NIGHT THOUGHTS.
I
When mortals repose on the pillow of night,
When nought except fancy's dominion is bright,
When the day-dreams of man for a moment are crush'd,
And the wailings of childhood in slumbers are hush'd,
Through the maze of the past our steps we retread,
And the form of the future before us is spread;
All the sorrows and fears of the present are flown,
And the fancy exists in a world of its own.
II
Then the forms of the absent distinctly appear,
And the voice of affection seems whispering near;
All painful realities fade from the view,
While friends seem all constant, and lovers all true.
Though the eye-lid is closed, with precision we trace
Each well beloved feature, each good humour'd face;
Though silence surrounds us, their accents remain,
And in vision they speak, and we listen again.
III
Though the sun-shine of Hope and of Fortune may set,
In slumbers and dreams it may visit us yet;
Though our moments of pleasure so soon pass away,
We retrace in the night all the joys of the day;
Our mirth would be short if we could not prolong
The fond recollection of dance and of song;
And our youthful adventures would vanish too fast,
If we could not dream over the bliss of the past.
