Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ON LORD HOLLAND'S SEAT NEAR MARGATE, KENT, by THOMAS GRAY


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ON LORD HOLLAND'S SEAT NEAR MARGATE, KENT, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Old and abandoned by each venal friend
Last Line: And foxes stunk and litter'd in s. Pauls.
Variant Title(s): Impromptu, On Lord Holland's Seat At Kingsgate
Subject(s): Fox, Henry. 1st Baron Holland. (1705-74); Hate


OLD and abandon'd by each venal friend
Here H(olland) took the pious resolution
To smuggle some few years and strive to mend
A broken character and constitution.
On this congenial spot he fix'd his choice,
Earl Godwin trembled for his neighbouring sand,
Here Seagulls scream and cormorants rejoice,
And Mariners tho' shipwreckt dread to land,
Here reign the blustring north and blighting east,
No tree is heard to whisper, bird to sing,
Yet nature cannot furnish out the feast,
Art he invokes new horrors still to bring:
Now mouldring fanes and battlements arise,
Arches and turrets nodding to their fall,
Unpeopled palaces delude his eyes,
And mimick desolation covers all.
Ah, said the sighing Peer, had Bute been true
Nor Shelburn's, Rigby's, Calcraft's friendship vain,
Far other scenes than these had bless'd our view
And realis'd the ruins that we feign.
Purg'd by the sword and beautifyed by fire,
Then had we seen proud London's hated walls,
Owls might have hooted in S. Peters Quire,
And foxes stunk and litter'd in S. Pauls.





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