The fairy favour. A masque:

THE FAIRY FAVOUR.

A GROVE.

GOSS'MOUR and MILKAH, lying on banks in mournful attitudes.

SONG.

GOSS'MOUR.

_FROM KENNA's groves, ah! see, How fast the beauties flee, While we our fav'rite moan; No more shall moon-light sport Revive the Fairy-court — Alas! our ORIEL's gone!

Shall our peerless queen remain Still oppress'd with doubt and pain? She, whose visage, pure and bright, Emulates the snow-drop white; She, whom, trim in regal state, The daisy fails to imitate; She, whose dancing on the green With such wonder has been seen, That her graceful revelry Peering Morn unwillingly Hath interrupted — Oh! shall she. Sunken deep in misery, Never learn what is become Of her boy of rosy bloom, Her much-lov'd ORIEL, lawful heir To KENNA's grove and regal chair?

MILKAH.

Soon may OBERON untie The twisted knot of witchery, Which TITANIA's sense hath bound, So many moon••, in sleep profound!

Wond'rous means! which, for her sake, The monarch was compell'd to take, To calm the outrage of her grief, And give her wounded mind relief; So frantic were her cries, so wild, When first she miss'd her lovely child.

GOSS'MOUR.

This night, soon as in floods of sleep Mortals 'gan their senses steep, Our little fav'rite, gentle PUCK, Frequent herald of good luck, Wander'd forth, in duteous love, To search the mazes of our grove; Ne'er to return, but to relate Some tidings of our ORIEL's fate.

MILKAH.

Or I mistake, or PUCK and you, My GOSS'MOUR, if report say true, Have sometime pass'd the summer-day, On beds of flow'rs, in am'rous play.

GOSS'MOUR.

Oft beneath the primrose shade Softly-sighing hath he stray'd, Breathing such sweet vows of love, As fill'd with incense KENNA's grove; Hence is ROBIN well inclin'd To soothe and please his GOSS'MOUR's mind; And sure his errand well hath sped, For here he scuds with nimble tread.

Enter PUCK.

SONG.

PUCK.

Quick, and light as the air, In and out, here and there, Have I tript, till I'm weary to death; Lend, lend me your hand, For I hardly can stand — Lack-a-day! I am quite out of breath.

GOSS'MOUR.

My gentle ROBIN, I am griev'd— Here rest thy head till thou'rt reliev'd. Has aught, beside the length of way, Which thou to-night hast measur'd, say, Alarm'd thee, or thy steps misled, Or caus'd thy foot awry to tread? Or pois'nous thing, or pest unclear, Tainted KENNA's wholesome air?— Trust me, I joy to see thee safe—

PUCK.

Ha! ha!—I cannot chuse but laugh— How credulous and blind you are! Mortals in love scarce blinder are: So oft, as, through the live-long night, Thou'st known me range in airy flight, Or DIAN's stated circle run, Ere forty minutes well were done, By 'hest of royal OBERON: Or, for thy sake, in blaze of day, The butterfly, with amorous play,

In many a various-winding-ring, Have chac'd to steal his painted wing, Of new device, and beauty rare, To form a robe for GOSS'MOUR fair— By loyalty or love inspir'd, When hast thou known thy ROBIN tir'd? Or when did any pois'nous thing, Or noisome pest, on vapour's wing, Wafted through these windings clear, Come the fairy-essence near?

GOSS'MOUR.

Mischievous elf! no more shalt thou To GOSS'MOUR breathe thy faithless vow; No more, in lily-persum'd vale, Repeat thy soft deceitful tale. Can mortals more perfidious prove? To win, then mock a maiden's love! Away.—

PUCK.

—I'm gone—elsewhere to tell What I have learn'd of ORIEL.

[Going.

MILKAH.

You shall not think to cheat us so— This moment tell us all you know.

[Running after him.

PUCK.

List then!—Such wonders shall ye hear, As never enter'd fairy-ear.— Through all this flow'r-embroider'd grove, Where elves and fays delight to rove, Through bush, through brake, through lowly dale, Through dank, through dry, o'er stream, through vale; By ev'ry odour-breathing bed, Where violets nod the purple head;

By ev'ry bank of gurgling rill, Embellish'd with the daffodil; Ev'ry mead, and every mound, Where cowslips, harebells, paint the ground; Ev'ry bower, where jess'mines fair Softly scent the ambient air, Or luscious woodbine, or flush'd rose, Round a lavish fragrance throws— Nay, ev'n each narrow crankling nook, Where playful trills the scantiest brook, And ev'ry shrub, where rude mishap In tender rind hath made a gap—

MILKAH.

Thou hast explor'd?—

PUCK.

—All these throughout— Your ROBIN has not set a foot.

SONG.

GOSS'MOUR.

Faithless!—through some distant grove Then thy steps have stray'd; Thou hast breath'd thy vows of love To some happier maid: Henceforth in my bosom's grace Never shalt thou find a place.

PUCK.

Sweetest!—through no distant grove Have my footsteps stray'd; No, nor have my vows of love Tempted other maid: In thy ROBIN's love and grace Thou alone shalt find a place.

Together.

GOSS'MOUR.

In thy GOSS'MOUR's love and grace, &c.

PUCK.

In thy ROBIN's love and grace, &c.

GOSS'MOUR.

O forgive if jealous fear Finds an easy passage here.

PUCK.

Come, a sweet amends I'll make: Our ROYAL MISTRESS is awake.— The cause of all your grief and care, Where ORIEL is, why fled from here, She knows, and all will soon approve. Attentive now in duteous order move, While I with magic sounds awake the grove!

SONG.

I.

Elves, elphins, fairies, sayes, Where'er, in sportive maze, Ye haunt the winding stream, And paint the poet's dream; Quick to OBERON resort, Speed ye to the fairy-court.

CHORUS.

Quick to OBERON, &c.

II.

And ye, from violet blue Who steal the silver dew, With which, like di'monds sheen, Ye deck your light-rob'd queen; Quick to OBERON resort; Speed ye to the fairy-court.

CHORUS.

Quick to OBERON, &c.

III.

Ye too, who, light and trim, O'er air's soft bosom skim, And point the moon's keen rays, The hooting owl to daze; Quick to OBERON resort, Speed ye to the fairy-court.

CHORUS.

Quick to OBERON, &c.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the FAIRY-BOWER.

OBERON and TITANIA discovered.

OBERON.

Let me now hope, my beauteous queen, thy soul Is sooth'd to rest.

TITANIA.

— My royal lord, no more I murmur at thy will. The pleasing dreams (Children of gentle sleep) wherewith my mind Was pregnant, and thy reasons since, have eas'd My doubts, my terrors. O! consider, sir, They were a mother's feelings, and forgive 'em.

OBERON.

Nor deem so lightly of a father's love, As to suppose, a slavish race of men, Or tributary thrones, had gain'd my boy —

No — To our matchless island, gorgeous In victory's rich trappings, and a people Endow'd with birth-right freedom, is he yielded; And ev'ry bliss attend it!

(The last CHORUS repeated within.)

CHORUS.

Quick to OBERON resort, Speed we to the fairy-court.

OBERON.

— See my people! Whose happiness, no less than interest, I value as my own, with anxious looks, Enquire of ORIEL's fate. Approach, my subjects; Ye props and glories of our mighty throne! Attend your monarch's words. — Your ORIEL Is not for ever lost—An age, or so, (Small space in fairy-life!) he spends with man; To glad a glorious nation; to procure Love, honour, and esteem, by virtuous deeds; And blessing others, to be blest himself.

For this dear purpose, ORIEL foregoes The sweets of KENNA's grove, whilom the seat Of purpled majesty, and, thence, belov'd Of fairy-foot. — My trusty PUCK, thy looks Seem big with new enquiry — Is there aught Thou wishest yet to know, that may to thee Give ease, and glad my people?—Speak undaunted.

PUCK.

High monarch of our happy race, Do us yet the mighty grace, To say, in what part of this isle, Deserv'dly honour'd with thy smile, In what rich grove, or flow'ry way, Does our much-lov'd ORIEL stray?

OBERON.

Not westward far of this our KENNA's court (Short trip to fairy-foot) a seat appears, Close by whose verdant verge, THAMESIS fair, Checking his silver stream, with tardy pace Glides ling'ring on, enamour'd of the scene. From flow'r-enamell'd banks soft Zephyr steals

The fragrant sweets; and ev'ry blushing bough Hangs pendant with POMONA's choicest store. Groves, grottos, temples, lawns, promiscuous rise, As art with nature vied to deck the scene, Destin'd to soothe a monarch's patriot cares, When empire's fate, and proud parade of courts, Yield to the comforts of domestic ease, And social solace of connubial joy. Amid these scenes (by HYMEN ever bless'd) Your ORIEL, clad in guise of mortal prince, Crowns the fond wishes of a happy pair; Pleas'd in his insant mind to see the bud Of ev'ry grace that dignifies a throne Give early promise of a people's love.

PUCK.

Thanks, gracious OBERON!—yet deign Certain means, and marks to shew, How, in mortal dress, and mien, We may our darling ORIEL know.

SONG.

OBERON.

I.

By the amber-locks, that flow Down his temples, white as snow; By the dimples in his cheek, Temper sweet that sweetly speak; By the lips of rip'ning red, Rivals of the musk-rose bed; By the thousand smiles that dance In his blooming countenance! Where ye see such beauties blow, There shall ye your darling know.

II.

By truth's ray, that, even now, Dawns upon his infant brow; By the look erect and clear, Honour's early harbinger; By the melting of the eyne, Mercy's sweet unerring sign;

By the glow of conscious grace, Flushing quick o'er all the face; Where ye see such beauties blow, There shall ye your darling know.

PUCK.

Happy youth! and happy pair! Who our ORIEL make their care!

OBERON.

Begin we now the mighty charm! the song, That pierces ev'ry fairy-bow'r, unlocks Each store of choicest gifts, and on the head Of some high-favour'd mortal heaps them all!

SONG.

OBERON.

I.

Ye fairies, who in youth delight, And mark each dawning ray, O soothe with gentle dreams his night, And cheer his op'ning day!

For ORIEL all your care employ, Strew all his paths with love and joy!

CHORUS.

For ORIEL all your care, &c.

OBERON.

II.

Ye too, who manhood's nervous page, And wisdom's records scan, Confirm ye his maturer age, And bless the ripen'd man! Success attend each virtuous deed, And deathless glory be the meed!

CHORUS.

Success attend, &c.

OBERON.

III.

Ye sprites select, who silver'd age With rev'rend love regard, Let peace endear his life's last stage, And gen'ral praise reward!

Thus full of blessings, late, oh! late, May ORIEL leave his mortal state!

CHORUS.

Thus full of blessings, &c.

A DANCE of FAIRIES.

FINIS.