A DREAM.

WELL may sleep present us fictions,

Since our waking moments teem

With such fanciful convictions

As make life itself a dream.

Half our daylight faith's a fable;

Sleep disports with shadows too, Seeming in their turn as stable

As the world we wake to view.

Ne'er by day did Reason's mint

Give my thoughts a clearer print

Of assured reality,

Than was left by Phantasy,

Stamp'd and colour'd on my sprite,

In a dream of yesternight.

In a bark, methought, lone steering,

I was cast on Ocean's strife;

This, 'twas whisper'd in my hearing,

Meant the sea of life.

Sad regrets from past existence

Came, like gales of chilling breath;

Shadow'd in the forward distance

Lay the land of Death.

Now seeming more, now less remote, On that dim-seen shore, methought,

I beheld two hands a space

Slow unshroud a spectre's face;

And my flesh's hair upstood,

"Twas mine own similitude.

Heaven-like-yet he look'd as human

As supernal beauty can,

More compassionate than woman,

Lordly more than man.

And as some sweet clarion's breath

Stirs the soldier's scorn of death

So his accents bade me brook

The spectre's eyes of icy look,

Till it shut them-turn'd its head,

Like a beaten foe, and fled.

66

Types not this," I said, "fair spirit!

That

my death-hour is not come?

Say, what days shall I inherit?

Tell my soul their sum."

"No," he said, " yon phantom's aspect,

Trust me, would appal thee worse,

Held in clearly measured prospect :—

Ask not for a curse!

No, nor could thy foresight's glance

'Scape the myriad shafts of chance.

"Would'st thou bear again Love's trouble

Friendship's death-dissever'd ties;

Toil to grasp or miss the bubble

Of Ambition's prize?

Say thy life's new-guided action

Flow'd from Virtue's fairest springs

Still would Envy and Detraction

Double not their stings?

Worth itself is but a charter

To be mankind's distinguish'd martyr."

-I caught the moral, and cried, " Hail!

Spirit! let us onward sail

Envying, fearing, hating none,

Guardian Spirit, steer me on!"