The Poetical Works of John Langhorne ... To which are prefixed, Memoirs of the Author by his Son the Rev. J. T. Langhorne ... In Two Volumes |
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 | The Poetical Works of John Langhorne |  |
124
ELEGY.
1760.
The eye of Nature never rests from care;
She guards her children with a parent's love;
And not a mischief reigns in earth or air,
But time destroys, or remedies remove.
She guards her children with a parent's love;
And not a mischief reigns in earth or air,
But time destroys, or remedies remove.
In vain no ill shall haunt the walks of life,
No vice in vain the human heart deprave,
The pois'nous flower, the tempest's raging strife
From greater pain, from greater ruin save.
No vice in vain the human heart deprave,
The pois'nous flower, the tempest's raging strife
From greater pain, from greater ruin save.
Lavinia, form'd with every powerful grace,
With all that lights the flame of young desire;
Pure ease of wit, and elegance of face,
A soul all fancy, and an eye all fire.
With all that lights the flame of young desire;
Pure ease of wit, and elegance of face,
A soul all fancy, and an eye all fire.
Lavinia!—Peace, my busy, fluttering breast!
Nor fear to languish in thy former pain:
At length she yields—she yields the needful rest;
And frees her lover from his galling chain.
Nor fear to languish in thy former pain:
At length she yields—she yields the needful rest;
And frees her lover from his galling chain.
The golden star, that leads the radiant morn,
Looks not so fair, fresh-rising from the main;
But her bent eye-brow bears forbidding scorn,—
But Pride's fell furies every heart-string strain.
Looks not so fair, fresh-rising from the main;
But her bent eye-brow bears forbidding scorn,—
But Pride's fell furies every heart-string strain.
125
Lavinia, thanks to thy ungentle mind;
I now behold thee with indifferent eyes;
And Reason dares, tho' Love as Death be blind,
Thy gay, thy worthless being to despise.
I now behold thee with indifferent eyes;
And Reason dares, tho' Love as Death be blind,
Thy gay, thy worthless being to despise.
Beauty may charm without one inward grace,
And fair proportions win the captive heart;
But let rank pride the pleasing form debase,
And Love disgusted breaks his erring dart.
And fair proportions win the captive heart;
But let rank pride the pleasing form debase,
And Love disgusted breaks his erring dart.
The youth that once the sculptur'd nymph admir'd,
Had look'd with scornful laughter on her charms,
If the vain form, with recent life inspir'd,
Had turn'd disdainful from his offer'd arms.
Had look'd with scornful laughter on her charms,
If the vain form, with recent life inspir'd,
Had turn'd disdainful from his offer'd arms.
Go, thoughtless maid! of transient beauty vain,
Feed the high thought, the towering hope extend;
Still may'st thou dream of splendor in thy train,
And smile superb, while love and flattery bend.
Feed the high thought, the towering hope extend;
Still may'st thou dream of splendor in thy train,
And smile superb, while love and flattery bend.
For me, sweet peace shall soothe my troubled mind,
And easy slumbers close my weary eyes;
Since Reason dares, tho' Love as Death be blind,
Thy gay, thy worthless being to despise.
And easy slumbers close my weary eyes;
Since Reason dares, tho' Love as Death be blind,
Thy gay, thy worthless being to despise.
| The Poetical Works of John Langhorne | |