 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
19
HENRY and SOPHY.
Henry and Fortune now are friends,
His many sorrows all are past;
Fortune, to make him full amends,
Gives to his wishing arms at last
His many sorrows all are past;
Fortune, to make him full amends,
Gives to his wishing arms at last
The long-lov'd Sophy; fairest maid
That ever caus'd or felt love's smart;
In her most richly were display'd
An angel form and dove-like heart.
That ever caus'd or felt love's smart;
In her most richly were display'd
An angel form and dove-like heart.
Long had their friends with souls severe,
Oppos'd the lovers happy fate;
But chang'd, they smiling now appear,
And with them at the altar wait.
Oppos'd the lovers happy fate;
But chang'd, they smiling now appear,
And with them at the altar wait.
Deep in the maiden's roseate bloom
Grief's canker-worm had wasteful fed,
To snatch his Sophy from her tomb,
Invited, love-lorn Henry sped.
Grief's canker-worm had wasteful fed,
To snatch his Sophy from her tomb,
Invited, love-lorn Henry sped.
The holy Priest pronounc'd aloud
The Gordian wonder-working spell;
While Love and Hymen both avow'd,
“Shrin'd in their breasts they'd ever dwell.”
The Gordian wonder-working spell;
While Love and Hymen both avow'd,
“Shrin'd in their breasts they'd ever dwell.”
“And art thou mine,” the bridegroom cry'd,
“With all thy wond'rous truth and charms?”
She smil'd—she wou'd have spoke—she sigh'd—
And straight expir'd within his arms.—
“With all thy wond'rous truth and charms?”
She smil'd—she wou'd have spoke—she sigh'd—
And straight expir'd within his arms.—
20
Too weak to bear Joy's rushing flow
Her tender frame resigns her breath;
This moment in Love's arms—and now,
Enfolded in the arms of Death.
Her tender frame resigns her breath;
This moment in Love's arms—and now,
Enfolded in the arms of Death.
In vain, in vain you fly for aid,
Life shall no more that form relume;
The marriage-bed, ill-fated maid,
For thee ordain'd, is a cold tomb.
Life shall no more that form relume;
The marriage-bed, ill-fated maid,
For thee ordain'd, is a cold tomb.
While floods of tears and piteous moan,
A genuine sorrow testify,
Silent poor Henry's seen alone,
No tear bedews poor Henry's eye.
A genuine sorrow testify,
Silent poor Henry's seen alone,
No tear bedews poor Henry's eye.
Homeward his Sophy's corpse he tends,
Frantic his Sophy he infolds;
That friendly night his sorrow ends,
One grave the new-wed lovers holds.—
Frantic his Sophy he infolds;
That friendly night his sorrow ends,
One grave the new-wed lovers holds.—
We grasp at joys within our reach;
We grasp, and catch a wat'ry bow;
Lessons like these shou'd mankind teach,
True joy exists not here below.
We grasp, and catch a wat'ry bow;
Lessons like these shou'd mankind teach,
True joy exists not here below.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |