Written on Nov, 15, 1820.
THIS, hadst thou lived, had been thy natal day,
And one-and-twenty years had o'er thy head
Pursued their course of sorrow and of joy:
Ah! much I fear, of sorrow more than joys
For such hath been my fate, and thou and I
Were like each other, in our lineaments,
Our thoughts, our hopes, our feelings, and our fears:
We were alike in life. Had gracious Heaven
Made me as thou art now, how blest the change!
From what a world of misery and woe,
Of vice and want, of selfishness and pain,
Of stony hearts, and groveling soul-less slaves,
Had I escaped! But 'tis the wise behest
Of Him who cannot err, that I remain
To linger yet a little longer here;
And I submit, without a sigh submit
To the decree which bids me live and suffer.
Time was I should have wept, had I but dream d
Of half the ills since heaped upon my head,
But time hath dried the fountain of my tears;
I mourn not, now, my own or others' woes,
For long communion with my "fellow-men"
Hath taught me somewhat of their heartless coldness.
Would I had learned it quite! then I, like them,
Might see, unmoved, my fellow-creatures want,
And starve, and die, for lack of that vile dross
Which I had hoarded with a miser's care,
And would not share, though I could not enjoy;
Then I, like them, might prate of charity,
Forbearance, love, and all the Christian duties!
And practice every vice, which stains mankind;
Then I, like them, in love with glittering gold,
Might barter conscience, honour, friendship, truth,
For titles, wealth, and endless infamy.
And can I covet this ?-Can I desire
To be a thing so spiritless, so mean,
So vile, so abject, so below the brutes?
Can I, a moment, entertain a wish
To thus debase the noblest gift of God,
The immortal soul?- the sense of right and wrong Thus to confound, thus wilfully confound?
Hence, hence, unworthy thoughts! 'tis better, far, To endure the sharpest miseries of life
Than thus to 'scape.-Forgive me, gracious Lord,
If ever, in my weary pilgrimage,
I've dared to murmur at thy just decrees,
Or to arraign, with earth-born arrogance,
The Eternal Wisdom which has chastened me.
But whither do I rove? Returu, return,
My wandering thoughts, to that sad, pleasing theme,
Which called ye forth on this once-cheerful day,
And doubly painful to my wounded soul,
From recollection of its former joys.
Innocent mirth and harmless revelry
Once marked each annual visit of this morn:
At its approach the baleful fiend Despair,
Which even then had seized on my young heart,
Fled for a season, and a transient smile
Shed its gay beamings o'er my face.-Alas!
Too transient! Soon the dear delusion fled,
And left an "aching void," which nought could fill.
I had but one hope-now, e'en that is lost!
Where shall I turn mine eyes? where meet with aught
To make this bitter draught of life more sweet?
I know not. Yet an inward Monitor,
A small still voice," thus whispers to my heart,-
"Seek not, nor hope to find, from mortal aid
That peace which Heaven can alone bestow.
Leave the delights, the treasures of the world
To those whose thoughts and wishes centre there :
Aim thou at higher joys, and nobler ends-
Eternal life, and bliss without alloy.
What were the transient pleasures of the earth,
E'en couldst thou gain a larger share than ever
Has fallen to the most favoured of mankind,
Compared to that infinity of bliss
Which waits thee, if thou choose the better part?"
Oh, aid me, then, Almighty Father, aid me
To make the better choice. On Thee I call-
Teach me to leave the flowery paths of vice,
And strengthen me that I may persevere
In that straight, rugged road, that leads to virtue.
Thus may I gain, at last, the heavenly goal,
And there rejoin the sister of my heart,
From whom I never shall again be severed.
YONDER vessel behold on its way,
How rapid it rides o'er the sea!
Like a hawk in pursuit of his prey,
While the foam ripples high at its lee.
'Tis the ship of a Pirate, in chase
Of a vessel with merchandize stored:
The Pirate has won the hard race,
And confusion increases aboard.
At length the loud roar of the guns,
And the red vivid flashes are there,
Like the thunder and lightning that runs,
When two thunder-clouds meet in the air.
The merchant fights bravely in vain,
His vessel is seized as a prize;
It is plundered, and sunk in the main,
And its last murdered mariner dies.
The Pirate, with red reeking sword
Pointing forth towards the vanishing sun,
"To our isle make with vigour," he roars,
"Or our spoil will have vainly been won."
The day-god had dipt his hot brow
In the gold-tinted waves of the west,
Squally winds from the north 'gan to blow,
Lowering clouds did the horizon invest.
For Heaven had not viewed unconcerned
The massacre bloody and foul;
And the vengeance the Pirate had earned
Did now in the hurricane howl.
Awhile he was tost on the deep,
His rigging was shattered and tore, When a red bolt, with death in its leap, Seized his ship, and 'twas never seen more Liverpool.
ADDRESSED TO MY FRIEND, E. E. METHOUGHT the pillow sunk from 'neath my head, And then the couch where I was listless lain; And an unearthly vision seemed to spread Above around me; and my dizzy brain, For one short moment was of sense bereft: And then, midst odours sweet, it came again With my new birth; a vestige was not left
Of what had been my sorrows e'en had ta'en Their flight; and all was joy; one woe did not remain. And there were such sweet breathings all around, And such a vast expansion of blue sky, So lovely o'er me! such enamelled ground! And oh! such prospects filled my ravished As life ne'er dreamt, e'en in its brightest dream! All nature seemed perfection to imply, Their charms so sweetly mingled; not a beam, Or sound offensive, to the ear or eye,
Was seen or heard, to spoil this heavenly harmony! And yet methought, when joy's first thrills were past, I missed a charm, which I had known before; And o'er these brightening skies and fields was cast A gloom to me; I sighed for something more. "Look up," a voice divinely said," and see The joy you sigh for." Instantly before My doubting eyes there stood the form of thee, My friend, as brother dear, as brother? more! The feelings which I bear no brother ever bore! Your wonted smile was mantling on your brow, Your hand was tendered for the friendly shake: Oh with what eagerness I seized it! How We shook! as if we ne'er would separate! This was true joy indeed! Alas! for me, The rapture which I felt my vision brake; The bliss awoke me. Still, that dream of thee Had charms to soothe my sorrows when awake, Friend of my heart, through lifé, te'er may that charm
ON THE PROSPECT OF ADVERSITY.
I SEE the gathering cloud, it hastens on,
Yet still my breast is calm; I do not fear
Its swift approaches now; e'er while a dread
Had seized my trembling soul, but soou 'twas gone.
A heaven-born maid appeared; the spectre fled,
And Hope ('twas she) soft whispered, peace is near;
Perchance or e'er the threatening cloud may burst,
You will have reached the haven of your rest,
Safe from the storm; if not, that hand which erst
Hath held you up, will be again your guard,
Will shield you through the tempest, and will ward
The fiery bolt from your defenceless breast.
Then harmless shall the rattling thunders roll,
Nor shake the steady temper of your soul.
THOUGH differing interests clash, though factions
Our former friendship, yet within this breast [rend
The stamp of gratitude is deep impressed,
Too deep for civil discord to erase;
Great is my debt. Though fortune ne'er will lend
To me her blessings, no high sounding name,
Or pompous equipage, will ever grace
My humble dwelling, yet this heart shall glow
With the just sense of obligations past,
Long as the vital spark of life shall last;
And when the feeling spirits cease to flow,
And every pulse is still, a purer flame
Of heart-felt gratitude shall then arise,
And shine with brighter lustre in the skies.
"GOOD ale makes men all sleek be seen,
It plumps, it fattens all;"
And yet it seems to make you lean:
"Me?"---yes---against the wall!
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