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Robert Treat Paine Papers

Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1

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Robert Treat Paine to Voyage to No: Carolina

6 January 1752

To Henry Darrall and Samuel Downe

8 March 1752
A Song
RTP
Maidstone Point March 5th 1752 Pamplico River North Carolina1 Two Gods of great Honour Bacchus & Apollo one famous in Musick, the other in Wine In their Cups they were raving Disputing & braving whose fame was the greatest or Trade most divine. Your Musick says Bacchus Would stunn us & rack us did Claret not soften the Discord you make Songs are not inviting 149 Nor Musick delighting 'till Poets of my great Influence pertake. When Mortalls are fretted Perplex'd & indebted To me as a Parent for succour they fly In their sad Condition I grant their Petition And a Bottle relieves the Oppress'd Votary. Then leave off your Tuting Your Fidling your Fluting Aside throw your Harp & bow down to a Flask My Joys they are riper Then Tunes from a Piper What Musik so sweet as the sound of a Cask. Says Phoebus this Fellow Is drunk sure or Mellow To praise Musick less than good Wine & October The Man that loves drinking He is past thoughts of thinking He has not the wit to keep himself Sober. While they were a wrangling Disputing & jangling Came Buxom young Venus to End the Dispute Says she now to ease you I'll best of all please you When Arm'd with a bottle & Charm'd with a Flute. Your Wine it has charm'd me Your Musick's alarm'd me So Wine has compleated what Musick began As the Gods were a moving I could not help Loving Since she had shewn Favour my heart to be won. The Gods struck with Wonder Mov'd on by Jove's Thunder They Jointly agreed in supplying Love's Flames 150 And so in a Function Mov'd on in Conjunction To Melt the soft Wishes of this Amorous Dame.

MS ; endorsed: "Song Bacchus and Apollo North Carolina March 5. 1752."

1.

On Jan. 27,1752, RTP sailed for North Carolina as a passenger on the brigantine Primrose, Stephen Brown, master, with a consignment of mixed merchandise to be sold for the account of Boston merchants Henry Darrall, Samuel Downe (which RTP spells Downes), and William Fisher. The passage took 28 days, due in large part to the severe weather that New England was experiencing and the counter currents and foggy weather off North Carolina. RTP says in his diary: "On the 14 day I was taken exceeding sick of a Fever which confin'd me to my Cabin for 12 days, during which Time I suffered exceedingly for want of Conveniencys, having nothing on board any way fit for one to eat, the Fever was of the Intermitting sort and return'd with great violence every other day, and the only relief I had was sweating with Baum and Sage Tea with which I was but poorly attended by Reason of the Badness of Weather." Shortly after landing RTP went to Henry Snoad's house at Maidstone Point where he either copied or composed this poem.