A lovely form, that well might warm The clay-cold apathy to feeling, Her rising bosom half revealing. And looks the young May-morn outsbining, Her eyes blue light, twin planets bright, Like sunbeams seem'd on air reclining. She knelt and took a wistful look, More sweet than love itself supposes, And with a smile, oh! bliss the while ! She kiss'd me with her lips of roses. And could she kiss! of promis'd bliss A pledge too pure to ask concealing! And look so fond! esteem beyond! That from her eyes her soul seem'd stealing: . The fact was proved, 'twas clear she loved! Away flew care, and bale, and sorrow! Hope came, and joy without alloy, And blithely bade despair good-morrow, Alas! in vain: the twilight's wane, And sun from out the ocean beaming, Led forth the hour, whose wakeful power Convinced me that I'd been a-dreaming. So 'tis through life, in present strife We dream of future joy and gladness! Youth wanes apace, a daylight race That leaves behind its night of sadness. But if in youth, our bosom's truth Should meet with love's returning kisses, We're doubly bless'd, enrapt, caress'd, And life's a ceaseless Aow of blisses, Then, Lyra ! say no longer nay, Since joy on mutual love reposes; My passion bless! oh! whisper yes! And kiss me with your lips of roses. W . EDWIN AND MARIA. A ballad founded on fact, written at Ramsgate in the summer of 1817. FAR from the busy scenes of life, On Thanet's sea-girt shore, In mournful echoes roar, The taint of vice ne'er knew; Fair as a lily grew. In sentiment refined ; Was an unspotted mind. Nor aught her fancy fired The heart that it inspired. To her what bliss he ow'd!" With mutual ardour glow'd. In mutual love bestow : Alone is bliss below. As fades the blooming flower, The solace of an hour. Affection fondly bound, That Hymen's altar crown'd. But heaven forbade that happy state, On earth forbade her stay, To call its own away. And cheerless was the scene, How fate would intervene! And summon'd her away, And nature felt decay. The gloomy shades of night, Her God in realms of light. Yet ere the vital spark had left Its tenement of clay, · Ere yet the soul of earth bereft Had wing'd its course away, While round her couch in life's last scene Each friend in sorrow press'd, The dying maid with placid mien Her Edwin thus address'd. Oh! check that falling tear! My Saviour waits me there. Life's varied course is given, That leads the soul to heaven. The ills of life to scan, That man should act to man. 6 And oh! should vice in tempting form E’er lure thy heart to stray, And turn thyself away, 64 With me life's ills will soon be past, More blissful scenes I view; My Edwin dear, adieu!" She in the arms of death Blest with her latest breath. Where rural nature reigns, Repose her lorn remains. The sorrowing Edwin there The tribute of a tear. Past scenes, or e'er refrain While memory holds her reign? Will o'er her grave recline; To deck her hallow'd shrine. BENEVOLUS. GENIUS. OH GENIUS! wheresoe'er thou pour'st thy light All things become more beautiful and bright, And what at first but mean and trivial seems Looks lovely in the splendour of thy beams. So when the sun, unfailing source of day, Bending towards western worlds his rapid way, Thro' fields of azure rolls his flaming car, Fragments of glass and bits of broken spar Catch the rich lustre of his dazzling rays, i And rival e'en the diamond in its blaze. Bristol, June 11th, 1818. JACOB PLAYER. * St. Laurence Church, Thanet... , - J. Arliss, Printer, London., :.. THE ROMANCE OF THE NORTH; , Or, THE HISTORY OF ODIN." Resumed from page 28... ODIN had naturally a, mind formed to conceive the most vast projects, and he was capable of taking measures to carry them into effect, with as much wisdom as boldness. The country iñ which he was born, the nation over wbich he ruled, was too confined for his genius, Mimer, by what he had told him, seemed to ħave drawn à curtain from before his eyes, and shewed him a new universe, of which he might become the master'. From that moment Odin meditated those immense designs which no single mortal could execute, but which, several centuries after, were accomplished by his posterity. . ... . tr "When he had thoroughly reflected on the subject, and consulted with Freya, be assembled his warriors, introduced Mimer to them, to tell the story of his embassy, and seconded the narrative 'by a mysterious dream, which Freya pretended to have had, and which she herself related to the assembled nation. The martial eloquence of the chief, the argumentative discourse of the philosopher, the empire of beauty, and that of superstition, all conspired to win the barbarians, and excited in them a desire of making distant conquests. They consented to traverse the deserts and forests which separated them from the country of . VOL. II. No. II. |