PLEASURES OF HOPE.

PART II.

IN joyous youth, what foul hath never known
Thought, feeling, tafte, harmonious to its own?
Who hath not paus'd, while Beauty's penfive eye
Afk'd from his heart the homage of a figh?

Who hath not own'd, with rapture-smitten frame,

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The power of grace, the magic of a name?

There be, perhaps, who barren hearts avow,

Cold as the rocks on Torneo's hoary brow;

There be, whofe loveless wisdom never fail'd,

In felf-adoring pride fecurely mail'd ;

But, triumph not, ye peace-enamour'd few!
Fire, Nature, Genius, never dwelt with you!
For you no fancy confecrates the scene

Where rapture utter'd vows, and wept between;

'Tis yours, unmov'd, to fever and to meet; No pledge is facred, and no home is sweet!

Who that would ask a heart to dulnefs wed, The waveless calm, the slumber of the dead? No; the wild blifs of Nature needs alloy,

ΙΟ

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And fear and forrow fan the fire of joy!

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And fay, without our hopes, without our fears,

Without the home that plighted love endears,

Without the fmile from partial beauty won,

O! what were man?-a world without a fun!

Till Hymen brought his love-delighted hour,
There dwelt no joy in Eden's rofy bower!

In vain the viewlefs feraph ling'ring there,
At ftarry midnight, charm'd the filent air;

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In vain the wild-bird carol'd on the steep,

To hail the fun, flow-wheeling from the deep;

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In vain, to foothe the folitary fhade,
Aerial notes in mingling measure play'd;

The fummer wind that shook the spangled tree,

The whispering wave, the murmur of the bee—
Still flowly pafs'd the melancholy day,

And ftill the ftranger wift not where to ftray,

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The world was fad !—the garden was a wild!

And Man, the hermit, figh'd-till Woman smil'd!

True! the fad power to generous hearts

may bring

Delirious anguish on his fiery wing!

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Barr'd from delight by Fate's untimely hand,

By wealthlefs lot, or pitiless command ;
Or doom'd to gaze on beauties that adorn

The fmile of triumph, or the frown of fcorn;

While Memory watches o'er the fad review

Of joys that faded like the morning dew;

Peace may depart-and life and nature feem

A barren path-a wildness and a dream!

But, can the noble mind for ever brood,

The willing victim of a weary mood,

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On heartless cares that fquander life away,

And cloud young Genius bright'ning into day!—

Shame to the coward thought that e'er betray'd

The noon of manhood to a myrtle shade !— 1

If Hope's creative fpirit cannot raise

One trophy facred to thy future days,

Scorn the dull crowd that haunt the gloomy fhrine

Of hopeless love to murmur and repine!

But, fhould a figh of milder mood exprefs

Thy heart-warm wishes, true to happiness,,

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Should Heav'n's fair harbinger delight to pour

Her blifsful vifions on thy penfive hour,

No tear to blot thy memory's pictur'd page,

No fears but fuch as fancy can affuage:

Though thy wild heart fome hapless hour may mifs 65

The peaceful tenor of unvaried blifs,

D. iiij