This is the poet's doom: to love all joys,
To mark them fading, and to mourn them dead.
To see the rose at day-break blushing red:
At night to watch the wind with wanton noise
Scattering the petals from their perfect poise, —
Strewing with pale pink gems the brown cold bed;
To marvel at some woman's curve of head,
Till death both body and carven brow destroys.

This is the poet's doom — far more than others
To feel the life, and so the death far more:
To sing for the sweet sake of tuneless brothers

( " Viens! une flute. " )

Come, O come! an unseen flute
'Mid the orchard-bowers is sighing! —
Ah! the song that makes most mute
Is the shepherd-song soft-dying.

Breezes, 'neath the elm vine-clad
Gently fret the river-shadows. —
Ah! the song that makes most glad
Is the bird-song from the meadows.

Be no care in thy bright breast.
Let us love! Ay, love for ever! —
Ah! the song the loveliest

I.

" He that hath loved deserveth not to die. "
So thought I; and a sudden vision came
Of birds of splendour, crowned with crimson flame,
Wings touched with brilliance of the azure sky,
Breasts sapphire, throats of emerald, flying high
In the old forest-haunts without a name, —
The sweet green palaces that shone the same
Millions of centuries ere a man was nigh.

I saw them frolic through the leafy arches,

Yes! some such form hath haunted me before,
In younger days, when I have lingered long
In fairy glade, and drank the Poet's song,
And revelled fondly in romantic lore;
But never one the garb of mortal wore,
Or uttered human breath, till from the throng,
Of fierce and feeble — powerless and strong —
Hideous and lovely, thou didst spring, and o'er
My path of life scattered the light of love,

Court no more those ladies fine
Who in silks and satins shine,
Drenched in scent, of love afraid
If they have no waiting maid.

Choose a girl, whose bosom brown,
Teeth, and hair are all her own,
With your Love alone content,
Though no gift of gold be sent.

She will take you when you will
To her arms and love you still,
And, like Pyrrhus, you shall be
Heedless of Hermioni.

I.

When I seek my pillow at night, love,
I seek not that pillow for sleep,
But lie amid thoughts that delight, love,
And tears it is blissful to weep.

II.

And these thoughts are only of thee , love —
Thine only these passionate tears;
In these there's a rapture for me, love
That Night's silent shadow endes.

III.

And even when over me steals, love,
Deep slumber's oblivious power,

SCENE I.

A Street, in which, after a separation of many years, the two brothers, Edward and Charles Elliot, have
accidentally met .

Charles. And now my tale is brief; we loved each other
Tenderly — truly loved; secretly met,
And sorrowfully parted; for her sire
Knew I was poor, and thought me profligate:
Her mother knew me better; but she knew
That to oppose his prejudice were vain;
And though her daughter's happiness and hopes

WRITTEN BY PARTICULAR REQUEST OF THE AUTHOR'S SISTER .

Mild were his sorrows! dignified — serene,
And graceful Resignation touch'd his mien,
Whilst Love paternal cast its soft'ning glow,
O'er the dark scene of suff'ring and of woe. —
Come, spotless Truth, thy flow'rs shou'd ever bloom,
With sweets unfading, o'er thy M ILBANK'S tomb!
— Oh virtuous Spirit! form'd on earth to prove
The purest energy of faithful Love!
To find a nobler state must yield, sincere,
That heartfelt peace which oft is wounded here!

( " O douleur! j'ai voulu savoir. " )

I have wished in the grief of my heart to know
If the vase yet treasured that nectar so clear,
And to see what this beautiful valley could show
Of all that was once to my soul most dear.
In how short a span doth all Nature change,
How quickly she smoothes with her hand serene —
And how rarely she snaps, in her ceaseless range,
The links that bound our hearts to the scene.

FROM THE GREEK

I was the Sibyl! — In this marble cell
Sleep the pale lips that breathed the oracle.
Death's sceptre stoop'd upon my virgin brow;
Then voice and beauty fled! All's silent now.
Yet still with Hermes and the Nymphs I rove,
Elysian spirit! — I was Phaebus' love.