 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
167
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[Too long a giddy wand'ring youth]
I
Too long a giddy wand'ring youth,From fair to fair I rov'd;
To ev'ry nymph I vow'd my truth,
Tho' all alike I lov'd:
Yet, when the joy I wish'd was past,
My truth appear'd a jest;
But, trust me, I'm convinc'd at last,
That constancy is best.
II
Like other fools, at female wiles'Twas my delight to rail;
Their sighs, their vows, their tears, their smiles,
Were false, I thought, and frail;
But, by reflection's bright'ning pow'r
I see their worth confest;
That man can not enough adore;
That constancy is best.
168
III
The roving heart at beauty's sight,May glow with fierce desire;
Yet, tho' possession yield delight,
It damps the lawless fire;
But love's celestial faithful flames,
Still catch from breast to breast;
While ev'ry home-felt joy proclaims,
That constancy is best.
IV
No solid bliss from change results;No real raptures flow;
But fixt to one the soul exults,
And tastes of heav'n below.
With love, on ev'ry gen'rous mind,
Is truth's fair form imprest;
And reason dictates to mankind,
That constancy is best.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |