They speak of pleasure to the gay, And wisdom to the wise; And soothe the poet's beating heart To virgins languishing in love And warm consenting hearts they join, In every language, every tongue, Cassandra's fate reversed is theirs; She true, no faith could gain, They every passing hour deceive, Yet are believed again. AUTUMN, A FRAGMENT. FAREWELL the softer hours, Spring's opening blush And Summer's deeper glow, the shepherd's pipe Sweet with the breath of kine and new-spread hay; And slumber on a bank, where the lulled youth, His head on flowers, delicious languor feels Creep in the blood. A different season now Admit the tempest; rent is Nature's robe; Fast, fast, the blush of Summer fades away To deck her bosom; Winter follows close, Lifts its green spire, and the dark holly edged This is the time, and these the solemn walks, When inspiration rushes o'er the soul Sudden, as through the grove the rustling breeze. TO THE BARON DE STONNE, WHO HAD WISHED AT THE NEXT TRANSIT OF MERCURY TO FIND HIMSELF AGAIN BETWEEN MRS. LA BORDE AND MRS. B. IN twice five winters more and one, Hermes again will cross the Sun; Again a dusky spot appear, Slow-journeying o'er his splendid sphere: The stars shall slide into their places, Exhibiting the self-same faces, And in the like position fix As Thursday morning, eighty-six. But changing mortals hope in vain Once more between La Borde and me! Ah, wish not what will never be ! For wandering planets have their rules, Well known in astronomic schools; But life's swift wheels will ne'er turn back, When once they've measured o'er their track. Eleven years, twice five and one,— Is a long hour in Beauty's sun: Those years will pilfer many a grace Which decks La Borde's enchanting face; The little Loves which round her fly, Will moult the wing, and droop, and die : And I, grown dull, my lyre unstrung In some old chimney corner hung, Gay scenes of Paris all forgot, Shall rust within my silent cot: Life's summer ended, and life's spring, Nor she shall charm, nor I shall sing. The youthful graces open now, |