The soul's desire-a lay at, when a thousand years are told, Should praise thee, genial Power! 5 ΙΟ And yet how pleased we wander forth From sunshine, clouds, winds, waves, Such greeting heard, away with sighs Or "the rathe primrose as it dies rough summer heat, autumnal cold, 15 Vernal fruitions and desires And winter's dreariest hour. rth, sea, thy presence feel-nor less, ith its soft smile the truth express, Partakes a livelier cheer; Get fall a brightened tear. 20 Are linked in endless chase; While, as one kindly growth retires, 60 And what if thou, sweet May, hast known Mishap by worm and blight; If expectations newly blown Have perished in thy sight; If loves and joys, while up they sprung, ce thy return, through days and Such is the lot of all the young, weeks Of hope that grew by stealth, w many wan and faded cheeks lave kindled into health! However bright and fair. 65 25 Lo! Streams that April could not check 70 Gurgling in foamy water-break, How delicate the leafy veil Through which yon house of God Gleams 'mid the peace of this deep dale By few but shepherds trod! And lowly huts, near beaten ways, No sooner stand attired 75 The shade and light, both there and everywhere, 80 85 Thou be that, kindling with a poet's soul In thy fresh wreaths, than they for Hast loved the painter's true Promethean praise Peep forth, and are admired. Inapt conjecture! Childhood here, a moon Crescent in simple loveliness serene, Has but approached the gates of womanhood, Not entered them; her heart is yet unpierced By the blind Archer-god; her fancy free: 50 That both creates and fixes, in despite Strange contrasts have we in this world of ours! That posture, and the look of filial love 80 The fount of feeling, if unsought else- Dearly united, might be swept away Will not be found. Her right hand, as it lies Across the slender wrist of the left arm pon her lap reposing, holds-but mark How slackly, for the absent mind permits 55 To firmer grasp a little wild-flower, joined is in a posy, with a few pale ears f yellowing corn, the same that overtopped freak Banished, nor ever, haply, be restored 85 every realm, From high Gibraltar to Siberian plains, and in their common birthplace sheltered Thousands, in each variety of tongue it ill they were plucked together; a blue flower 60 alled by the thrifty husbandman a weed; ut Ceres, in her garland, might have worn 90 That Europe knows, would echo this appeal; One above all, a Monk who waits on God room, A British Painter (eminent for truth hat ornament, unblamed. The floweret, held scarcely conscious fingers, was, she In character, and depth of feeling, shown knows, By labours that have touched the hearts of kings, And thinking of my Brethren, dead, dis- And dissolution and decay, the warm persed, And breathing life of flesh, as if already Or changed and changing, I not seldom Clothed with impassive majesty, and 125 Into Bethesda's pool, with healing virtue Informs the fountain in the human breast Which by the visitation was disturbed. -But why this stealing tear? Com panion mute, graced With no mean earnest of a heritage Assigned to it in future worlds. Tha too, With thy memorial flower, meek P traiture! From whose serene companionship 1 passed Pursued by thoughts that haunt me sall thou also Though but a simple object, into light Called forth by those affections endear The private hearth; though keeping sole seat In singleness, and little tried by time, power Of meditation that attempts to weigh On thee I look, not sorrowing; fare thee In faithful scales, things and their 130 posites, well, My Song's Inspirer, once again farewell! Can thy enduring quiet gently raise A household small and sensitive,-who XLI. THE FOREGOING SUBJECT [Composed 1834.-Published 1835.] AMONG a grave fraternity of Monks, Humbling the body, to exalt the soul; 1 The pile of buildings composing the palace and convent of San Lorenzo, has, in common usage, lost its proper name in that of the Escurial, a village at the foot of the hill upon which the splendid edifice, built by Philip the Second, stands. It need scarcely be added that Wilkie is the painter alluded to. love, Dependent as in part its blessings are Upon frail ties dissolving or dissolved On earth, will be revived, we trust, heaven 2. In the class entitled "Musings," in Southey's Minor Poems, is one upon his miniature Picture, taken in childhood, and other upon a landscape painted by Ga Poussin. It is possible that every word of the above verses, though similar in subject, have been written had the author been us quainted with those beautiful effusions of poeti sentiment. But, for his own satisfaction, he mad be allowed thus publicly to acknowledge pleasure those two Poems of his Friend L given him, and the grateful influence they bay upon his mind as often as he reads the thinks of them. XLII. [Composed 1844.-Published 1845.] fair, so sweet, withal so sensitive, Would that the little Flowers were born to live, XLIII. UPON SEEING A COLOURED DRAW. [Composed 1835-6.-Published 1837.] Jonscious of half the pleasure which they WHO rashly strove thy Image to portray? give; hat to this mountain-daisy's self were known he beauty of its star-shaped shadow, n the smooth surface of this naked stone! nd what if hence a bold desire should mount igh as the Sun, that he could take account all that issues from his glorious fount ! Thou buoyant minion of the tropic air; How could he think of the live creaturegay With a divinity of colours, drest In all her brightness, from the dancing Are here, and likenesses of many a shell might he ken how by his sovereign Tossed ashore by restless waves, earth, air, ocean, or the starry sky, averse with Nature in pure sympathy; vain desires, all lawless wishes quelled, Or in the diver's grasp fetched up from Resplendent Wanderer! followed with glad eyes Where'er her course; mysterious Bird! 25 Thou to love and praise alike im- To whom, by wondering Fancy stirred, pelled, 20 Eastern Islanders have given atever boon is granted or withheld. A holy name-the Bird of Heaven! |