University of Virginia Library

Laura's charms demand the lay,
Love invites, and I obey.
For my Laura's honour'd name
First I seek th' inspiring flame:
Prompt to learn her lyric lore,
Dare each mazy path explore,
None to guide my erring feet
To the Muse's hallow'd seat.

Nymph divine, to thee unknown,
Tho' I pour my plaintive moan,
Tho' with fear my voice I raise,
May it sweetly sound thy praise,
Ere some happier Bard rehearse
Peerless charms in peerless verse!—
Feeble should my numbers prove,
Should the measures harshly move;
Scorn the cold, infantine strain,
But with pity mark my pain.

Gently o'er thine infant head
Every Star propitious shed
Influence blest, and every Power
Smil'd upon thy natal hour:
From the moment of thy birth
Destin'd Heaven's chief care on earth;
To thy form the Graces three
Added ease with dignity;
And to deck thy mind the more,
Wisdom yielded all her store.
Flew the Queen of dimpled smiles
From her odour-breathing isles,
Left her bright elysian sky,
Melting lustre to thine eye,
Kind to yield, to give her own
Rapture-moving, magic zone.
Venus all the Loves forsook,
For their goddess thee they took:
While thy beauty to controul
Virtue gave a spotless soul.
Favour'd thus, thy youth was taught,
Thus with all perfections fraught.

Oft around the throne of night
Gleams a glance of chasten'd light,
When, the parting clouds between,
Cynthia's silver car is seen.
Chaster beams those eyes dispense!
Whose resistless insluence
Pierced my heart, nor fail'd inspire
Love's divinest, purest fire.
Languor all my frame oppress'd,
Tumult robb'd my mind of rest,
Now Despair his rage display'd,
Now his rising waves allay'd.

Scarce from infant fetters free,
Fell my soul a slave to thee.
Transient moment of delight!
When thy beauty struck my sight,
Lour'd the skies, dark mists arose,
Presage dire of future woes.
Fated now, unblest, to feel
Pains no numbers can reveal;
Peace, who shar'd my chearful cell,
Deigns no more with me to dwell,
Far she flies; nor will return
But to close Death's tranquil urn.

All the listening Swains rejoice
When the Muse exalts her voice,
When in varied notes she slings
Rapture from the living strings:
Yet by me her syren song,
Loath'd, unheeded, floats along.
Nor with sweets when jocund Spring
Loads each tender Zephyr's wing,
When the Hours at Nature's beck,
Earth's gay form with flowrets deck;
Can the season of delight
Chear my bosom's languid night.
Every thought of Love to lose
Oft on precepts sage I muse,
To forget th' enchanting maid,
Oft I call on learning's aid:
Learning straight unfolds her page,
Shews each work of classic age:
Valiant deeds, and men of old,
Bards renown'd, and Heroes bold;
Nor Poet's lay can ease afford,
Nor tale of Warriour's conquering sword.

Since in hymenéal bands
Fate will never join our hands,
Since a thousand ruthless foes
The dear distracting wish oppose;
Vain my sorrows to relate,
Vain to tell my wretched state!
Is no pitying Spirit near
Swift to stay the scorching tear,
None, a hopeless youth to save,
Hastening to an early grave;
As I sing, by Fear possess'd,
Feller Furies rend my breast.
Cease, ah, cease—these terrors spare,
Gloomy-visaged, grim despair!

Nymph belov'd, my verse attend,
From the seat of pride descend:
Deem not lost the gifts of time,
Spurn not thou, my rugged rhime!
Virgin sweet, say, canst thou view
Grief like mine, nor weeping rue
My sad state, nor bid thy sighs
Mourn the triumphs of thine eyes!
Wilt thou fan the raging flame,
And my frantic passion blame?—
Well, too well! I know, our hearts
What a mighty distance parts:
Thro' thy veins of noble blood
Flows a pure, unsullied flood:
All the pleasure wealth bestows
Laura, lovely Laura, knows.
I, alas, obscurely born,
Poor, unfriended, lost, forlorn,
Boast a constant mind alone,
Nor to vice, nor folly prone.
If the world, severely wise,
Weeping Lovers' plaints despise,
Praising him, whose treasur'd ore
Most exceeds his neighbour's store;
Sure, a faithful Heart I deem
Worthier far my Love's esteem.
What tho' Fortune doth withold
Envied gifts, and guilty gold,
What tho' Nature hath denied
Outward grace and ‘Beauty's Pride’?
Wanting riches, better I
Can my own defects descry,
Wanting beauty, better see
Beauty's fairest flower in thee.

Could the mournful measures show
What a weary weight of woe,
Reft of hope, from pleasure torn,
This heart, this breaking heart has borne;
Laura then my song might move
Kind to hear the vows of Love.
Haply melting pity's beam
From her alter'd eye would stream.
But to prove a Lover's pain
All the Muse's skill is vain.
Drop at least one tender tear
And my sinking spirits chear,
Yield one smile, O matchless fair!
And my ruin'd peace repair.
Then my blest soul to assail
Fate nor fortune can avail,
Sweetly shall that smile revive,
Sweetly keep my hopes alive!