When, playing with thy vesture's tissued flowers, I pricked them into paper with a pin (And thou wast happier than myself the while, Wouldst softly speak, and stroke my head and smile), Could those few pleasant days again appear, Might one wish bring them, would I wish them here? Thou, as a gallant bark from Albion's coast (The storms all weathered and the ocean crossed) Shoots into port at some well-havened isle, Where spices breathe, and brighter seasons smile, There sits quiescent on the floods that show Her beauteous form reflected clear below, While airs impregnated with incense play Around her, fanning light her streamers gay; So thou, with sails how swift! hast reached the shore, "Where tempests never beat nor billows roar,' And thy loved consort on the dangerous tide Of life long since has anchored by thy side. But me, scarce hoping to attain that rest, Always from port withheld, always distressed— Me howling blasts drive devious, tempest tost, Sails ripped, seams opening wide, and compass lost, And day by day some current's thwarting force Sets me more distant from a prosperous course. Yet, oh, the thought that thou art safe, and he ! That thought is joy, arrive what may to me. My boast is not, that I deduce my birth From loins enthroned and rulers of the earth ; But higher far my proud pretensions riseThe son of parents passed into the skies! And now, farewell-Time unrevoked has run His wonted course, yet what I wished is done. By contemplation's help, not sought in vain, I seem to have lived my childhood o'er again; To have renewed the joys that once were mine, Without the sin of violating thine : And, while the wings of Fancy still are free, And I can view this mimic show of thee, Time has but half succeeded in his theftThyself removed, thy power to soothe me left. * Garth. THE POPLAR FIELD. THE poplars are felled; farewell to the shade, Twelve years have elapsed since I first took a view And the tree is my seat that once lent me a shade! The blackbird has fled to another retreat, My fugitive years are all hasting away, tre C w ust 2 'Tis a sight to engage me, if anything can, IDEM LATINE REDDITUM. POPULEÆ cecidit gratissima copia silvæ, Hei mihi! bis senos dum luctu torqueor annos, Ah ubi nunc merulæ cantus? Felicior illum *Note to Ed. of 1803. Mr. Cowper afterwards altered this last stanza in the following manner : The change both my heart and my fancy employs, 324 Tam subitò periisse videns tam digna manere, Sit licèt ipse brevis, volucrique simillimus umbræ, INSCRIPTION FOR THE TOMB OF MR. HAMILTON. PAUSE here, and think: a monitory rhyme Consult life's silent clock, thy bounding vein; And many a tomb, like HAMILTON'S, aloud 66 EPITAPHIUM ALTERUM. Hic etiam jacet, Qui totum novennium vixit, Nec imbres nimii, Tamen mortuus est Et moriar ego. |