123 A THE TAKING OF QUEBEC MIDST the clamour of exulting joys, which triumph forces from the patriot heart, grief dares to mingle her soul-piercing voice, and quells the raptures which from pleasures start. O Wolfe, to thee a streaming flood of woe, sighing, we pay, and think e'en conquest dear; Quebec in vain shall teach our breast to glow, whilst thy sad fate extorts the heart-wrung tear. Alive the foe thy dreadful vigour fled, and saw thee fall with joy-pronouncing eyes: yet shall they know thou conquerest, though dead! since from thy tomb a thousand heroes rise! O. GOLDSMITH 124 FOR ASTROPHEL OR he could pipe and daunce and caroll sweet emongst the shepheards in their shearing feast; as Somers larke that with her song doth greet the dawning day forth comming from the East: and layes of love he also could compose; thrise happie she, whom he to praise did chose! Full many Maydens often did him woo, them to vouchsafe emongst his rimes to name, or make for them, as he was wont to doo for her that did his heart with love inflame: for which they promised to dight for him gay chapelets of flowers and gyrlonds trim, 125And many a Nymph, both of the wood and brooke, soone as his oaten pipe began to shrill, both christall wells and shadie groves forsooke, and brought him presents, flowers if it were prime, But he for none of them did care a whit, E. SPENSER 127 UR life is but an idle play we laugh and sport our hour away, See the fair cheek of beauty fade, and blooming youth with sickening head Our pleasures like the morning sun but gloomy clouds obscure their noon, ZEFI PRIMAVERA EFIRO già di bei fioretti adorno e l'ingegnosa pecchia, al primo albore, A. POLIZIANO 128 THE SNOW-DROP BENEATH the chilling air when I behold thee, lovely flower, recline thy languid head : yet sure, like thine, meek flower, his spring draws near, W. SCROPE 129 130 131 EVE THE HEART FLED AGAIN VEN so the gentle Tyrian dame, th' ungrateful Trojan, hoist his sail: the wind bore him and her lost words away. on the wide shore forsaken stood: But Bacchus came to her relief; Bacchus himself's too weak to ease my grief. THE SOLDIER'S FUNERAL HARK! to the shrill trumpet calling, it pierceth the soft summer air! Tears from each comrade are falling, for the widow and orphan are there! The bayonets earth-ward are turning, A. COWLEY and the drum's muffled breath rolls around, and thy name from the earth pass away. D% UNFADING BEAUTY O not say that life is waning, Do not think those charms are flying, which in thee survives them all. C. NORTON T. MOORE 132 VISIONS OF FRENZY I've cliffs, and held the rambling brier; 'VE hung upon the ridgy steep I've plunged below the billowy deep I've been where hungry wolves retire; 133 Those fiends upon a shaking fen 134 fixed me in dark tempestuous night; They hung me on a bough so small that crowns the steeple's quivering spire. when the swift waves came rolling by; and high they rose, and still more high, THE CHERRY-RIPE HERE is a garden in her face where roses and white lilies blow; a heavenly paradise is that place, wherein all pleasant fruits do grow; there cherries grow that none may buy, till Cherry ripe themselves do cry. G. CRABBE Her eyes like angels watch them still, ANON. 135 THE YOUTH AND AGE 'HE seas are quiet when the winds are o'er, as they draw near to their eternal home, E. WALLER 136 TO A LADY SINGING A SONG OF HIS OWN HLORIS, yourself you so excel, that like a spirit with this spell of my own teaching I am caught. That eagle's fate and mine are one, which on the shaft, that made him die, espied a feather of his own wherewith he wont to soar so high. Had Echo, with so sweet a grace, but of his voice the boy had burned. E. WALLER |