 | Love's Last Labour Not Lost |  |
125
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
126
[“I gave the world a trial fair]
“I gave the world a trial fair,
Resolved to thrive as some had thriven;
I gave it all my time and care,
And talents, such as God had given.
Resolved to thrive as some had thriven;
I gave it all my time and care,
And talents, such as God had given.
I hurried to the busy Bourse,
With men of all religions traded,
For nothing better, nothing worse,
Than just to win and laugh as they did.
With men of all religions traded,
For nothing better, nothing worse,
Than just to win and laugh as they did.
That man is born to buy and sell,
Soon I learnt was very certain,
And over-reach his neighbour well
Till upon him drops death's curtain;
Soon I learnt was very certain,
And over-reach his neighbour well
Till upon him drops death's curtain;
Yet still his race with credit run,
If Plutus has his pockets lined—
Since this rare merit is the one
To which the world is never blind.
If Plutus has his pockets lined—
Since this rare merit is the one
To which the world is never blind.
I wish'd my schoolboy's lessons burnt,
Probity (the pedant!) preaching—
And that I had others learnt,
Very different tactics teaching!
Probity (the pedant!) preaching—
And that I had others learnt,
Very different tactics teaching!
127
Now wishes, I have heard are prayers;
Ah! then how stole upon my praying,
Like a grim goblin! unawares,
The ghost of some dead saw, or saying;
Ah! then how stole upon my praying,
Like a grim goblin! unawares,
The ghost of some dead saw, or saying;
It held my hands, it closed my lips,
(A bargain, plague upon it! spoiling;)
But kept my tongue from sundry slips,
And saved my hands from many a soiling.
(A bargain, plague upon it! spoiling;)
But kept my tongue from sundry slips,
And saved my hands from many a soiling.
Charity would make a call;
Love, perchance; and friendship too—
Mammon, tell intruders all,
I'm at home to none but you!
Love, perchance; and friendship too—
Mammon, tell intruders all,
I'm at home to none but you!
Sabbath-bells would ring a peal—
What day could I devote to heaven,
The jealous God to whom I kneel
Demanding sternly all the seven?
What day could I devote to heaven,
The jealous God to whom I kneel
Demanding sternly all the seven?
Had Eden bloom'd my sight was dim
To floral beauty; deaf my ear
To the rapt Seraph's holiest hymn,
Had its high notes descended here—
To floral beauty; deaf my ear
To the rapt Seraph's holiest hymn,
Had its high notes descended here—
And fairy-fiction, fancy truth,
Let your neglected pages tell,
Companions of my happy youth!
How I had bid you all farewell.
Let your neglected pages tell,
Companions of my happy youth!
How I had bid you all farewell.
128
Unholy service! to absorb
The soul, and quench the living flame
That lights the intellectual orb
Of God's own glorious image—shame!
The soul, and quench the living flame
That lights the intellectual orb
Of God's own glorious image—shame!
The sleepless night has heard my cry,
‘Would that again the morn were here!’
The cheerless morn my secret sigh,
‘When will the moon and stars appear?’
‘Would that again the morn were here!’
The cheerless morn my secret sigh,
‘When will the moon and stars appear?’
I felt, with care, the silver cord
Was slowly, but too surely, breaking;
I felt, if peace were not restored,
My heart would soon have done with aching.
Was slowly, but too surely, breaking;
I felt, if peace were not restored,
My heart would soon have done with aching.
I now despair'd of keeping pace
With rivals, by success made bold,
In an ignominious race
Of which the only prize was gold!
With rivals, by success made bold,
In an ignominious race
Of which the only prize was gold!
To fall in such a sordid strife,
When I might still with honour fly,
Was casting back to heaven a life,
And the eternal death to die!
When I might still with honour fly,
Was casting back to heaven a life,
And the eternal death to die!
Reason's battle fought and won,
No longer yoked to Mammon's car,
Joy meets me with the morning sun,
And quiet, with the evening star,
No longer yoked to Mammon's car,
Joy meets me with the morning sun,
And quiet, with the evening star,
129
And happy thoughts, and holy themes,
And cheerful converse, as of old,
And peaceful slumbers, pleasant dreams—
And here my latest dream is told.
And cheerful converse, as of old,
And peaceful slumbers, pleasant dreams—
And here my latest dream is told.
The Vision was a Spirit bright,
The laurel wreathed her golden hair,
Her smile was sad, but full of light,
Her voice was soft, her form was fair.
The laurel wreathed her golden hair,
Her smile was sad, but full of light,
Her voice was soft, her form was fair.
‘A nobler cause, a higher aim,
Your new ambition shall inspire’—
(With this kind promise Clio came,
And bade me take her trembling lyre.)
Your new ambition shall inspire’—
(With this kind promise Clio came,
And bade me take her trembling lyre.)
‘For mourners 'tis a present meet,
And therefore to a mourner given;
It brings to sorrow solace sweet,
In songs for earth, and songs for heaven.’
And therefore to a mourner given;
It brings to sorrow solace sweet,
In songs for earth, and songs for heaven.’
Thrice happy change! no more in vain
The sweetly-solemn music swells
(To call, Good Shepherd! home again
A wandering sheep) of Sabbath Bells.”
The sweetly-solemn music swells
(To call, Good Shepherd! home again
A wandering sheep) of Sabbath Bells.”
| Love's Last Labour Not Lost | |