Prelude to a Tale from Boccace, in Blank Verse

WHAT Bocace with superior Genius Cloath'd
In Tuscan dress, and ludicrous Fontaine
(Modern Anacreon) well has imitated
In Gallic Style, Himself inimitable :
How e'er unequal to the glorious Task,
Yet of the noblest Heights and best Examples,
Ambitious, I in English Verse attempt.
But not as heretofore, the line prescrib'd
To equal cadence, and with semblant Sounds
Pointed, (so Modern Harmony advises)
But in the Ancient Guise, free, uncontroll'd,
The Verse, compress'd the Period, or dilated,
As close discourse requires, or fine description.
Such Homer wrote ; such Milton imitated ;
And Shrewsb'ury, candid Judge of Verse, approves.
What Shrewsb'ury may approve, to whom pertains it ?
But to the Lady, loving Shrewsbury best,
And best by Him belov'd ? To Thee, fair Matron !
The warm debate I bring and soft recital
Of constant Passion, and rewarded friendship.
Weak the Performance haply, yet the work
Beneath Thy feet I lay ; and bless'd in this.
As Thou good Princess, in each part of Life :
That I but act. what Thy great Lord commands.

As Dorset's smile benign, and fair Example,
In pleasing Rhime indulg'd my Infant Years;
(O be his Memory ever wept and Honor'd!)
May Shrewsb'ury's will prescribe my Elder Muse
A diff'rent course. Great, bounteous Adelida!
Be Thou my Friend, my gentle Intercessor,
That thy great Lord with his Illustrious Name
May shield the Goddess from the Darts of Censure
Unwounded, and assure her future flight
With equal favour and successive goodness.

How e'er again reflecting. She must blame
Her own Ambition, that with vain Attempt
Wou'd bring Thee aught from Paris or from Rome,
Transfer'd and Habited in English dress :
When Thou, great Mistress! in Italian sounds.
Canst breathe Thy thought, not Petrarch's Laura sweeter:
When thou in Gallic Style can well indite.
So well, the famous Scudery's learned Sister.
Or Faber's Daughter might attentive learn.
Yet Thou hast right, fair Dame, to claim the Song
In British sounds; amongst her best lov'd daughters
Britannia Numbers Thee, by Twofold Title
To her endear'd: Partner of Talbots bed,
And right descended from the race of Dudley.
And well hast Thou with correspondent Grace
Answer'd thy gentle Mother's Love endearing.
To form her Accents, and to speak her language :
In Womanhood, industrious to Reclaim
By Study and by Art the legal Portion
Which Fortune to Thy Infancy deny'd.
And well hast Thou Achiev'd the Task; Thy care
By subtil Mem'ory aided ; and Thy Lessons,
Practis'd with Wit, and perfected by Judgment.
But Love, fair Dame (and Thou with Pride may'st own
The grateful Impulse) constant o'er Thy toyle
Presided ; Well we learn, when He is Master.
Not harsh, I hope fair Judge thou wilt avow
The British tongue, tho sometimes charg'd with words
Saxon and Danish, when the Manly Sounds
Break from the Potent lipps of Finch or Harcourt.
Our Language, semblant to our Native Streams,
O'er little Flints and scatter'd Pebbles rolling
Its curled Wave, unequal not unpleasing
The Surface. But, O Mercury! O Venus!
(For I attest You Both) when the fair Sex,
When Buckingham, or Grafton, (kind comperes
And faithful Friends to that Illustrious Dame
Who claims my Song) when They (or beauteous Cloe
My Hope, my Joy,) emit their Natal Sound;
Softer than Down from Venus fav'rite birds.
Or flakes of feather'd Snow, the Accents fall !

Exalt Thy Thought my Muse! when our great Sov'raign
Disparts Her comely Lipps, August Pronouncing
The Speech ; 'tis sweet as Morning fumes which rise
From Sharon's Rose ; grateful as Arabs gums.
By Caedar fir'd, and curling from the Altar:
Our Dread at Once and our Delight ! She guides
And charms the Senate ; from her silver voice
Pou'ring her fierce Forefather's diction, temper'd
With Heav'nly Mildness and Angelic Grace.
We then, disdainful of our Modern Rivals,
Provoke the Latian or the Greek ; resigning
But to the Sacred Hebrew. Agrippina,
Or great Andromache by Homer aided.
Speaks with less height, and Majesty of Style,
Than British Anna. With resembling Prevalence
Pleads Hester, and victorious Deborah Sings.
Around the Throne the Nations to their Queen
Obedient stand, and bid Her Live for Ever!

Illustrious Patroness, excuse the Prelude,
And Thou Calliope begin the Song.