THE FOLLOWING STANZAS WERE WRITTEN IN AN EVENING

PARTY, AT THE SOLICITATION OF SOME FRIENDS.

ΤΟ

I.

***

AWAKE, thou art my brilliant maid,

More beauteous than the Eastern light
For which the sons and daughters prayed,
When sorrowing in Egyptian night:
Asleep, I know not what thou art,
But oh! forgive me if I crave

In all thy bliss to share some part,
Or mingle with thee in thy grave.

II.

TO***

IF beauty be the healing balm

That never fails to soothe in pain;

If heavenly wisdom, bright and calm,
Exist without an earthly stain ;
Then thou art all my heart desires,
And all that even God requires.

THE NARCISSUS.

IN ages past when Flora saw,

In limpid waters as they ran, With mingled sense of love and awe The features of imposing man,

She mourned to find her chaste retreat Grew not a gem so fair and sweet.

Disconsolate, the Goddess flew

To Venus with alluring grace,

Who with the aid of Cupid slew

The loveliest of the human race; And now transmuted in their sight, Arose a flower intensely white.

The Deities in concert eyed

The subject of this strange event, Which, as it grew, in sweetness vied

With lilies of the purest scent,

Till one, in virtue of her reign,

Enriched with it her beauteous train.

In honour of the classic name

Of him from whom the treasure sprang,

This flower attained so bright a fame

That Greece with acclamation rang,

And spreading as with wings unfurled,
It soon adorned the peopled world.

H

SONG.

SHALL I tell you the joys I have known

In a lovely poetic retreat,

Where lilies and roses are grown

In clusters ineffably sweet?

Then listen to all that my heart
In its tenderness seeks to recal,

And the pleasure it longs to impart
Shall be equally shared by us all.

When the Sun has reflected his beams On the languishing face of his Queen, I have walked in the silvery gleams,

Where the lilies and roses are seen :

But a brighter and lovelier light

Than even the Moon can bestow,

Has illumined the darkness of night,

And enraptured my heart with its glow.

Ah! the spirits that dwell in the air,

And revel in blisses as sweet,

Might sigh for the pleasures I share,
And envy my happy retreat :
But think not my lips to beguile

Of the dearest my heart can recal;

Such a theme might elicit a smile,
If I ventured to tell you it all!