But when I stood beneath the fresh green tree, [to live, Which living waves where thou didst cease And saw around me the wide field revive With fruits and fertile promise, and the Spring Come forth her work of gladness to contrive, With all her reckless birds upon the wing, I turned from all she brought to those she could not bring. I turned to thee, to thousands, of whom each And one as all a ghastly gap did make In his own kind and kindred, whom to teach Forgetfulness were mercy for their sake; The Archangel's trump, not glory's, must awake [sound of fame Those whom they thirst for: though the May for a moment soothe, it cannot slake The fever of vain longing, and the name So honoured, but assumes a stronger, bitterer claim. Existence by enjoyment, and count o'er Such hours 'gainst years of life,-say, would he name threescore? The Psalmist numbered out the years of man; They are enough; and if thy tale be true, Thou, who didst grudge him even that fleeting span, More than enough, thou fatal Waterloo ! Millions of tongues record thee, and anew Their children's lips shall echo them, and say, [drew, "Here, where the sword united nations Our countrymen were warring on that day!" And this is much, and all which will not pass away. THE OCEAN. OH that the Desert were my dwelling-place, There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean-roll! Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; Man marks the earth with ruin-his control Stops with the shore;-upon the watery [main plain The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth re- And shake him from thee; the vile strength he wields For earth's destruction thou dost all despise, Spurning him from thy bosom to the skies, And sendest him, shivering in thy playful spray And howling, to his gods, where haply lies The armaments which thunderstrike the mar Alike the Armada's pride, or spoils of 'TIS moonlight over Oman's Sea; Her banks of pearl and palmy isles Bask in the night-beam beauteously, And her blue waters sleep in smiles. "Tis moonlight in Harmozia's walls, And through her Emir's porphyry halls, Where, some hours since, was heard the swell Of trumpet and the clash of zel, To sing him to his golden rest! Nor leaf is stirred nor wave is driven ;The wind-tower on the Emir's dome Can hardly win a breath from heaven. THE CALM. HOW CALM, how beautiful comes on When, 'stead of one unchanging breeze, As if the loveliest plants and trees Had vassal breezes of their own To watch and wait on them alone, And waft no other breath. than theirs ; When the blue waters rise and fall, In sleepy sunshine mantling all, And e'en that swell the tempest leaves Is like the full and silent heaves Of lovers' hearts, when newly blest, Too newly to be quite at rest. ever gave, CASHMERE. WHO has not heard of the Vale of Cashmere, With its roses the brightest that earth [clear Its temples, and grottos, and fountains as As the love-lighted eyes that hang over their wave! |