XCVI He said (I only give the heads)—he said, He meant no harm in scribbling; 'twas his way Upon all topics; 'twas, besides, his bread, Of which he butter'd both sides; 'twould delay Too long the assembly (he was pleased to dread), And take up rather more time than a day, To name his works-he would but cite a few 66 Wat Tyler 'Rhymes on Blenheim "-" Waterloo." XCVII He had written praises of a regicide; He had written praises of all kings whatever; He had written for republics far and wide, For pantisocracy he once had cried Aloud, a scheme less moral than 'twas clever; Then grew a hearty anti-jacobin- 770 Had turn'd his coat-and would have turn'd his skin. XCVIII He had sung against all battles, and again In their high praise and glory; he had call'd Reviewing "the ungentle craft," and then Become as base a critic as e'er crawl'd Fed, paid, and pamper'd by the very men 780 By whom his muse and morals had been maul'd : He had written much blank verse, and blanker prose, And more of both than anybody knows. XCIX He had written Wesley's life :-here turning round To Satan, "Sir, I'm ready to write yours, In two octavo volumes, nicely bound, With notes and preface, all that most allures 790 "Well, if you, C Satan bow'd, and was silent. With amiable modesty, decline My offer, what says Michael? There are few As it was once, but I would make you shine ΟΙ 66 But talking about trumpets, here's my Vision! I settle all these things by intuition, 800 Times present, past, to come, heaven, hell, and all, Like King Alfonso. When I thus see double, I save the Deity some worlds of trouble." CII He ceased, and drew forth an MS.; and no Or angels, now could stop the torrent; so 66 CIII Those grand heroics acted as a spell; 810 The angels stopp'd their ears and plied their pinions; The devils ran howling, deafen'd, down to hell; The ghosts fled, gibbering, for their own dominions— (For 'tis not yet decided where they dwell, And I leave every man to his opinions); Michael took refuge in his trump-but, lo! His teeth were set on edge, he could not blow! 821 CIV Saint Peter, who has hitherto been known CV He first sank to the bottom-like his works, 66 830 It may be, still, like dull books on a shelf, In his own den, to scrawl some Life or Vision," As Welborn says-" the devil turn'd precisian." CVI As for the rest, to come to the conclusion And show'd me what I in my turn have shown; All I saw farther, in the last confusion, 841 Was, that King George slipp'd into heaven for one; And when the tumult dwindled to a calm, 1 left him practising the hundredth psalm. NOT in those climes where I have late been straying, Though Beauty long hath there been matchless deem'd ; Not in those visions to the heart displaying Forms which it sighs but to have only dream'd, To paint those charms which varied as they beam'd- To those who gaze on thee what language could they speak? Ah! may'st thou ever be what now thou art, Nor unbeseem the promise of thy spring, As fair in form, as warm yet pure in heart, Love's image upon earth without his wing, And guileless beyond Hope's imagining! And surely she who now so fondly rears Thy youth, in thee, thus hourly brightening, Beholds the rainbow of her future years, Before whose heavenly hues all sorrow disappears. Young Peri of the West!-'tis well for me My years already doubly number thine; My loveless eye unmoved may gaze on thee, And safely view thy ripening beauties shine ; Happy, I ne'er shall see them in decline; Happier, that while all younger hearts shall bleed, Mine shall escape the doom thine eyes assign To those whose admiration shall succeed, ΙΟ 20 But mix'd with pangs to Love's even loveliest hours decreed. Oh! let that eye, which, wild as the Gazelle's, This much, dear maid, accord; nor question why Such is thy name with this my verse entwined; Of him who hail'd thee, loveliest as thou wast, 30 40 Though more than Hope can claim, could Friendship less require ? CHILDE HAROLD FROM CANTO I, i-xi Он, thou! in Hellas deem'd of heavenly birth, Whilome in Albion's isle there dwelt a youth, ΤΟ |