 | Poems on several occasions |  |
94
HITCHIN CONVENT.
A TALE.
Where Hitch's gentle current glides,
An ancient convent stands,
Sacred to prayer and holy rites
Ordain'd by pious hands.
An ancient convent stands,
Sacred to prayer and holy rites
Ordain'd by pious hands.
Here Monks of saintly Benedict
Their nightly vigils kept,
And lofty anthems shook the choir
At hours when mortals slept.
Their nightly vigils kept,
And lofty anthems shook the choir
At hours when mortals slept.
But Harry's wide reforming hand
That sacred order wounded;
He spoke—from forth their hallow'd walls
The Friars fled confounded.
That sacred order wounded;
He spoke—from forth their hallow'd walls
The Friars fled confounded.
95
Then wicked Laymen ent'ring in,
Those cloisters fair prophan'd;
Now Riot loud usurps the seat
Where bright Devotion reign'd.
Those cloisters fair prophan'd;
Now Riot loud usurps the seat
Where bright Devotion reign'd.
Ev'n to the chapel's sacred roof,
Its echoing vaults along,
Resounds the flute, and sprightly dance,
And hymeneal song.
Its echoing vaults along,
Resounds the flute, and sprightly dance,
And hymeneal song.
Yet Fame reports, that Monkish shades
At midnight never fail
To haunt the mansions once their own,
And tread its cloisters pale.
At midnight never fail
To haunt the mansions once their own,
And tread its cloisters pale.
One night, more prying than the rest,
It chanc'd a Friar came,
And enter'd where on beds of down
Repos'd each gentle dame.
It chanc'd a Friar came,
And enter'd where on beds of down
Repos'd each gentle dame.
96
Here, softening midnight's raven gloom,
Lay R---e, blushing maid;
There, wrapt in folds of cypress lawn
Her virtuous aunt was laid.
Lay R---e, blushing maid;
There, wrapt in folds of cypress lawn
Her virtuous aunt was laid.
He stop'd, he gaz'd, to wild conceits
His roving fancy run,
He took the aunt for Prioress,
And R---e for a Nun.
His roving fancy run,
He took the aunt for Prioress,
And R---e for a Nun.
It hap'd that R---'s capuchin,
Across the couch display'd,
To deem her sister of the veil,
The holy sire betray'd.
Across the couch display'd,
To deem her sister of the veil,
The holy sire betray'd.
Accosting then the youthful fair,
His raptur'd accents broke;
Amazement chill'd the waking nymph;
She trembled as he spoke.
His raptur'd accents broke;
Amazement chill'd the waking nymph;
She trembled as he spoke.
97
Hail Halcyon days! Hail holy Nun!
This wondrous change explain:
Again Religion lights her lamp,
Reviews these walls again.
This wondrous change explain:
Again Religion lights her lamp,
Reviews these walls again.
For ever blest the power that checkt
Reformists wild disorders,
Restor'd again the church's lands,
Reviv'd our sacred orders.
Reformists wild disorders,
Restor'd again the church's lands,
Reviv'd our sacred orders.
To Monks indeed, from Edward's days,
Belong'd this chaste foundation;
Yet sister Nuns may answer too
The founder's good donation.
Belong'd this chaste foundation;
Yet sister Nuns may answer too
The founder's good donation.
Ah! well thy virgin vows are heard:
For man were never given
Those charms, reserv'd to nobler ends,
Thou spotless spouse of Heaven!
For man were never given
Those charms, reserv'd to nobler ends,
Thou spotless spouse of Heaven!
98
Yet speak what cause from morning Mass
Thy ling'ring steps delays:
Haste to the deep-mouth'd organ's peal
To join thy vocal praise.
Thy ling'ring steps delays:
Haste to the deep-mouth'd organ's peal
To join thy vocal praise.
Awake thy Abbess sisters all;
At Mary's holy shrine,
With bended knees and suppliant eyes
Approach, thou Nun divine!—
At Mary's holy shrine,
With bended knees and suppliant eyes
Approach, thou Nun divine!—
No Nun am I, recov'ring cried
The nymph; no Nun, I say,
Nor Nun will be, unless this fright
Should turn my locks to grey.
The nymph; no Nun, I say,
Nor Nun will be, unless this fright
Should turn my locks to grey.
'Tis true, at church I seldom fail
When aunt or uncle leads;
Yet never rise by four o'clock
To tell my morning beads.
When aunt or uncle leads;
Yet never rise by four o'clock
To tell my morning beads.
99
No mortal lover yet, I vow,
My virgin heart has fixt,
But yet I bear the creature's talk
Without a grate betwixt.
My virgin heart has fixt,
But yet I bear the creature's talk
Without a grate betwixt.
To Heav'n my eyes are often cast
(From Heav'n their light began)
Yet deign sometimes to view on earth
It's image stampt on man.
(From Heav'n their light began)
Yet deign sometimes to view on earth
It's image stampt on man.
Ah me! I fear in borrow'd shape
Thou com'st, a base deceiver;
Perhaps the Devil, to tempt the faith
Of orthodox believer.
Thou com'st, a base deceiver;
Perhaps the Devil, to tempt the faith
Of orthodox believer.
For once my hand, at Masquerade,
A reverend Friar prest;
His form as thine, but holier sounds
The ravish'd saint addrest.
A reverend Friar prest;
His form as thine, but holier sounds
The ravish'd saint addrest.
100
He told me vows no more were made
To senseless stone and wood,
But adoration paid alone
To saints of flesh and blood,
To senseless stone and wood,
But adoration paid alone
To saints of flesh and blood,
That rosy cheeks, and radiant eyes,
And tresses like the morn,
Were given to bless the present age,
And light the age unborn:
And tresses like the morn,
Were given to bless the present age,
And light the age unborn:
That maids, by whose obdurate pride
The hapless lover fell,
Were doom'd to never-dying toils
Of leading apes in hell.
The hapless lover fell,
Were doom'd to never-dying toils
Of leading apes in hell.
Respect the first command, he cried,
It's sacred laws fulfil,
And well observe the precept given
To Moses,—Do not kill.
It's sacred laws fulfil,
And well observe the precept given
To Moses,—Do not kill.
101
Thus spoke, ah yet I hear him speak!
My soul's sublime physician;
Then get thee hence, thy doctrines vile
Would sink me to perdition.
My soul's sublime physician;
Then get thee hence, thy doctrines vile
Would sink me to perdition.
She ceas'd—the Monk in shades of night
Confus'dly fled away,
And Superstition's clouds dissolv'd
In sense, and beauty's ray.
Confus'dly fled away,
And Superstition's clouds dissolv'd
In sense, and beauty's ray.
| Poems on several occasions | |