Poems, chiefly dramatic and lyric by the Revd. H. Boyd ... containing the following dramatic poems: The Helots, a tragedy, The Temple of Vesta, The Rivals, The Royal Message. Prize Poems, &c. &c |
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TO THE REV. JOHN SMYTH,
ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG FRIEND, 1779. |
 | Poems, chiefly dramatic and lyric |  |
561
TO THE REV. JOHN SMYTH, ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG FRIEND, 1779.
Tho' Heaven with sacred sorrow wounds thy heart;
Tho' bleeding Friendship claims the falling tear,
While, new to woe, her agonizing smart,
Seems to thy tender feelings too severe.
Tho' bleeding Friendship claims the falling tear,
While, new to woe, her agonizing smart,
Seems to thy tender feelings too severe.
Yet learn, fond youth! with reverential awe,
The secret steps of Providence to scan:
Learn by what mystic ways she deigns to draw
To opening bliss, her wayward creature, man.
The secret steps of Providence to scan:
Learn by what mystic ways she deigns to draw
To opening bliss, her wayward creature, man.
She sow'd the genuine virtues in thy breast,
Nor was the copious seed bestow'd in vain,
The generous crop the hand of culture blest,
And Alma's care matur'd the golden grain.
Nor was the copious seed bestow'd in vain,
The generous crop the hand of culture blest,
And Alma's care matur'd the golden grain.
562
Soon learn'd thy breast with others joy to glow,
Nor sick'ning Envy damp'd the rising flame;
For others too it felt the shaft of woe,
And own'd, with more than words, the wretches claim.
Nor sick'ning Envy damp'd the rising flame;
For others too it felt the shaft of woe,
And own'd, with more than words, the wretches claim.
Heaven sent a friend—Heaven saw thy op'ning worth,
Reflecting full, a stronger tint receive,
His fires responsive call'd thy ardours forth,
And meeting hearts a mutual impulse gave.
Reflecting full, a stronger tint receive,
His fires responsive call'd thy ardours forth,
And meeting hearts a mutual impulse gave.
Thy feelings soon the strong attraction knew,
Soon learn'd, with his, to shift their changeful air,
In social joy, they took a livelier hue,
Or mimick'd sad the sober tint of Care.
Soon learn'd, with his, to shift their changeful air,
In social joy, they took a livelier hue,
Or mimick'd sad the sober tint of Care.
Thro' Learning's mazy course, with him, you ran,
Travers'd, with him, “her studious cloisters pale,”
When now the smiling boy, chastis'd by man,
His friendship felt with nobler ardour swell.
Travers'd, with him, “her studious cloisters pale,”
When now the smiling boy, chastis'd by man,
His friendship felt with nobler ardour swell.
Heaven mark'd the hour—and bade thy friend depart,
Ere yet the world had dimm'd his chearful eye;
With him she claims thy sympathizing heart,
And bids thy kindling soul affect the sky.
Ere yet the world had dimm'd his chearful eye;
With him she claims thy sympathizing heart,
And bids thy kindling soul affect the sky.
With what regret thine angel-friend beholds,
Thine humble sorrows, grovelling on the earth,
And blames afar, the sullen orb, that rolls
So tardy on, to bring thy second birth.
Thine humble sorrows, grovelling on the earth,
And blames afar, the sullen orb, that rolls
So tardy on, to bring thy second birth.
563
Then weep no more, nor grieve his sainted breast,
With wayward grief, and earthly cares profane;
Let no fond sighs disturb his sacred rest,
Nor cares for thee his holy raptures stain.
With wayward grief, and earthly cares profane;
Let no fond sighs disturb his sacred rest,
Nor cares for thee his holy raptures stain.
Nor dream how immature his virtues fell,
Unripen'd, crude, beneath the spoiler's hand;
Ere yet the generous fruit had learn'd to swell,
By suns matur'd, by genial breezes fann'd.
Unripen'd, crude, beneath the spoiler's hand;
Ere yet the generous fruit had learn'd to swell,
By suns matur'd, by genial breezes fann'd.
See yon fair tree, beneath November's flaw,
How low it lies, from yonder bank uptorne,
Its stem no more the genial juice shall draw,
Nor May's sweet blossoms deck its boughs forlorn.
How low it lies, from yonder bank uptorne,
Its stem no more the genial juice shall draw,
Nor May's sweet blossoms deck its boughs forlorn.
Yet, had it stood, the pride of many a spring,
And moonlight fairies danc'd around the shade;
Some hand had dar'd an alien bough to bring,
And to the alliance strange its youth betray'd.
And moonlight fairies danc'd around the shade;
Some hand had dar'd an alien bough to bring,
And to the alliance strange its youth betray'd.
Then his degenerate brood, with fruitless tears,
The fire, perhaps, had mourn'd, but mourn'd in vain;
Inglorious then, beneath a weight of years,
Slow had he sunk, the burthen of the plain.
The fire, perhaps, had mourn'd, but mourn'd in vain;
Inglorious then, beneath a weight of years,
Slow had he sunk, the burthen of the plain.
Some fostering hand, perhaps, misled by love,
Had borne it hence, to some less genial soil,
Taught it to scorn its old, paternal grove,
Its planter's tender care, and pious toil.
Had borne it hence, to some less genial soil,
Taught it to scorn its old, paternal grove,
Its planter's tender care, and pious toil.
564
Or all the sad, ill-omen'd birds of night,
Had tamely perch'd his weeping boughs among;
The baleful troop had thither bent their flight,
And claim'd its fruits to pay their boding song.
Had tamely perch'd his weeping boughs among;
The baleful troop had thither bent their flight,
And claim'd its fruits to pay their boding song.
Or, bid to deck some foreign idol's shrine,
Prun'd to fantastic forms, it long had stood;
While tasteless Vandals hail'd the low design,
Or bent, with hands profane, the hallowed wood.
Prun'd to fantastic forms, it long had stood;
While tasteless Vandals hail'd the low design,
Or bent, with hands profane, the hallowed wood.
Then weep no more—His branches wave sublime
To other gales, and shade a richer mould;
While fruits that scorn the tardy lapse of time,
Deck his unfading boughs, with rip'ning gold.
To other gales, and shade a richer mould;
While fruits that scorn the tardy lapse of time,
Deck his unfading boughs, with rip'ning gold.
FINIS.
| Poems, chiefly dramatic and lyric | |