How have I trembled, when, at Tancred's stroke, Its gushing blood the gaping cypress pour'd!

194

When each live plant with mortal accents spoke, And the wild blast upheav'd the vanish'd sword! How have I sat, when pip'd the pensive wind, To hear his harp by British Fairfax strung!

200

Prevailing poet! whose undoubting mind Believ'd the magic wonders which he sung! Hence, at each sound, imagination glows! Hence, at each picture, vivid life starts here! Hence his warm lay with softest sweetness flows! Melting it flows, pure, murmuring, strong, and clear, And fills th' impassion'd heart, and wins th' harmonious ear!

205

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 193. Originally written;

How have I trembled, when, at Tancred's side,
Like him I stalk'd, and all his passions felt;
When charm'd by Ismen, thro' the forest wide,

Bark'd in each plant a talking spirit dwelt!

Ver. 201. Originally written;

Hence, sure to charm, his early numbers flow,

Tho' strong, yet sweet

Tho' faithful, sweet; tho' strong, of simple kind.

Hence, with each theme, he bids the bosom glow,
While his warm lays an easy passage find,

Pour'd thro' each inmost nerve, and lull th' harmonious ear.

In the Edinburgh edition, ver. 204. is given thus ;

Melting it flows, pure, numerous, strong and clear.

XIII.

All hail, ye scenes that o'er my soul prevail !
Ye splendid friths and lakes, which, far away,
Are by smooth Annan fill'd, or pastoral Tay,
Or Don's romantic springs, at distance hail! 209
The time shall come, when I, perhaps, may tread
Your lowly glens, o'erhung with spreading broom;
Or, o'er your stretching heaths, by Fancy led;
Or o'er your mountains creep, in awful gloom!
Then will I dress once more the faded bower,

214

Where Jonsone sat in Drummond's classic shade;

Or crop, from Tiviotdale, each lyric flower,

And mourn, on Yarrow's banks, where Willy's laid! Meantime, ye powers that on the plains which bore

The cordial youth, on Lothian's plains, attend!— Where'er Home dwells, on hill, or lowly moor, 220 To him I lose, your kind protection lend,

And, touch'd with love like mine, preserve my absent friend!

VARIATION.

Ver. 220. In the Edinburgh edition;

Where'er he dwell, on hill, or lowly muir.

c Three rivers in Scotland.

d Valleys.

e Ben Jonson paid a visit on foot, in 1619, to the Scotch poet Drummond, at his seat of Hawthornden, within four miles of Edinburgh.

f Barrow, it seems, was at the Edinburgh university, which is in the county of Lothian.

TO MISS AURELIA C—R,

ON HER WEEPING AT HER SISTER'S WEDDING.

CEASE, fair Aurelia, cease to mourn,
Lament not Hannah's happy state;
You may be happy in your turn,

And seize the treasure you regret.
With Love united Hymen stands,
And softly whispers to your charms,
"Meet but your lover in my bands,
You'll find your sister in his arms.”

SONNET.

WHEN Phoebe form'd a wanton smile,
My soul! it reach'd not here:

Strange, that thy peace, thou trembler, flies

Before a rising tear!

From 'midst the drops, my love is born,

That o'er those eyelids rove:

Thus issued from a teeming wave

The fabled queen of love.

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5

SONG,

THE SENTIMENTS BORROWED FROM SHAKSPEARE.

YOUNG Damon of the vale is dead,

Ye lowly hamlets, moan;

A dewy turf lies o'er his head,

Pale pansies o'er his corpse were plac'd,
Which, pluck'd before their time,

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Bestrew'd the boy, like him to waste

And wither in their prime.

But will he ne'er return, whose tongue

Could tune the rural lay?

Ah, no! his bell of peace is rung,

His lips are cold as clay.

VARIATION.

Ver. 2. Some copies read;

Ye lowland hamlets moan;

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They bore him out at twilight hour,

The youth who lov'd so well:
Ah, me! how many a true-love shower
Of kind remembrance fell!

Each maid was woe-but Lucy chief,
Her grief o'er all was tried;
Within his grave she dropp'd in grief,

And o'er her lov'd-one died.

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