 | My Mind and its Thoughts, in Sketches, Fragments, and Essays |  |
TO LEWIS HERVEY, ESQ.
SECRETARY OF THE PRESIDENCY, WASHINGTON CITY.
WHO IN THE DEPTH OF WINTER, HAD, FROM DISAPPOINTMENT, THREATENED TO EMBARK FOR FRANCE.
Woulds't thou, desponding lover, fly
From the charm'd arrow of that eye,
Whose bow of opening heaven could dart
Electric madness to thine heart;
Or in its wizard circle bind
The passions of thy struggling mind?
Know, mid the ocean's ruffian roar,
While cold, and dark the tempests pour,
Still shall that look of bashful charm,
Thy young untravelled soul alarm;
And still that dimpling smile appear,
To show the prosperous rival near.
Even while some bright Parisian dame
Surrounds thee with a transient flame,
The steadier fire of truth will burn,
And with the kindling thought return.
From the charm'd arrow of that eye,
Whose bow of opening heaven could dart
Electric madness to thine heart;
Or in its wizard circle bind
The passions of thy struggling mind?
Know, mid the ocean's ruffian roar,
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Still shall that look of bashful charm,
Thy young untravelled soul alarm;
And still that dimpling smile appear,
To show the prosperous rival near.
Even while some bright Parisian dame
Surrounds thee with a transient flame,
The steadier fire of truth will burn,
And with the kindling thought return.
Why then, ah hapless! would'st thou roam?
Why quit thy dear engaging home?
Even now when winter's surly frown,
Bears the white hovering tempest down;
And full his flaky pinions lower,
To scatter wide the flinty shower.
Why quit thy dear engaging home?
Even now when winter's surly frown,
Bears the white hovering tempest down;
And full his flaky pinions lower,
To scatter wide the flinty shower.
Ere thy first fluttering hope has flown,
While sense and virtue are thy own;
In thy warm youth's enamoured day,
Why tear thee from thy wish away?—
What miser quits his cherished store,
To trust the faithless seas for more!
Who would a peerless gem resign,
And tempt the dark and doubtful mine?
Seduced by dreams—with toil and care,
To find a lovelier treasure there?
While sense and virtue are thy own;
In thy warm youth's enamoured day,
Why tear thee from thy wish away?—
What miser quits his cherished store,
To trust the faithless seas for more!
Who would a peerless gem resign,
And tempt the dark and doubtful mine?
Seduced by dreams—with toil and care,
To find a lovelier treasure there?
If now the meek and timid maid,
Of thy too ardent prayer afraid,
With red averted cheek, decline
To meet one passion'd vow of thine;
Wilt thou, to fears and doubts resigned,
Fly from her half reluctant mind?
And from her wavering fancy free,
The captive thought, which pleads for thee.
Of thy too ardent prayer afraid,
With red averted cheek, decline
To meet one passion'd vow of thine;
Wilt thou, to fears and doubts resigned,
Fly from her half reluctant mind?
And from her wavering fancy free,
The captive thought, which pleads for thee.
| My Mind and its Thoughts, in Sketches, Fragments, and Essays | |