For the pillowy clouds that around him lie, And flowers that are bending in clusters fair, Things that are beauteous, lust'rous, gay, For nature spreads forth her divine array Of odours, and rainbow dyes; And her sweetest of sounds; for from every tree Peals out the full gush of minstrelsy. All is gladness, freshness, and life, And can death intrude?-the tomb Yes! hark to that heavy boom, That is loading the wings of the indolent breeze, And see, what sorrowful groups are these! From yon grove there issues a band Of infant forms, clad in white, And upborne by many a small fair hand, A coffin, with flowers bedight; And behind there are duskier forms, who weep O'er that innocent thing in its last cold sleep. No wonder, I wot, that ye mourn, Thus early to seek the tomb, E'en I can grieve, to behold him thus borne, Tho' unseen by me all those natural arts With which, as with spells, he led captive your hearts Fair ones, bearing your playmate now, Less happy, methinks, are ye; Soon pain and disease may some of ye bow; Through long, long years, silent strife to wage, Where now is the feeling so gay, That gladdened my heart erewhile? Swept like the sunbeam of winter away, And tears take place of a smile. Less bright do the flowers seem, less vivid the green, That funeral has passed like a cloud o'er the scene. O, each moment, or bright, or chill, He owns no season he knows no stay Sunny ringlets he spares not, nor tresses of grey. Anon. REMORSE. I cannot weep! I dare not pray ! Avails the A dark cloud lowers before mine eye- While with resistless pangs I strive, 6 Replies, Thou can'st not be forgiven.' I know not if from hell or heaven, That voice of vengeance comes and came; But on my heart its words are graven, In characters of living flame.. Ye guilty joys! whose transient glow I pledged my forfeit soul to share ;Where are your false illusions now? Your evanescent transports, where ? Alas! the only fruits ye bear, For which I dared my heaven resign, Are death, and darkness, and despairAnd these accursed fruits are mine! Death!-oh! I cannot, will not die !—- And save me from the threatening tomb.-- Did Oh come, ere life's last tie shall sever, Ere hope's last ray in endless gloom Shall set and I am lost for ever! They pass and shall I turn mine eye my To thee, father and my God? Untouched by love, by fear unawed; It comes! it comes! I feel it now- The dews of death are on my brow- The of hell are in pangs I faint beneath that cureless smart Methought I stood before the judgment-seat |