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76
BALLADS AND SONGS.
THE LAMENTATION OF MARY STUART, QUEEN OF SCOTS
I Sigh, and lament me in vain,
These walls can but echo my moan;
Alas! it encreases my pain,
To think of the days that are gone.
These walls can but echo my moan;
Alas! it encreases my pain,
To think of the days that are gone.
Through the grates of my prison I see
The birds as the wanton in air;
My heart, how it pants to be free,
My looks they are wild with despair.
The birds as the wanton in air;
My heart, how it pants to be free,
My looks they are wild with despair.
Ye roofs, where cold damps and dismay
With silence and solitude dwell;
How comfortless passes the day,
How sad tolls the evening bell!
With silence and solitude dwell;
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How sad tolls the evening bell!
The owls from the battlements cry,
Hollow winds seem to murmur around,
‘O Mary prepare thee to die!’
My blood it runs cold at the sound.
Hollow winds seem to murmur around,
‘O Mary prepare thee to die!’
My blood it runs cold at the sound.
Unchang'd by the rigors of fate,
I burn with contempt for my foes,
Though fortune has clouded my state,
This hope shall enlighten its close.
I burn with contempt for my foes,
Though fortune has clouded my state,
This hope shall enlighten its close.
False woman! in ages to come
Thy malice detested shall be;
And when we are cold in the tomb,
The heart still shall sorrow for me.
Thy malice detested shall be;
And when we are cold in the tomb,
The heart still shall sorrow for me.
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THE SONG OF THE WANDERING LADY,
FOUNDED ON A TRUE STORY.
THROUGH dreary wilds forlorn I go
When loud the storms of winter blow;
On me they waste their rage in vain,
For I can feel nor joy nor pain.
When loud the storms of winter blow;
On me they waste their rage in vain,
For I can feel nor joy nor pain.
My sheep, companions kind and true,
Yes, I can feel a pang for you;
Come, gather round, and I will keep
The watch, and sing while you shall sleep.
Yes, I can feel a pang for you;
Come, gather round, and I will keep
The watch, and sing while you shall sleep.
Ah, these were once my lover's care,
Of all the flock he held them dear;
With me they left their native fold,
And brav'd the winds of winter cold.
Of all the flock he held them dear;
With me they left their native fold,
And brav'd the winds of winter cold.
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They follow wheresoe'er I lead,
And while I sit and see them feed,
Methinks the sunny days return
Ere yet my heart had learnt to mourn.
And while I sit and see them feed,
Methinks the sunny days return
Ere yet my heart had learnt to mourn.
To mourn a father's cruel pride,
By whose rash hand my lover died;
O cruel, cruel was the deed,
That caus'd so kind a heart to bleed.
By whose rash hand my lover died;
O cruel, cruel was the deed,
That caus'd so kind a heart to bleed.
O youth belov'd, thy voice no more
Can peace to my sad soul restore;
To seek thy native hills I fly,
Were thou wert born I go to die!
Can peace to my sad soul restore;
To seek thy native hills I fly,
Were thou wert born I go to die!
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THE DEATH SONG
THE sun sets in night, and the stars shun the day,
But glory remains when their lights fade away:
Begin, you tormentors! your threats are in vain,
For the son of Alknomook will never complain.
But glory remains when their lights fade away:
Begin, you tormentors! your threats are in vain,
For the son of Alknomook will never complain.
Remember the arrows he shot from his bow,
Remember your chiefs, by his hatchet laid low:
Why so slow? do you wait till I shrink from the pain?
No; the son of Alknomook shall never complain.
Remember your chiefs, by his hatchet laid low:
Why so slow? do you wait till I shrink from the pain?
No; the son of Alknomook shall never complain.
Remember the wood where in ambush we lay,
And the scalps which we bore from your nation away:
Now the flame rises fast; you exult in my pain;
But the son of Alknomook can never complain.
And the scalps which we bore from your nation away:
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But the son of Alknomook can never complain.
I go to the land where my father is gone,
His ghost shall rejoice in the fame of his son:
Death comes like a friend to relieve me from pain;
And thy son, O Alknomook, has scorn'd to complain.
His ghost shall rejoice in the fame of his son:
Death comes like a friend to relieve me from pain;
And thy son, O Alknomook, has scorn'd to complain.
82
WILLIAM AND NANCY, A BALLAD.
FOUNDED UPON AN INTERESTING INCIDENT WHICH TOOK PLACE ON THE EMBARKATION OF THE 85TH REGIMENT FOR HOLLAND AT RAMSGATE, AUGUST 10, 1799.
AS on the transport's dusky side
Young William stood with folded arms,
Silent he watch'd the rising tide,
The loud wind fill'd him with alarms.
Young William stood with folded arms,
Silent he watch'd the rising tide,
The loud wind fill'd him with alarms.
Not for himself he knew to fear,
But for one dearer far than life;
Nancy, in parting doubly dear,
His tender bride, his faithful wife.
But for one dearer far than life;
Nancy, in parting doubly dear,
His tender bride, his faithful wife.
She still had hop'd to share his fate,
To sooth him in affliction's hour;
On all his wand'ring steps to wait,
And give the comfort in her power.
To sooth him in affliction's hour;
On all his wand'ring steps to wait,
And give the comfort in her power.
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But chance denied the wish'd-for prize,
The envied lot another drew;
Now sorrow dim'd her sleepless eyes,
And to despair her sorrow grew.
The envied lot another drew;
Now sorrow dim'd her sleepless eyes,
And to despair her sorrow grew.
But when the shouting seamen strove
To tow the vessel on its way,
Wak'd from despair by anxious love,
She rush'd along the crowded quay.
To tow the vessel on its way,
Wak'd from despair by anxious love,
She rush'd along the crowded quay.
The sails unfurl'd, as gliding round,
The parting cheers still louder grew,
She flew, and with a fearful bound
Drop'd in her William's arms below.
The parting cheers still louder grew,
She flew, and with a fearful bound
Drop'd in her William's arms below.
84
LELIA; OR, THE MANIAC'S SONG.
COME, ye wild winds, that round the welkin fly,
Bear the sad Lelia on your wings of air,
Then shall she downward cast a pitying eye
On all the troubled sons of toilsome care.
Bear the sad Lelia on your wings of air,
Then shall she downward cast a pitying eye
On all the troubled sons of toilsome care.
I had a friend, she prov'd unkind;
I had a love, he prov'd untrue;
Where they are fled, I cannot find;
A dark dark cloud obscures my view.
I had a love, he prov'd untrue;
Where they are fled, I cannot find;
A dark dark cloud obscures my view.
Hark! is not that a passing bell?
Affection in the grave is laid;
Some kindred spirit tolls her knell,
And love, perhaps, himself is dead.
Affection in the grave is laid;
Some kindred spirit tolls her knell,
And love, perhaps, himself is dead.
When the cock crows, and morn is come,
A pilgrim grey I'll seek their tomb:
Ah no, alas! my hands are bound,
Dark walls and grates inclose me round,
Sad Lelia sits alone on the cold cold ground.
A pilgrim grey I'll seek their tomb:
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Dark walls and grates inclose me round,
Sad Lelia sits alone on the cold cold ground.
THE GENIUS OF THE MOUNTAINS OF BALAGATA, IN THE EAST INDIES,
BEWAILS THE MISERIES BROUGHT UPON HIS COUNTRY.
HIS SONG.
FROM Balagata's wavy brow
The Genius cast his eyes below,
Survey'd with grief the hostile plains,
And thus to Heaven address'd his strains.
The Genius cast his eyes below,
Survey'd with grief the hostile plains,
And thus to Heaven address'd his strains.
Here first arose, in early time,
The beam of wisdom's light sublime;
From hence the stream of science flow'd,
Though now its source is lost in blood.
The beam of wisdom's light sublime;
From hence the stream of science flow'd,
Though now its source is lost in blood.
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O, Brama, where is now thy place?
And why on thy deserted race
Falls more than thy weak slaves can bear?
Behold them victims to despair!
And why on thy deserted race
Falls more than thy weak slaves can bear?
Behold them victims to despair!
Behold thy sons unpitied bleed,
While wealth and honours crown the deed:
See grasping avarice denies
A moment to their suppliant cries.
While wealth and honours crown the deed:
See grasping avarice denies
A moment to their suppliant cries.
Dark deadly fraud, wild horrid strife,
The poison'd bowl, the murd'ring knife,
Combine thy people to annoy;
Rise and avenge them, or destroy!
The poison'd bowl, the murd'ring knife,
Combine thy people to annoy;
Rise and avenge them, or destroy!
With chains of fire the genii bind,
Who come the scourge of human kind;
Plunge them in seas of melting ore,
Crown them with poniards dip'd in gore.
Who come the scourge of human kind;
Plunge them in seas of melting ore,
Crown them with poniards dip'd in gore.
O, Brama! may thy slave prevail,
Soon shall they spread their parting sail;
Command them distant far to fly,
Fell demons of calamity!
Soon shall they spread their parting sail;
Command them distant far to fly,
Fell demons of calamity!
87
A BALLAD OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
We speak—
------ “of one whose hand, Like the base indian, throws a pearl away, richer than all his tribe.”
SHAKESPEAR.
'TWAS at the time the moon's broad shield
Shone 'midst the vaulted skies,
While trembling round, in regal state,
The starry myriads rise.
Shone 'midst the vaulted skies,
While trembling round, in regal state,
The starry myriads rise.
Her pale beams silver'd o'er the gate
Where sculptur'd frenzy glares,
And moping melancholy scowls
Upon a world of cares.
Where sculptur'd frenzy glares,
And moping melancholy scowls
Upon a world of cares.
From these dark cells, where horror reigns,
And wild distraction bides,
A hapless maniac bust her chains,
And through the portal glides.
And wild distraction bides,
A hapless maniac bust her chains,
And through the portal glides.
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Onward she press'd, with eager haste,
So swift she seem'd to fly,
One object fill'd her troubled breast
And fix'd her wand'ring eye.
So swift she seem'd to fly,
One object fill'd her troubled breast
And fix'd her wand'ring eye.
Loose flow'd her robes, and on her breast
Chill fell the ev'ning dew;
She felt it not; cold blew the blast,
The blast unheeded blew.
Chill fell the ev'ning dew;
She felt it not; cold blew the blast,
The blast unheeded blew.
Forward she press'd, with eager haste
The well known mansion sought,
Where pass'd in youth those happier days,
Which still return'd in thought.
The well known mansion sought,
Where pass'd in youth those happier days,
Which still return'd in thought.
Through lighted halls of gay resort,
And trim domestic bands,
She pass'd resistless, and at once
Before the banquet stands.
And trim domestic bands,
She pass'd resistless, and at once
Before the banquet stands.
O most unlook'd-for at that board,
And most unwelcome guest;
Cold is for thee the marble heart,
Which robb'd thee of thy rest.
And most unwelcome guest;
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Which robb'd thee of thy rest.
Appall'd he view'd her alter'd form,
And met her vacant eye;
The blood forsook his conscious cheek,
And nature forc'd a sigh.
And met her vacant eye;
The blood forsook his conscious cheek,
And nature forc'd a sigh.
With the wild glance of keen despair
She ey'd the shining train,
Of lords, and knights, and ladies fair,
Who silent all remain.
She ey'd the shining train,
Of lords, and knights, and ladies fair,
Who silent all remain.
Then recollecting, quick she cried,
“Why was I hence convey'd,
By fiends accurst, to darkness drear,
And thou deniest me aid?
“Why was I hence convey'd,
By fiends accurst, to darkness drear,
And thou deniest me aid?
“Where are my children? are they near?
O bring them to my sight!
Alas! I rave; banish'd they fled;
Like me forgotten quite.
O bring them to my sight!
Alas! I rave; banish'd they fled;
Like me forgotten quite.
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“I burn, I burn! a wheel of fire
Whirls round my tortur'd brain:
They come; they tear them from my arms,
And I resist in vain.
Whirls round my tortur'd brain:
They come; they tear them from my arms,
And I resist in vain.
“Ah! see they weep; I cannot weep!
Frown not, nor look unkind;
That gentle pity sheds her balm
To sooth my troubled mind.
Frown not, nor look unkind;
That gentle pity sheds her balm
To sooth my troubled mind.
“Fair blooms thy bride in pride of youth;
But will she love like me?
The holy knot is often tied,
And yet the heart is free.
But will she love like me?
The holy knot is often tied,
And yet the heart is free.
“Were not ambition, wealth, and show,
The aim of her desires?
Is it from youth declining age
Can hope for mutual fires?
The aim of her desires?
Is it from youth declining age
Can hope for mutual fires?
“For me, I lov'd thee more than life,
My children, or my fame!
Nor seiz'd a shelter from disgrace,
Beneath thy offer'd name.
My children, or my fame!
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Beneath thy offer'd name.
“But, hark! methinks a distant bell
Low warns me to attend,
Where the last gleam of parting hope
Marks out a kinder friend.
Low warns me to attend,
Where the last gleam of parting hope
Marks out a kinder friend.
“Death is the friend I go to meet,
And from his bounty crave
All that can now remain for me,
An undistinguish'd grave.”
And from his bounty crave
All that can now remain for me,
An undistinguish'd grave.”
She stopt, scream'd wild; with frantic laugh
She darted to the door,
And, in the passing of a thought,
Fled, to return no more.
She darted to the door,
And, in the passing of a thought,
Fled, to return no more.
ELEGY.
SIGH not, ye winds, as passing o'er
The chambers of the dead you fly;
Weep not, ye dews, for these no more
Shall ever weep, shall ever sigh.
The chambers of the dead you fly;
Weep not, ye dews, for these no more
Shall ever weep, shall ever sigh.
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Why mourn the throbbing heart at rest?
How still it lies within the breast!
Why mourn, since death presents us peace,
And in the grave our sorrows cease?
How still it lies within the breast!
Why mourn, since death presents us peace,
And in the grave our sorrows cease?
The shatter'd bark, from adverse winds,
Rest in this peaceful haven finds;
And, when the storms of life are past,
Hope drops her anchor here at last.
Rest in this peaceful haven finds;
And, when the storms of life are past,
Hope drops her anchor here at last.
Sigh not, ye winds, as passing o'er
The chambers of the dead you fly;
Weep not, ye dews, for these no more
Shall ever weep, shall ever sigh.
The chambers of the dead you fly;
Weep not, ye dews, for these no more
Shall ever weep, shall ever sigh.
THE DIRGE OF AMORET.
WHY glide the hours so swift away,
When love and fortune shine?
Years seem'd but as a passing day,
When Amoret was mine.
Was mine! sad sounds, ye ring my knell,
And bid to joy a long farewell!
When love and fortune shine?
Years seem'd but as a passing day,
When Amoret was mine.
Was mine! sad sounds, ye ring my knell,
And bid to joy a long farewell!
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Her voice could sooth the soul of care,
And lull despair to rest;
Why was she form'd divinely fair?
And why was I so bless'd?
So bless'd no more; I hear the knell,
Which bids the world a long farewell.
And lull despair to rest;
Why was she form'd divinely fair?
And why was I so bless'd?
So bless'd no more; I hear the knell,
Which bids the world a long farewell.
SONG.
[YE gentle gales, that careless blow]
YE gentle gales, that careless blow
Regardless of a lover's sighs;
Ye streams, unheeding, as ye flow,
The wretch who on your margin dies:
Far from these banks I fly to prove
If absence is a cure for love.
Regardless of a lover's sighs;
Ye streams, unheeding, as ye flow,
The wretch who on your margin dies:
Far from these banks I fly to prove
If absence is a cure for love.
Yet say, my heart, can distant plains,
Tho' e'er so fair the flowers they boast,
Can clearer streams assuage thy pains,
And give thee back thy quiet lost?
Ah no; and thou, alas! wilt prove
That absence is no cure for love.
Tho' e'er so fair the flowers they boast,
Can clearer streams assuage thy pains,
And give thee back thy quiet lost?
Ah no; and thou, alas! wilt prove
That absence is no cure for love.
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SONG.
[FAR from this throbbing bosom haste]
FAR from this throbbing bosom haste,
Ye doubts and fears, that lay it waste;
Dear anxious days of pleasing pain
Fly, never to return again.
Ye doubts and fears, that lay it waste;
Dear anxious days of pleasing pain
Fly, never to return again.
But, ah! return ye smiling hours,
By careless fancy crown'd with flowers;
Come, fairy joys, and wishes gay,
And dance in sportive rounds away.
By careless fancy crown'd with flowers;
Come, fairy joys, and wishes gay,
And dance in sportive rounds away.
So shall the moments gaily glide
O'er varying life's tumultuous tide;
Nor sad regrets disturb their course,
To calmn oblivion's peaceful source.
O'er varying life's tumultuous tide;
Nor sad regrets disturb their course,
To calmn oblivion's peaceful source.
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THE FAREWELL,
A SONG.
FAR from hope, and lost to pleasure,
Haste away to war's alarms!
Sad I leave my soul's dear treasure
For the dismal din of arms.
Haste away to war's alarms!
Sad I leave my soul's dear treasure
For the dismal din of arms.
But, ah! for thee, I follow glory,
To gain thy love I dare to die;
And when my comrades tell my story,
Thou shalt lament me with a sigh.
To gain thy love I dare to die;
And when my comrades tell my story,
Thou shalt lament me with a sigh.
All my griefs will then be over,
Sunk in death's eternal rest;
You may regret a faithful lover,
Though you refuse to make him bless'd.
Sunk in death's eternal rest;
You may regret a faithful lover,
Though you refuse to make him bless'd.
Bestow a tear of kind compassion
To grace a hapless soldier's tomb;
And, ah! forgive a fatal passion,
Which reason could not overcome.
To grace a hapless soldier's tomb;
And, ah! forgive a fatal passion,
Which reason could not overcome.
96
REMEMBRANCE,
A SONG.
WHILE I behold the moon's pale beam,
Her light, perhaps, reflects on thee,
As wand'ring near the silver stream,
Thy sad remembrance turns to me.
Her light, perhaps, reflects on thee,
As wand'ring near the silver stream,
Thy sad remembrance turns to me.
Ah, to forget! the wish were vain!
Our souls were form'd thus fond to be;
No more I'll murmur and complain,
For thou, my love, wilt think on me.
Our souls were form'd thus fond to be;
No more I'll murmur and complain,
For thou, my love, wilt think on me.
Silent and sad, I take my way,
As fortune deigns my bark to steer;
Of hope a faint and distant ray
Our far divided days shall cheer.
As fortune deigns my bark to steer;
Of hope a faint and distant ray
Our far divided days shall cheer.
Ah! to return, to meet again!
Dear blissful thought! with love and thee!
No more I murmur and complain,
For thou, my love, wilt think on me.
Dear blissful thought! with love and thee!
No more I murmur and complain,
For thou, my love, wilt think on me.
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SONG.
[DEAR shade of bliss, enchanting hope]
DEAR shade of bliss, enchanting hope,
Thy fairy dreams are almost o'er;
Bewilder'd, weary, faint, I stop,
My heart, alas! believes no more.
Thy fairy dreams are almost o'er;
Bewilder'd, weary, faint, I stop,
My heart, alas! believes no more.
Yet from the beaten track I stray,
And truant fancy wanders far,
To catch one faint and trembling ray
From thy obscure and distant star.
And truant fancy wanders far,
To catch one faint and trembling ray
From thy obscure and distant star.
Come, dear delusion, smile once more,
If in thy smiles I may be bless'd!
Spread thy green mantle on the shore,
And give thy anchor to my breast.
If in thy smiles I may be bless'd!
Spread thy green mantle on the shore,
And give thy anchor to my breast.
SONG.
[THE moments fly, and we must part]
THE moments fly, and we must part,
To weep a long adieu;
But still this fond, this faithful heart,
Shall feel, shall beat for you.
To weep a long adieu;
But still this fond, this faithful heart,
Shall feel, shall beat for you.
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Though seas and adverse fates divide,
Yet thought unseen shall fly
Upon the light breeze o'er the tide,
And in your bosom die.
Yet thought unseen shall fly
Upon the light breeze o'er the tide,
And in your bosom die.
SONG.
[FAR, far from me my love is fled]
FAR, far from me my love is fled,
In a light skiff he tempts the sea,
The young desires his sails have spread,
And hope his pilot deigns to be.
In a light skiff he tempts the sea,
The young desires his sails have spread,
And hope his pilot deigns to be.
The promis'd land of varied joy,
Which so delights his fickle mind,
In waking dreams his days employ,
While I, poor I, sing to the wind.
Which so delights his fickle mind,
In waking dreams his days employ,
While I, poor I, sing to the wind.
But young desires grow old and die,
And hope no more the helm may steer;
Beneath a dark and stormy sky
Shall fall the late repentant tear.
And hope no more the helm may steer;
Beneath a dark and stormy sky
Shall fall the late repentant tear.
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While I, within my peaceful grot,
May hear the distant tempest roar,
Contented with my humble lot,
In safety on the friendly shore.
May hear the distant tempest roar,
Contented with my humble lot,
In safety on the friendly shore.
SONG.
[IN airy dreams fond fancy flies]
IN airy dreams fond fancy flies,
My absent love to see,
And with the early dawn I rise,
Dear youth, to think of thee.
My absent love to see,
And with the early dawn I rise,
Dear youth, to think of thee.
How swiftly flew the rosy hours,
When hope and love were new;
Sweet was the time, as op'ning flowers,
But, ah! 'twas transient too.
When hope and love were new;
Sweet was the time, as op'ning flowers,
But, ah! 'twas transient too.
The moments now move slowly on,
Until thy wish'd return;
I count them pensive and alone,
As in the shades I mourn.
Until thy wish'd return;
I count them pensive and alone,
As in the shades I mourn.
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Return, return, my love, and charm
Each anxious care to rest;
Thy voice shall every doubt disarm,
And sooth my troubled breast.
Each anxious care to rest;
Thy voice shall every doubt disarm,
And sooth my troubled breast.
SONG.
[O'ER the lone heath I wander wild]
O'ER the lone heath I wander wild,
Or sing beneath the hawthorn shade,
While the soft breeze of ev'ning mild
Hovers around my careless head.
Sweet solitude, dear scenes of calm repose!
How far unlike the busy world are those.
Or sing beneath the hawthorn shade,
While the soft breeze of ev'ning mild
Hovers around my careless head.
Sweet solitude, dear scenes of calm repose!
How far unlike the busy world are those.
So fancy sings, ere young desire
With grief, with joy inspires her lay,
Ere love has touch'd the soul with fire,
And wak'd to life the conscious clay;
Sweet sympathies, sad joys, and tender woes,
Still how unlike the busy world are those.
With grief, with joy inspires her lay,
Ere love has touch'd the soul with fire,
And wak'd to life the conscious clay;
Sweet sympathies, sad joys, and tender woes,
Still how unlike the busy world are those.
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SONG.
[TO wander alone when the moon faintly beaming]
TO wander alone when the moon faintly beaming,
With glimmering lustre darts through the dim shade,
Where owls seek for covert, and night birds complaining,
Add sound to the horrors that darken the glade.
With glimmering lustre darts through the dim shade,
Where owls seek for covert, and night birds complaining,
Add sound to the horrors that darken the glade.
'Tis not for the happy, come daughter of sorrow,
'Tis here thy sad thoughts are embalm'd in thy tears,
Where lost in the past, nor regarding to-morrow,
There's nothing for hopes, there's nothing for fears.
'Tis here thy sad thoughts are embalm'd in thy tears,
Where lost in the past, nor regarding to-morrow,
There's nothing for hopes, there's nothing for fears.
SONG.
[THE season comes when first we met]
THE season comes when first we met,
But you return no more;
Why cannot I the days forget,
Which time can ne'er restore?
O days too sweet, too bright to last,
Are you indeed for ever past?
But you return no more;
Why cannot I the days forget,
Which time can ne'er restore?
O days too sweet, too bright to last,
Are you indeed for ever past?
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The fleeting shadows of delight,
In memory I trace;
In fancy stop their rapid flight,
And all the past replace:
But, ah, I wake to endless woes,
And tears the fading visions close!
In memory I trace;
In fancy stop their rapid flight,
And all the past replace:
But, ah, I wake to endless woes,
And tears the fading visions close!
SONG.
[O Tuneful voice, I still deplore]
O Tuneful voice, I still deplore
Those accents which, tho' heard no more,
Still vibrate on my heart;
In echo's cave I long to dwell,
And still would hear the sad farewell,
When we were doom'd to part.
Those accents which, tho' heard no more,
Still vibrate on my heart;
In echo's cave I long to dwell,
And still would hear the sad farewell,
When we were doom'd to part.
Bright eyes, O that the task were mine,
To guard the liquid fires that shine,
And round your orbits play;
To watch them with a vestal's care,
And feed with smiles a light so fair,
That it may ne'er decay.
To guard the liquid fires that shine,
And round your orbits play;
To watch them with a vestal's care,
And feed with smiles a light so fair,
That it may ne'er decay.
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A MERMAID'S SONG.
NOW the dancing sunbeams play
On the green and glassy sea;
Come, and I will lead the way,
Where the pearly treasures be.
Come with me and we will go
Where the rocks of coral grow;
Follow, follow, follow me.
On the green and glassy sea;
Come, and I will lead the way,
Where the pearly treasures be.
Come with me and we will go
Where the rocks of coral grow;
Follow, follow, follow me.
Come, behold what treasures lie
Deep below the rolling waves,
Riches hid from human eye
Dimly shine in ocean's caves;
Stormy winds are far away,
Ebbing tides brook no delay;
Follow, follow, follow me.
Deep below the rolling waves,
Riches hid from human eye
Dimly shine in ocean's caves;
Stormy winds are far away,
Ebbing tides brook no delay;
Follow, follow, follow me.
SONG.
[THE anguish of my bursting heart]
THE anguish of my bursting heart
Till now my tongue has ne'er betray'd,
Despair at length reveals the smart
No time can cure, no hope can aid.
Till now my tongue has ne'er betray'd,
Despair at length reveals the smart
No time can cure, no hope can aid.
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My sorrows verging to the grave,
No more shall pain thy gentle breast;
Think, death gives freedom to the slave,
Nor mourn for me when I'm at rest.
No more shall pain thy gentle breast;
Think, death gives freedom to the slave,
Nor mourn for me when I'm at rest.
Yet if at eve you chance to stray
Where peaceful sleep the silent dead,
Give to your soft compassion way,
Nor check the tear by pity shed.
Where peaceful sleep the silent dead,
Give to your soft compassion way,
Nor check the tear by pity shed.
Where'er the precious drop may fall,
I ne'er can know, I ne'er can see;
And if sad thoughts my fate recall,
A sigh may rise, unheard by me.
I ne'er can know, I ne'er can see;
And if sad thoughts my fate recall,
A sigh may rise, unheard by me.
SONG.
[WHERE the green ivy twining]
WHERE the green ivy twining,
Binds round the ruin's brow,
I heard a voice complaining
In numbers sad and low.
Binds round the ruin's brow,
I heard a voice complaining
In numbers sad and low.
“Alas! she's gone for ever,
Now low in earth she lies;
And I, forlorn, shall never
Behold those speaking eyes.
Now low in earth she lies;
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Behold those speaking eyes.
“The pangs of grief beguiling,
She sooth'd our parting hour;
Amidst her tears soft smiling,
Like sunbeams thro' a shower.
She sooth'd our parting hour;
Amidst her tears soft smiling,
Like sunbeams thro' a shower.
“But, ah! she's gone for ever,
Now low in earth she lies;
And I, forlorn, must never
Behold those speaking eyes.”
Now low in earth she lies;
And I, forlorn, must never
Behold those speaking eyes.”
SONG.
[SPRING returns, the flowrets blow]
SPRING returns, the flowrets blow;Will hope return? ah, no! ah, no!
With the dreams of youth she flies,
And like the rose her emblem dies.
Fancy droops beneath the shade,
And all the gay delights are fled.
Spring returns, the flowrets blow;
Will hope return! ah, no! ah, no!
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THE SPIRIT'S SONG.
HARK what I tell to thee,
Nor sorrow o'er the tomb,
My spirit wanders free,
And waits till thine shall come.
Nor sorrow o'er the tomb,
My spirit wanders free,
And waits till thine shall come.
All pensive and alone,
I see thee sit and weep,
Thy head upon the stone,
Where my cold ashes sleep.
I see thee sit and weep,
Thy head upon the stone,
Where my cold ashes sleep.
I watch thy speaking eyes,
And mark each precious tear,
I catch thy parting sighs,
Ere they are lost in air.
And mark each precious tear,
I catch thy parting sighs,
Ere they are lost in air.
Hark what I tell to thee, &c. &c.
SONG.
[THE fatal moment I beheld]
THE fatal moment I beheld
Those eyes so fondly fix'd on me,
Some magic sure my heart compell'd
To place its dearest hopes on thee.
And my true faith can alter never,
Though thou art gone perhaps for ever.
Those eyes so fondly fix'd on me,
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To place its dearest hopes on thee.
And my true faith can alter never,
Though thou art gone perhaps for ever.
Nor dangers past, nor woes to come,
Thy image from my soul can part,
Through years of anguish to the tomb
'Twill follow this devoted heart;
And my true faith can alter never,
Though thou art gone perhaps for ever.
Thy image from my soul can part,
Through years of anguish to the tomb
'Twill follow this devoted heart;
And my true faith can alter never,
Though thou art gone perhaps for ever.
SONG.
[WHEN hollow bursts the rushing wind]
WHEN hollow bursts the rushing wind,
And heavy beats the shower,
This anxious, aching bosom finds
No comfort in its power.
And heavy beats the shower,
This anxious, aching bosom finds
No comfort in its power.
For ah, my love! it little knows
What thy hard fate may be;
What bitter storm of fortune blows,
What tempests trouble thee.
What thy hard fate may be;
What bitter storm of fortune blows,
What tempests trouble thee.
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A wayward fate hath twin'd the thread
On which our days depend,
And darkling in the checker'd shade,
She draws it to an end.
On which our days depend,
And darkling in the checker'd shade,
She draws it to an end.
But whatsoe'er may be thy doom,
The lot is cast for me;
Or in the world, or in the tomb,
My heart is fix'd on thee.
The lot is cast for me;
Or in the world, or in the tomb,
My heart is fix'd on thee.
SONG.
[MY mother bids me bind my hair]
MY mother bids me bind my hair
With bands of rosy hue,
Tie up my sleeves with ribbons rare,
And lace my bodice blue.
With bands of rosy hue,
Tie up my sleeves with ribbons rare,
And lace my bodice blue.
For why, she cries, sit still and weep,
While others dance and play?
Alas! I scarce can go or creep,
While Lubin is away.
While others dance and play?
Alas! I scarce can go or creep,
While Lubin is away.
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'Tis sad to think the days are gone,
When those we love were near;
I sit upon this mossy stone,
And sigh when none can hear.
When those we love were near;
I sit upon this mossy stone,
And sigh when none can hear.
And while I spin my flaxen thread,
And sing my simple lay,
The village seems asleep, or dead,
Now Lubin is away.
And sing my simple lay,
The village seems asleep, or dead,
Now Lubin is away.
FAIRY REVELS.
A SONG.
HARK, the raven flaps his wings,
The owlet leaves her oaken bower,
Now we dance in airy rings,
On mossy banks at ev'ning hour:
And lightly beat the dewy ground
With our tiny feet around.
The owlet leaves her oaken bower,
Now we dance in airy rings,
On mossy banks at ev'ning hour:
And lightly beat the dewy ground
With our tiny feet around.
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Vapours dark, or sprites impure,
Our fairy revels ne'er invade,
In the hawthorn brake secure
The glow-worm lights us thro' the shade.
We lightly beat the dewy ground
With our tiny feet around.
Our fairy revels ne'er invade,
In the hawthorn brake secure
The glow-worm lights us thro' the shade.
We lightly beat the dewy ground
With our tiny feet around.
THE ROUNDELAY.
FORGET, forget the playful time,
Let every trace be done away,
When I with many an idle rhyme
Was wont to waste the summer's day.
Let every trace be done away,
When I with many an idle rhyme
Was wont to waste the summer's day.
Then hope was new, and love was young,
And fancy on her poet smil'd,
And as my roundelay I sung
The cares of life my song beguil'd.
And fancy on her poet smil'd,
And as my roundelay I sung
The cares of life my song beguil'd.
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Now hope is fled, the heart grows cold,
And fancy wears a cypress crown;
The roundelay grows dull and old,
And all the gay delights are flown.
And fancy wears a cypress crown;
The roundelay grows dull and old,
And all the gay delights are flown.
Forget, forget the playful time, &c. &c.
MAY DAY.
THE village bells ring merrily,
The milk maids sing so cheerily,
With flow'ry wreaths and ribbons crown'd,
Now May Day comes its annual round;
The may-pole rears its lofty head,
Round on the turf they dance and play;
While I the distant pathway tread,
And shun their dance, and festive lay.
The milk maids sing so cheerily,
With flow'ry wreaths and ribbons crown'd,
Now May Day comes its annual round;
The may-pole rears its lofty head,
Round on the turf they dance and play;
While I the distant pathway tread,
And shun their dance, and festive lay.
The wither'd leaves fell mournfully,
The autumn blast blew cold for me,
When Lubin left me at the door
Of our lone cottage on the moor.
He follows far the fife and drum,
In scarlet deck'd, and feathers gay;
Ah! while he wanders far from home,
How can I hail the festive May?
The autumn blast blew cold for me,
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Of our lone cottage on the moor.
He follows far the fife and drum,
In scarlet deck'd, and feathers gay;
Ah! while he wanders far from home,
How can I hail the festive May?
THE SONG AT MARIA'S GRAVE.
IN TWO PARTS.
[PART I.]
COME, gentle maidens, gather round,
Bring sprigs of rosemary and rue,
Strew virgin lilies on the ground,
And the wild rose embalm'd in dew.
Bring sprigs of rosemary and rue,
Strew virgin lilies on the ground,
And the wild rose embalm'd in dew.
Emblem of hope, upon the thorn
Their transient beauties bloom and die,
While yet their sweets perfume the morn,
They on Maria's grave shall lie.
Their transient beauties bloom and die,
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They on Maria's grave shall lie.
For she was fair, as fairest flower,
And gentle as the breath of peace;
But now her charms exist no more,
And soon their memory shall cease.
And gentle as the breath of peace;
But now her charms exist no more,
And soon their memory shall cease.
I raise the song, a name so dear
From cold oblivion's power to save;
Come, gentle maidens, round, and hear
The mournful story at her grave.
From cold oblivion's power to save;
Come, gentle maidens, round, and hear
The mournful story at her grave.
Methinks I see her on the beach,
Her eyes still fixed upon the sea;
Her thoughts beyond the ocean reach,
O Henry, they were fixed on thee.
Her eyes still fixed upon the sea;
Her thoughts beyond the ocean reach,
O Henry, they were fixed on thee.
Above her sex's little arts,
Their feign'd contempt, or proud disdain,
She own'd the sympathy of hearts,
She lov'd, and was belov'd again.
Their feign'd contempt, or proud disdain,
She own'd the sympathy of hearts,
She lov'd, and was belov'd again.
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But glory's voice young Henry heard,
Fortune and honours wait the brave;
The youth Maria's heart preferr'd,
Resolv'd to dare the hostile wave.
Fortune and honours wait the brave;
The youth Maria's heart preferr'd,
Resolv'd to dare the hostile wave.
Dauntless to seek his country's foes,
And bravely guard her injur'd rights,
Warm from the heart his courage flows,
For love and honour Henry fights.
And bravely guard her injur'd rights,
Warm from the heart his courage flows,
For love and honour Henry fights.
But who can paint the anxious days,
The ling'ring, long, and heavy hours,
The silent tears affection pays,
The sad forebodings love endures?
The ling'ring, long, and heavy hours,
The silent tears affection pays,
The sad forebodings love endures?
The rushing winds at dead of night,
Which shake her casements slender frame,
Disturbs her rest with wild affright,
For evils yet without a name.
Which shake her casements slender frame,
Disturbs her rest with wild affright,
For evils yet without a name.
In dismal dreams they meet again,
Again she hears his parting sighs;
The sails are spread, he skims the main,
And far the bounding vessel flies.
Again she hears his parting sighs;
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And far the bounding vessel flies.
She wakes, and to the sounding shore
At early dawn her steps would move,
Counting the days of absence o'er;
How slow their pace appears to love!
At early dawn her steps would move,
Counting the days of absence o'er;
How slow their pace appears to love!
I see her standing on the beach,
Her eyes still fix'd upon the sea;
Her thoughts beyond the ocean reach;
O, Henry, they were fix'd on thee!
Her eyes still fix'd upon the sea;
Her thoughts beyond the ocean reach;
O, Henry, they were fix'd on thee!
Long absent on the wat'ry waste,
In Britain's cause his sword he drew;
And vanquish'd foes his fame increas'd,
While with his fame his fortune grew.
In Britain's cause his sword he drew;
And vanquish'd foes his fame increas'd,
While with his fame his fortune grew.
Nor glory's pride, nor fiercest war,
Maria from his thoughts could part;
Though absent long, and distant far,
She still was nearest to his heart.
Maria from his thoughts could part;
Though absent long, and distant far,
She still was nearest to his heart.
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From ev'ry port, with anxious care,
His kind attentive fondness wrote;
His love would still some gift prepare,
As witness to his constant thought.
His kind attentive fondness wrote;
His love would still some gift prepare,
As witness to his constant thought.
The last remembrance she receiv'd
Her cheek with rosy blushes spread;
A trembling hope her soul deceiv'd,
While these soft words she fault'ring read.
Her cheek with rosy blushes spread;
A trembling hope her soul deceiv'd,
While these soft words she fault'ring read.
“To thee, Maria, thee alone,
Each tender thought delights to fly,
This constant heart is all thy own,
For thee I live, for thee could die.
Each tender thought delights to fly,
This constant heart is all thy own,
For thee I live, for thee could die.
“For thy dear sake I still pursue
Unceasing toils, and think them sweet;
For now the time appears in view,
When we again in joy shall meet.
Unceasing toils, and think them sweet;
For now the time appears in view,
When we again in joy shall meet.
“Fly fast, ye hours! with winged haste,
Propitious gales, come waft me o'er!
Swift let me cross the wat'ry waste,
To meet my love! and part no more!”
Propitious gales, come waft me o'er!
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To meet my love! and part no more!”
PART II.
I saw Maria on the beach,
Her eyes were fix'd upon the sea;
Her thoughts beyond the waters reach,
O, Henry! she expected thee!
Her eyes were fix'd upon the sea;
Her thoughts beyond the waters reach,
O, Henry! she expected thee!
Expected thee, her hand to claim,
Thy faithful passion's sacred right;
Hope saw thee crown'd with wealth and fame,
And love exulted in the sight.
Thy faithful passion's sacred right;
Hope saw thee crown'd with wealth and fame,
And love exulted in the sight.
Gay, flatt'ring hope! how bright you seem,
Gilding some joy beyond the hour!
A painted cloud, a fairy dream,
A rainbow in a summer's shower.
Gilding some joy beyond the hour!
A painted cloud, a fairy dream,
A rainbow in a summer's shower.
Sudden distracting terrors rise,
Unthought-of ills their hopes assail;
A dark and dreadful rumour flies,
And time confirms the horrid tale.
Unthought-of ills their hopes assail;
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And time confirms the horrid tale.
The demon of the trembling west
With ruthless fury rears his head
From the Atlantic's troubled breast,
And dire destruction round is spread.
With ruthless fury rears his head
From the Atlantic's troubled breast,
And dire destruction round is spread.
He rises on the water's roar,
And death and desolation brings;
The boiling sea, the burning shore,
He sweeps with unrelenting wings.
And death and desolation brings;
The boiling sea, the burning shore,
He sweeps with unrelenting wings.
The warring elements at strife,
Seem wild with rage, and mad with power;
And thousands sunk from light and life,
The victims of that fatal hour.
Seem wild with rage, and mad with power;
And thousands sunk from light and life,
The victims of that fatal hour.
Brave Henry's gallant vessel lay,
Ill starr'd! near that devoted coast.
How shall I tell, nor need I say,
That he, and all his hopes were lost.
Ill starr'd! near that devoted coast.
How shall I tell, nor need I say,
That he, and all his hopes were lost.
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He fell by no proud conqu'ring foe,
That thought was sure in mercy giv'n;
And patience must support the blow
Inflicted by the hand of Heaven.
That thought was sure in mercy giv'n;
And patience must support the blow
Inflicted by the hand of Heaven.
I saw her seated on the beach,
Her eyes were fix'd upon the sea,
Her thoughts the depths of ocean reach;
O, Henry! still they follow'd thee.
Her eyes were fix'd upon the sea,
Her thoughts the depths of ocean reach;
O, Henry! still they follow'd thee.
No loud complaints were heard to rise,
'Twas vast unutterable woe!
Silent her tongue, and from her eyes
The dews of sorrow ceas'd to flow.
'Twas vast unutterable woe!
Silent her tongue, and from her eyes
The dews of sorrow ceas'd to flow.
The lustre of her eye was gone,
The roses of her cheek were dead;
The faded lily reign'd alone,
And all the charm of youth was fled.
The roses of her cheek were dead;
The faded lily reign'd alone,
And all the charm of youth was fled.
Pining in thought, a swift decay
Pervaded ev'ry vital part;
The bloom of beauty dropt away,
The canker-worm was in her heart.
Pervaded ev'ry vital part;
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The canker-worm was in her heart.
Still I lament thee, gentle shade,
Though thy sad pilgrimage is o'er;
Still shall I weep for thee, sweet maid,
Though thy dim eyes can weep no more.
Though thy sad pilgrimage is o'er;
Still shall I weep for thee, sweet maid,
Though thy dim eyes can weep no more.
And oft, at dewy fall of night,
I seek the churchway path alone,
And by the moon's pale trembling light
Read thy lov'd name on this white stone.
I seek the churchway path alone,
And by the moon's pale trembling light
Read thy lov'd name on this white stone.
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