Swells the curl’d river o’er the plain beneath,Where many a clay-built hut in ruin lies.The hardy PEASANT in his little cot,Lights his small fire, his homely meal prepares;No pamper’d luxury, no splendid caresInvade the comforts of his humble lot.Born to endure, he labours thro’ the day,And when the midnight storm o’er spreads the skies,On a…
Can’st thou, the soul’s rebellious passions tame!Can’st thou in spells the vagrant fancy bind?Ah, no! capricious as the wav’ring wind,Are sighs of Love that dim thy boasted flame,While Folly’s torch consumes the wreath of fame,And Pleasure’s hands the sheaves of truth unbind.Press’d by the storms of Fate, hope shrinks and dies;Frenzy darts forth in mightiest…
Each aching sense in slumbers stole away,While potent fancy form’d a soothing dream;O’er the Leucadian deep, a dazzling beamShed the bland light of empyrean day!But soon transparent shadows veil’d each ray,While mystic visions sprang athwart the gleam!Now to the heaving gulf they seem’d to bend,And now across the sphery regions glide;Now in mid-air, their dulcet…
Come, with the magic of thy meek controul,And check the wayward wand’rings of my mind:Estrang’d from thee, no solace can I find,O’er my rapt brain, where pensive visions stole,Now passion reigns and stormy tumults roll–So the smooth Sea obeys the furious wind!In vain Philosophy unfolds his store,O’erwhelm’d is ev’ry source of pure delight;Dim is the…
MINE, be the calm unruffled day,That brings no torment to the heart;The tranquil mind, the noiseless scene,Where FANCY, with enchanting mien,Shall in her right-hand lead alongThe graceful patroness of Song;Where HARMONY shall softly flingHer light tones o’er the dulcet string;And with her magic LYRE composeEach pang that throbs, each pulse that glows;Till her resistless strains…
In awful sounds repeats a mournful tale,And claims the tribute of a tender tear.The dreadful hour is past ! the mandate giv’n!The gentle MIDDLETON shall breathe no more,Yet who shall blame the wise decrees of Heaven,Or the dark mysteries of Fate explore?No more her converse shall delight the heart;No more her smile benign spread pleasure…
Or wound a heart, that scarce a wish employs,For age to censure, or discretion blame.Tir’d of the world, my weary mind recoilsFrom splendid scenes, and transitory joys;From fell Ambition’s false and fruitless toils,From hope that flatters, and from bliss that cloys.With THEE, above the taunts of empty pride,The rigid frowns to youthful error given;Content in…
With magic skill enslaves mankind,As sportive fancy sways the mind.Search the wide world, go where you will,VARIETY pursues you still;Capricious Nature knows no bound,Her unexhausted gifts are foundIn ev’ry clime, in ev’ry face,Each has its own peculiar grace.To GALLIA’s frolic scenes repair,There reigns the tyny DEBONAIRE;The mincing stepthe slender waist,The lip with bright vermilion grac’d:The…
ENLIGHTEN’D Patron of the sacred Lyre?Whose ever-varying, ever-witching songRevibrates on the heartWith magic thrilling touch,Till ev’ry nerve with quiv’ring throb divine,In madd’ning tumults, owns thy wondrous pow’r;For well thy dulcet notesCan wind the mazy song,In labyrinth of wild fantastic form;Or with empassion’d pathos woo the soulWith sounds more sweetly mild,Than SAPPHO’s plaint forlorn,When bending o’er…
Who bound, O! thraldom sweet! by beauty’s arm,In idle dalliance fondly sports with thee!Blest as the Gods! that iv’ry throne to see,Throbbing with transports, tender, timid, warm!While round thy fragrant lips zephyrs swarm!As op’ning buds attract the wand’ring Bee!Yet, short is youthful passion’s fervid hour;Soon, shall another clasp the beauteous boy;Soon, shall a rival prove,…
