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216
MADAME RECAMIER.
By fortune's favor early raised
To a most dangerous place,
And bountifully dowered, besides,
With loveliness and grace:
How didst thou triumph over all
Who rose like thee, though but to fall?
To a most dangerous place,
And bountifully dowered, besides,
With loveliness and grace:
How didst thou triumph over all
Who rose like thee, though but to fall?
For thou wert tempted like as they—
Ay, tempted even more—
So courted, flattered, and beloved,
Was woman ne'er before.
Yet strength was given thee from on high
To keep thy youth's first purity.
Ay, tempted even more—
So courted, flattered, and beloved,
Was woman ne'er before.
Yet strength was given thee from on high
To keep thy youth's first purity.
All men with true and noble souls
Thy firmest friends became—
While worthless suitors had thy scorn,
And fled in guilty shame.
Even royalty shrunk back subdued
By thy most noble womanhood.
Thy firmest friends became—
While worthless suitors had thy scorn,
And fled in guilty shame.
Even royalty shrunk back subdued
By thy most noble womanhood.
217
By all life's dangers and its trials,
So worthy wert thou proved,
That they who only saw, admired,
And they who knew thee, loved.
And for such purity and worth,
What was thy recompense on earth?
So worthy wert thou proved,
That they who only saw, admired,
And they who knew thee, loved.
And for such purity and worth,
What was thy recompense on earth?
Alas! while shameless infamy
Sat in her pride of place,
Thy goodness only brought to thee
Downfall and sad disgrace.
Alas! that justice should bestow,
So blindly, her rewards below.
Sat in her pride of place,
Thy goodness only brought to thee
Downfall and sad disgrace.
Alas! that justice should bestow,
So blindly, her rewards below.
Yet who can envy those who rise
By wrong to eminence?
Or who can pity thee, sustained
By conscious innocence?
Who would not rather suffer long
For right, than but one hour for wrong?
By wrong to eminence?
Or who can pity thee, sustained
By conscious innocence?
Who would not rather suffer long
For right, than but one hour for wrong?
Who would not rather have thy thoughts
In exile and alone,
Than his who kept, by tyranny,
An unsubstantial throne?
He scarce might number each offence—
Thine only one was innocence.
In exile and alone,
Than his who kept, by tyranny,
An unsubstantial throne?
He scarce might number each offence—
Thine only one was innocence.
218
And whatsoe'er our fates may be,
Whether we rise or fall,
Still One who sees, not as man sees,
Is in, and over all;
Bringing, by ways not understood,
From earthly evil, heavenly good!
Whether we rise or fall,
Still One who sees, not as man sees,
Is in, and over all;
Bringing, by ways not understood,
From earthly evil, heavenly good!
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