To the Rev. Charles Overton
Curate of Romaldkirk
Author of the Poetical Portraiture of the Church
1833.
Sweet singer of Romaldkirk, thou who art reckoned,
By critics Episcopal, David the Second,1
If thus, as a Curate, so lofty your flight,
Only think, in a Rectory, how you would write!
Once fairly inspired by the “Tithe-crowned Apollo,”
(Who beats, I confess it, our lay Phoebus hollow,
Having gotten, besides the old Nine’s inspiration,
The Tenth of all eatable things in creation.)
There’s nothing in fact that a poet like you,
So be-nined and be-tenthed, couldn’t easily do.
Round the lips of the sweet-tongued Athenian2 they say,
While yet but a babe in his cradle he lay,
Wild honey-bees swarmed as presage to tell
Of the sweet-flowing words that thence afterwards fell.
Just so round our Overton’s cradle, no doubt,
Tenth ducklings and chicks were seen flitting about;
Goose embryos, waiting their doomed decimation,
Came, shadowing forth his adult destination,
And small, sucking tithe-pigs, in musical droves,
Announced the Church poet whom Chester approves.
O Horace! when thou, in thy vision of yore,
Didst dream that a snowy-white plumage came o’er
Thy etherealized limbs, stealing downily on,
Till, by Fancy’s strong spell, thou wert turned to a swan,
Little thought’st thou such fate could a poet befall,
Without any effort of fancy, at all;
Little thought’st thou the world would in Overton find
A bird, ready-made, somewhat different in kind,
But as perfect as Michaelmas’ self could produce,
By gods yclept anser, by mortals a goose.
Notes
1 “Your Lordship,” says Mr. Overton, in the Dedication of his Poem to the Bishop of Chester,” has kindly expressed your persuasion that my Muse will always be a ‘Muse of sacred song and that it will be tuned as David’s was.’”
2 Sophocles.