire. 



