Comic Tales and Lyrical Fancies including The Chessiad, a Mock-Heroic, in Five Cantos; and The Wreath of Love, in Four Cantos. By C. Dibdin, the Younger |
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| 1. | CANTO FIRST. |
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 | Comic Tales and Lyrical Fancies |  |
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CANTO FIRST.
Had Eve's too curious spirit stay'd
Its restless yearnings to be made
Wiser than Heaven propos'd, then Love
Had been untroubled, pure, and holy;
Such as, on mission from above,
Love came to soothe man's melancholy.
Its restless yearnings to be made
Wiser than Heaven propos'd, then Love
Had been untroubled, pure, and holy;
Such as, on mission from above,
Love came to soothe man's melancholy.
O, that the blessing, last and best,
God gave to man—who felt unblest
By all the joys of Paradise,
Without dear woman—lovely dower!
The bloom and fragrance of life's flower—
O, that such blessing should destroy
Love's sacred hope and hallow'd joy,
And give him up to agony and vice!
God gave to man—who felt unblest
By all the joys of Paradise,
Without dear woman—lovely dower!
The bloom and fragrance of life's flower—
O, that such blessing should destroy
Love's sacred hope and hallow'd joy,
And give him up to agony and vice!
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Yet, 'twas not woman but the fiend,
Who came like things unclean, yet bright,
On fairest flow'rs engendering blight.
Woman, sweet flower! by ignorance was screen'd
From shame and sorrow; but the tempter came
And whisper'd, “knowledge:” through each tranquil sense
Infus'd a subtle, searching, hectic flame,
Which wither'd purity to impotence;
Then thirsted sense for joys unholy,
And woman, cheated, stoop'd to folly.
Who came like things unclean, yet bright,
On fairest flow'rs engendering blight.
Woman, sweet flower! by ignorance was screen'd
From shame and sorrow; but the tempter came
And whisper'd, “knowledge:” through each tranquil sense
Infus'd a subtle, searching, hectic flame,
Which wither'd purity to impotence;
Then thirsted sense for joys unholy,
And woman, cheated, stoop'd to folly.
Then love first wept! wept tears of shame,
And had submitted to despair;
But Hope, all-radiant, smiling came—
When driven Love from Eden's bowers—
And wove a wreath of Eden's flowers;
Then follow'd weeping Love to where,
Heartless, upon the ground he lay,
Where thorns and thistles strew'd the way;
And had submitted to despair;
But Hope, all-radiant, smiling came—
When driven Love from Eden's bowers—
And wove a wreath of Eden's flowers;
Then follow'd weeping Love to where,
Heartless, upon the ground he lay,
Where thorns and thistles strew'd the way;
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Uprais'd Love from his restless bed,
And plac'd the garland on his head:
“Wear this,” she cried, with soothing voice,
And Love shall smile, if not rejoice.
These sacred flowers can never die,
Their bloom a heavenly charm shall be,
And while Love's crown these flowers supply
His heart from anguish shall be free.”
And plac'd the garland on his head:
“Wear this,” she cried, with soothing voice,
And Love shall smile, if not rejoice.
These sacred flowers can never die,
Their bloom a heavenly charm shall be,
And while Love's crown these flowers supply
His heart from anguish shall be free.”
Thus Hope, and kiss'd love's bright'ning eyes;
And Love kiss'd Hope; but, dread surprise!
The evil atmosphere of earth
To blight already had giv'n birth,
And Eden's flowers had chang'd their hue!
Lovely they look'd, yet flush'd, not blooming—
Like some sweet, graceful, maiden who
Feels hectic languor life consuming;
Her flushing cheeks and faded lips
Tell that life's dew death slowly sips.
And Love kiss'd Hope; but, dread surprise!
The evil atmosphere of earth
To blight already had giv'n birth,
And Eden's flowers had chang'd their hue!
Lovely they look'd, yet flush'd, not blooming—
Like some sweet, graceful, maiden who
Feels hectic languor life consuming;
Her flushing cheeks and faded lips
Tell that life's dew death slowly sips.
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Yes, Love kiss'd Hope, half wild with bliss;
Then Love first gave a burning kiss,
And thrillings felt unknown before,
That told of something wild within,
Restless, but sweet; and yet, tho' sweet, distressing;
Blest, but still craving, covetous of blessing.
Soft, bashful tenderness suffic'd no more;
Tremblings, deep sighs, hot breathings, tears,
And blushes told, mid bliss, of fears,
And fierce desires, the progeny of sin.
Then Love first gave a burning kiss,
And thrillings felt unknown before,
That told of something wild within,
Restless, but sweet; and yet, tho' sweet, distressing;
Blest, but still craving, covetous of blessing.
Soft, bashful tenderness suffic'd no more;
Tremblings, deep sighs, hot breathings, tears,
And blushes told, mid bliss, of fears,
And fierce desires, the progeny of sin.
Love kiss'd sweet Hope, and, all-subdued,
Burst into tears of gratitude:
“O, never, never, from me part,”
He cried, “O, feel my panting heart;
Without thy presence I must die;
With thee life's immortality.”
Burst into tears of gratitude:
“O, never, never, from me part,”
He cried, “O, feel my panting heart;
Without thy presence I must die;
With thee life's immortality.”
But love no longer pure as when
In Eden, to the first of men,
Eve burst upon his ravish'd sight,
Like a full stream of heavenly light;
Her Maker's image, beaming grace;
Heaven's transcript in her form and face:
Adam beheld, and raised his eyes,
In speechless gratitude, to skies
That more refulgent seem'd to shine
In honour of the gift divine.
In Eden, to the first of men,
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Like a full stream of heavenly light;
Her Maker's image, beaming grace;
Heaven's transcript in her form and face:
Adam beheld, and raised his eyes,
In speechless gratitude, to skies
That more refulgent seem'd to shine
In honour of the gift divine.
Love, no longer heavenly pure,
Had fear to dread, and doubt endure,
And headstrong passion to oppose,
Leagu'd with a host of restless foes;
And, with their force unskill'd to cope,
Requir'd the constant aid of Hope:
With yearning heart and tearful care,
He breath'd to Hope an anxious prayer.
Had fear to dread, and doubt endure,
And headstrong passion to oppose,
Leagu'd with a host of restless foes;
And, with their force unskill'd to cope,
Requir'd the constant aid of Hope:
With yearning heart and tearful care,
He breath'd to Hope an anxious prayer.
Hope said, “The flowers that form your wreath,
From Eden's soil transported hither
Where tainted is each zephyr's breath,
Will change their hue, but never wither;
They cannot die, though droop they may;
And when some breath of Eden's air,
Hither wafted, fans their leaves,
And Eden's sun-beams on them play,
(Darting beyond the blessed bound
To where man tills a sullen ground)
Then shall the wreath, whose partial fading
Love, with genial nature, grieves,
Again become fresh, bright, and fair.
The essence of these flowers pervading
Thy ev'ry nerve and every vein—
As dews search flowers and earth soft rain—
As pure or tainted it may be
So shall its influence temper thee.
Then, bless'd and tranquil would'st thou prove,
O, stray not far from Eden, Love;
And as thoughts chaste or wild pervade thee,
Thy guardian, Hope, will fly or aid thee.”
From Eden's soil transported hither
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Will change their hue, but never wither;
They cannot die, though droop they may;
And when some breath of Eden's air,
Hither wafted, fans their leaves,
And Eden's sun-beams on them play,
(Darting beyond the blessed bound
To where man tills a sullen ground)
Then shall the wreath, whose partial fading
Love, with genial nature, grieves,
Again become fresh, bright, and fair.
The essence of these flowers pervading
Thy ev'ry nerve and every vein—
As dews search flowers and earth soft rain—
As pure or tainted it may be
So shall its influence temper thee.
Then, bless'd and tranquil would'st thou prove,
O, stray not far from Eden, Love;
And as thoughts chaste or wild pervade thee,
Thy guardian, Hope, will fly or aid thee.”
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She gave to Love a golden lyre;
Taught him, with feeling and with fire,
To wake the voices of the strings;
Then taught him song; and soft Desire
Ever listens while he sings.
But first she taught him how to sing,
As seraphs sing, th' Eternal's praise;
And while the hymn employ'd the strings
His wreath was brilliant as his lays:
Full Eden's rays upon it shone
Bright as when in Eden's bowers
Bloom'd those rich and fragrant flowers;
And where such rays beam sickly dews are none.
Taught him, with feeling and with fire,
To wake the voices of the strings;
Then taught him song; and soft Desire
Ever listens while he sings.
But first she taught him how to sing,
As seraphs sing, th' Eternal's praise;
And while the hymn employ'd the strings
His wreath was brilliant as his lays:
Full Eden's rays upon it shone
Bright as when in Eden's bowers
Bloom'd those rich and fragrant flowers;
And where such rays beam sickly dews are none.
When died the pious strain away,
Love tun'd to Hope a grateful lay;
Hope listen'd, with that charming smile
Whose dimpling sweetness none withstand;
Her balmy lips half-clos'd the while,
Across her heaving breast her hand;
Her soft blue eyes, half languishing,
Turn'd upon love, who—as the string
He touch'd, with that melodious tone
That makes th' enraptur'd soul its own,
And sang, “Sweet Hope!”—on hers, in turn,
Fix'd his full eyes, which seem'd to burn,
Till tears of sensibility,
Gushing, subdued their fervency.
Love tun'd to Hope a grateful lay;
Hope listen'd, with that charming smile
Whose dimpling sweetness none withstand;
Her balmy lips half-clos'd the while,
Across her heaving breast her hand;
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Turn'd upon love, who—as the string
He touch'd, with that melodious tone
That makes th' enraptur'd soul its own,
And sang, “Sweet Hope!”—on hers, in turn,
Fix'd his full eyes, which seem'd to burn,
Till tears of sensibility,
Gushing, subdued their fervency.
Hope, half enthusiast, seem'd to prove
The stealing influence of Love;
And from that hour, Hope, kind as fair,
Where Love is fondly lingers there.
The stealing influence of Love;
And from that hour, Hope, kind as fair,
Where Love is fondly lingers there.
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