The Works of John Hall-Stevenson ... Corrected and Enlarged. With Several Original Poems, Now First Printed, and Explanatory Notes. In Three Volumes |
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To Miss ---
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 | The Works of John Hall-Stevenson |  |
41
To Miss ---
Grazie a gl'inganni tuoi,
Alfin respiro, O Nice;
Alfin d'uno infedele
Ebber gli dei pietà.
Metastasio
Alfin respiro, O Nice;
Alfin d'uno infedele
Ebber gli dei pietà.
Metastasio
Thanks to your wiles, deceitful fair,
The gods, so long in vain implor'd,
At last have heard a wretch's prayer;
At last I find myself restor'd.
The gods, so long in vain implor'd,
At last have heard a wretch's prayer;
At last I find myself restor'd.
From thy bewitching snares and thee:
I feel for once this is no dream;
I feel my captive soul is free;
And I am truly what I seem.
I feel for once this is no dream;
I feel my captive soul is free;
And I am truly what I seem.
I cannot now, as heretofore,
Put on indifference or disdain,
To smother flames, that burn no more,
To hide a passion void of pain.
Put on indifference or disdain,
To smother flames, that burn no more,
To hide a passion void of pain.
42
Without a blush, your name I hear,
No transient glow my bosom heats;
And, when I meet your eye, my dear,
My fluttering heart no longer beats.
No transient glow my bosom heats;
And, when I meet your eye, my dear,
My fluttering heart no longer beats.
I dream, but I no longer find
Your form still present to my view;
I wake, but now my vacant mind
No longer waking dreams of you:
Your form still present to my view;
I wake, but now my vacant mind
No longer waking dreams of you:
Absent for you, no more I pine,
But wander careless day or night;
Present, no word, no look, no sign,
Argues disturbance or delight,
But wander careless day or night;
Present, no word, no look, no sign,
Argues disturbance or delight,
I hear your praise, no tender flame
Now thrills responsive through my veins;
No indignation, only shame,
For all my former wrongs remains.
Now thrills responsive through my veins;
No indignation, only shame,
For all my former wrongs remains.
43
I meet you now without alarms,
Nor longer fearful to displease;
I talk with ease about your charms,
E'en with my rival talk with ease.
Nor longer fearful to displease;
I talk with ease about your charms,
E'en with my rival talk with ease.
Whether in angry mood you rise,
Or sweetly sit with placid guile,
Vain is the lightning of your eyes,
And vainer still your gilded smile.
Or sweetly sit with placid guile,
Vain is the lightning of your eyes,
And vainer still your gilded smile.
Loves, in your smiles, no longer play;
Your lips, your tongue, have lost their art;
Those eyes have now forgot the way
That led directly to my heart.
Your lips, your tongue, have lost their art;
Those eyes have now forgot the way
That led directly to my heart.
Whether with grief the mind's diseased,
Or the unburthen'd spirits, glad;
No thanks to you, when I am pleased,
You have no blame, when I am sad
Or the unburthen'd spirits, glad;
No thanks to you, when I am pleased,
You have no blame, when I am sad
44
Hills, woods, and lawns, and bleating flocks,
Without you, captivate me still,
But dreary moors and naked rocks,
Tho' with you, make my blood run chill.
Without you, captivate me still,
But dreary moors and naked rocks,
Tho' with you, make my blood run chill.
Hear me; and judge if I'm sincere;
That you are beauteous still I swear;
But Oh! no longer you appear
The fairest, and the only fair.
That you are beauteous still I swear;
But Oh! no longer you appear
The fairest, and the only fair.
Hear me; but let not truth offend,
In that fine form, in many places,
I now spy faults, my lovely friend,
Which I mistook before for graces.
In that fine form, in many places,
I now spy faults, my lovely friend,
Which I mistook before for graces.
And yet, though free, I thought at first,
With shame my weakness I confess,
My agonizing heart would burst,
The agonies of death are less.
With shame my weakness I confess,
My agonizing heart would burst,
The agonies of death are less.
45
Who would not, when his soul's oppress'd,
Gladly possess himself again?
To pluck a serpent from his breast,
Who would not bear the sharpest pain?
Gladly possess himself again?
To pluck a serpent from his breast,
Who would not bear the sharpest pain?
The little songster thus you see
Caught in the cruel school-boy's toils,
Struggling for life, at last, like me,
Escapes, and leaves his feather'd spoils.
Caught in the cruel school-boy's toils,
Struggling for life, at last, like me,
Escapes, and leaves his feather'd spoils.
His plumage soon resumes its gloss,
His little heart soon waxes gay;
Nor falls, grown cautious from his loss,
To artifice again a prey.
His little heart soon waxes gay;
Nor falls, grown cautious from his loss,
To artifice again a prey.
Perhaps you think I only feign,
I do but strive against the stream,
Else why for ever in this strain,
Why talk upon no other theme?
I do but strive against the stream,
Else why for ever in this strain,
Why talk upon no other theme?
46
It is not love, it is not pique,
That gives my whole discourse this cast;
'Tis nature that delights to speak
Eternally of dangers past.
That gives my whole discourse this cast;
'Tis nature that delights to speak
Eternally of dangers past.
Carousing o'er the midnight bowl
The soldier never ceasing prates,
Shews every scar to every soul,
And every hair-breadth 'scape relates.
The soldier never ceasing prates,
Shews every scar to every soul,
And every hair-breadth 'scape relates.
Thus the poor galley slave, released
From pains as great and bonds as strong.
On his past sufferings seems to feast,
And hug the chain he dragg'd so long.
From pains as great and bonds as strong.
On his past sufferings seems to feast,
And hug the chain he dragg'd so long.
To talk is all that I desire;
When once I let my larum go,
I never stop, nor once enquire,
Whether you're entertain'd or no.
When once I let my larum go,
I never stop, nor once enquire,
Whether you're entertain'd or no.
47
Which of us has most cause to grieve?
Which situation would you choose?
I, a capricious tyrant leave,
And you, a faithful lover lose.
Which situation would you choose?
I, a capricious tyrant leave,
And you, a faithful lover lose.
I can find maids in every rout,
With smiles as false, and forms as fine;
But you must search the world throughout,
To find a heart as true as mine.
With smiles as false, and forms as fine;
But you must search the world throughout,
To find a heart as true as mine.
| The Works of John Hall-Stevenson | |