Then, then every rapture was young and sincere, Now the scenes of my childhood, and dear to my heart, All pensive I visit, and sigh to depart; Their flowers seem to languish, their beauty to cease, For a stranger inhabits the mansion of peace. But hushed be the sigh that untimely complains, While Friendship and all its enchantment remains, While it blooms like the flower of a winterless clime, Untainted by chance, unabated by time. THE CHERUBS. SUGGESTED BY AN APOLOGUE IN THE WORKS OF Two spirits reached this world of ours: Were slow to their agility: In broad daylight they moved incog, The one, a simple cherub lad, Its face was so romantic; He couldn't persuade himself that man A being base and frantic. The elder spirit, wise and cool, Brought down the youth as to a school; They reached a sovereign city proud, And priests performed religious rites: YOUNG SPIRIT. "Ar'n't these a decent godly race?" OLD SPIRIT. "The direst thieves on Nature's face." YOUNG SPIRIT. "But hark, what cheers they're giving Their emperor! And is he a thief?" OLD SPIRIT. "Ay, and a cut-throat too;-in brief, THE GREATEST SCOUNDREL LIVING." YOUNG SPIRIT. "But say, what were they praying for, This people and their emperor?" On wings outspeeding mail or post, A noble nation met its hordes, But broken fell their cause and swords, They saw a late bombarded town, Its streets still warm with blood ran down; They saw the captive eye the dead, Death's quick reward of bravery: "Fie! fie!" the younger heavenly spark Exclaimed-"we must have missed our mark, And entered hell's own portals: Earth can't be stained by crimes so black; Of fiends and not of mortals." "No," said the elder; "no such thing: Fiends are not fools enough to wring The necks of one another: They know their interests too well: "And I could point you out some fellows, On this ill-fated planet Tellus, In royal power that revel, Who, at the opening of the book Of judgment, may have cause to look Name but the devil, and he'll appear, With smutty face and figure : "Halloo!" he cried, "I smell a trick: A mortal supersedes Old Nick, The scourge of earth appointed: He robs me of my trade, outrants The blasphemy of hell, and vaunts Himself the Lord's anointed. "Folks make a fuss about my mischief: The devil himself astounded. SENEX'S SOLILOQUY ON HIS YOUTHFUL IDOL. PLATONIC friendship at your years, Says Conscience, should content ye; Yes, and she'll loathe me unforgiven, But beauty is a beam from heaven, I'll challenge Plato from the skies, TO SIR FRANCIS BURDETT, ON HIS SPEECH DELIVED IN PARLIAMENT, August 7, 1832, RESPECTING THE FOREIGN POLICY OF GREAT BRITAIN. BURDETT, enjoy thy justly foremost fame, Through good and ill report through calm and -- For forty years the pilot of reform ! But that which shall afresh entwine thy name With patriot laurels never to be sere, Is that thou hast come nobly forth to chide Our slumbering statesmen for their lack of pride – Their flattery of Oppressors, and their fear When Britain's lifted finger, and her frown, Might call the nations up, and cast their tyrants down! Invoke the scorn - Alas! too few inherit The scorn for despots cherished by our sires, That baffled Europe's persecuting fires, |