What! Hermes Caduceus commission’d to seek
The Bards and the Belles for a banquet this week! —
Could none but a knave and a felon professed,
Be sent to deal cards for the fam’d Attic Chest?
O let us beware how the thief we admit!
He comes for Olympus to gather fresh wit;
This plum’d epaulettes from young Cupid he steals,
And robs Friendship’s dove to put wings to his heels.
But who shall he call for, and what can he find
That is not ere now to your circle consign’d?
The three fairest Muses will each bring a Grace
And Pallas sends Hebe to sit in her place.
She once held the cup in the red nectar dipp’d
Whence Jupiter’s proxy so mirthfully sipp’d;
And Phoebus himself, with one touch of his fire,
That cup of pure crystal has chang’d to a lyre.
But let the gay nymph of her herald beware!
Apollo’s own courtiers a concert prepare;
And thievish Mercurius is now on his way gone
To steal her lov’d lyre for the Muses to play on.
Dec 1st 1814