Miscellanies in Prose and Verse By Anna Williams |
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THE VALLEY OF THE MOON.
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 | Miscellanies in Prose and Verse |  |
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THE VALLEY OF THE MOON.
To FIDELIA.
Fidelia, view yon starry sphere
Where we unnumber'd worlds survey:
Why should we longer loiter here,
Nor try to wing the pathless way?
Where we unnumber'd worlds survey:
Why should we longer loiter here,
Nor try to wing the pathless way?
By wise astronomers we're told,
There is a world in yonder Moon;
Where folks like us are young and old,
And share like us their night and noon.
There is a world in yonder Moon;
Where folks like us are young and old,
And share like us their night and noon.
In that new world Gonzales shews
The inhabitants are wond'rous wise,
For they possess the goods we lose,
And catch the pleasures we despise.
The inhabitants are wond'rous wise,
For they possess the goods we lose,
And catch the pleasures we despise.
There, in a valley deep and wide,
Fitted as well for use as show,
In vials cork'd on every side,
They keep whate'er is lost below.
Fitted as well for use as show,
In vials cork'd on every side,
They keep whate'er is lost below.
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Prodigious this!—but there you'll find,
The hopes and fears that here were lost,
And wafted thither by the wind,
The sighs and vows of lovers crost.
The hopes and fears that here were lost,
And wafted thither by the wind,
The sighs and vows of lovers crost.
There all the time that e'er was spent
At masquerades, at cards and dice,
And laws by hoary wisdom meant
To keep the sinking world from vice.
At masquerades, at cards and dice,
And laws by hoary wisdom meant
To keep the sinking world from vice.
There charities of great and small,
And sums by subtle misers given
To build a church, or hospital,
Lest wealth should miss its way to Heaven.
And sums by subtle misers given
To build a church, or hospital,
Lest wealth should miss its way to Heaven.
There courtiers proffers meet our eyes,
With the rewards which Kings have paid
To Sages for discoveries,
Before their coffins have been made.
With the rewards which Kings have paid
To Sages for discoveries,
Before their coffins have been made.
Sincerity without disguise,
And benefaction free from pride;
With mighty heaps of good advice,
By fools despis'd and thrown aside.
And benefaction free from pride;
With mighty heaps of good advice,
By fools despis'd and thrown aside.
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A list of Patriots there you'll see,
By golden letters finely rang'd,
Who sav'd a state without a fee,
By place or pension never chang'd.
By golden letters finely rang'd,
Who sav'd a state without a fee,
By place or pension never chang'd.
Could we but rumage all their store,
What goods of ours we there should find;
Fair hopes of mine, I'm sure a score,
And all my Flavia's peace of mind.
What goods of ours we there should find;
Fair hopes of mine, I'm sure a score,
And all my Flavia's peace of mind.
And there's my fortune every groat,
Whate'er my great forefather won,
When Cambria's ancient heroes fought,
From castles storm'd and towns o'erthrown.
Whate'er my great forefather won,
When Cambria's ancient heroes fought,
From castles storm'd and towns o'erthrown.
But fraud or folly is not there,
Nor envy nor ill natur'd mirth,
Nor rich men's scorn, nor pining care;
For these were never lost on earth.
Nor envy nor ill natur'd mirth,
Nor rich men's scorn, nor pining care;
For these were never lost on earth.
| Miscellanies in Prose and Verse | |