Lyrics of the heart With other poems. By Alaric A. Watts. With forty-one engravings on steel |
 |
RICHMOND HILL. |
 | Lyrics of the heart |  |
113
RICHMOND HILL.
Sweet scene of Childhood's opening bloom, for sportive Youth to stray in,
For Manbood to enjoy his strength, and Age to wear away in.
WORDSWORTH.
For Manbood to enjoy his strength, and Age to wear away in.
WORDSWORTH.
Let poets rave of Arno's stream,
And painters of the winding Rhine;
I will not ask a lovelier dream,
A sweeter scene, fair Thames, than thine;
As, in a summer eve's decline,
Thou glidest “at thine own sweet will,”
Reflecting from thy face divine,
The flower-wreathed brow of Richmond Hill!
And painters of the winding Rhine;
I will not ask a lovelier dream,
A sweeter scene, fair Thames, than thine;
114
Thou glidest “at thine own sweet will,”
Reflecting from thy face divine,
The flower-wreathed brow of Richmond Hill!
And, what though some may hold thee cheap,
Because thy charms are all their own;
And cold to thee, their praises keep
For foreign bowers, and skies alone;—
And some may scarcely deign to own
The beauties all may share at will;
I'll bow before thy woodland throne,
And hymn thy praise, sweet Richmond Hill!
Because thy charms are all their own;
And cold to thee, their praises keep
For foreign bowers, and skies alone;—
And some may scarcely deign to own
The beauties all may share at will;
I'll bow before thy woodland throne,
And hymn thy praise, sweet Richmond Hill!
For, what the slave of fashion spurns,
But makes thee dearer far to me;
Then, whilst his sickly fancy turns
To foreign climes, I'll worship thee!
The more, that thou to all art free;
That hearts unnumbered sweetly thrill,
When by-gone hours of blameless glee
Come blent with thoughts of Richmond Hill.
But makes thee dearer far to me;
Then, whilst his sickly fancy turns
To foreign climes, I'll worship thee!
The more, that thou to all art free;
That hearts unnumbered sweetly thrill,
When by-gone hours of blameless glee
Come blent with thoughts of Richmond Hill.
The school-boy seeks thy glowing crest,
And launches thence his soaring kite,
In all the motley colours drest
His fancy deems of fair and bright;
And, like his heart, as gay and light,
As wild, perverse, and volatile,—
The fluttering plaything wings its flight,
In curvets wild, o'er Richmond Hill.
And launches thence his soaring kite,
In all the motley colours drest
His fancy deems of fair and bright;
115
As wild, perverse, and volatile,—
The fluttering plaything wings its flight,
In curvets wild, o'er Richmond Hill.
Young lovers, too, frequent the shades
That gird thy verdant diadem;
There linger till the day-beam fades,
And evening's soft and dewy gem,
The star of love, hath risen for them:
Then 'mid the silent rapturous thrill,—
The gush of hearts 'twere vain to stem,—
How bright a heaven is Richmond Hill!
That gird thy verdant diadem;
There linger till the day-beam fades,
And evening's soft and dewy gem,
The star of love, hath risen for them:
Then 'mid the silent rapturous thrill,—
The gush of hearts 'twere vain to stem,—
How bright a heaven is Richmond Hill!
And when the ardent hopes of youth,
The tone of bliss subdued acquire,
When the wild heart has “gained in truth,
Far more than it has lost in fire;”
The “happy pair” will here retire,
On memories fond to feed at will;
To muse on themes that ne'er can tire,—
Their trysting days on Richmond Hill.
The tone of bliss subdued acquire,
When the wild heart has “gained in truth,
Far more than it has lost in fire;”
The “happy pair” will here retire,
On memories fond to feed at will;
To muse on themes that ne'er can tire,—
Their trysting days on Richmond Hill.
And even when age has strewn the brow
With many a trace of time and care;
When summer's eve is bright as now,
The world-worn man may here repair,
And gaze on childhood's frolics fair,
Its artless mirth and sports, until
He lives again o'er joys that were,—
O'er days long past, on Richmond Hill.
With many a trace of time and care;
When summer's eve is bright as now,
The world-worn man may here repair,
116
Its artless mirth and sports, until
He lives again o'er joys that were,—
O'er days long past, on Richmond Hill.
Eden of many hearts, gay haunt
Of youth, age, wealth, and poverty!
How doth the prisoned bosom pant
For one sweet day, from drudgery free,
To dedicate to bliss and thee!
Oh! if 'tis brightest fame to fill
Unnumbered hearts with ecstasy;
Such fame is thine, sweet Richmond Hill!
Of youth, age, wealth, and poverty!
How doth the prisoned bosom pant
For one sweet day, from drudgery free,
To dedicate to bliss and thee!
Oh! if 'tis brightest fame to fill
Unnumbered hearts with ecstasy;
Such fame is thine, sweet Richmond Hill!
But lo! the sun is sinking fast,
Emblem how meet of man's decline,
When, life's obstructing shadows past,
His evening hour grows bright as thine;
And one mild gleam, Faith's glorious sign,
Like yon bright bark that seems so still,
Glides on the soul in light divine,
And leads it far from Richmond Hill!
Emblem how meet of man's decline,
When, life's obstructing shadows past,
His evening hour grows bright as thine;
And one mild gleam, Faith's glorious sign,
Like yon bright bark that seems so still,
Glides on the soul in light divine,
And leads it far from Richmond Hill!
| Lyrics of the heart | |