D DOST THOU REMEMBER. OST thou remember that place so lonely, A place for lovers, and lovers only, Where first I told thee all my secret sighs? When, as the moonbeam, that trembled o'er thee, Illumed thy blushes, I knelt before thee, And read my hope's sweet triumph in those eyes? Then, then, while closely heart was drawn to heart, Love bound us-never, never more to part! And when I call'd thee by names the dearest 66 My life, my only life!" among the rest ; In those sweet accents that still enthral me, Thou saidst," Ah! wherefore thy life thus call me? THERE IS A BLEAK DESERT. HERE is a bleak Desert, where daylight grows weary Of wasting its smile on a region so dreary What may that Desert be? "Tis Life, cheerless Life, where the few joys that come Are lost like that daylight, for 'tis not their home. There is a lone Pilgrim, before whose faint eyes 'Tis Man, hapless Man, through this Life tempted on There is a bright Fountain, through that Desert stealing, To pure lips alone its refreshment revealing— What may that Fountain be? 'Tis Truth, holy Truth, that, like springs under ground, By the gifted of heaven alone can be found. There is a fair Spirit, whose wand hath the spell 'Tis Faith, humble Faith, who hath learn'd that, where'er Her wand bends to worship, the Truth must be there! HOW LIGHTLY MOUNTS THE MUSE'S WING. OW lightly mounts the Muse's wing, Though Love his magic lyre may tune, Yet ah! the flow'rs he round it wreathes Were pluck'd beneath pale Passion's moon, Whose madness in their odour breathes. How purer far the sacred lute, Round which Devotion ties Sweet flow'rs that turn to heav'nly fruit, And palm that never dies! Though War's high-sounding harp may be Most welcome to the hero's ears, Alas! his chords of victory Are wet, all o'er, with human tears. How far more sweet their numbers run, IS IT NOT SWEET TO THINK, HEREAFTER. S it not sweet to think, hereafter, When the Spirit leaves this sphere, To those she long hath mourn'd for here? Hearts, from which 'twas death to sever, When wearily we wander, asking Of earth and heav'n, where are they, Beneath whose smile we once lay basking, Blest, and thinking bliss would stay? Hope still lifts her radiant finger, Alas! alas! doth Hope deceive us? Shall friendship-love-shall all those ties That bind a moment, and then leave us, Be found again where nothing dies? Oh! if no other boon were given, To keep our hearts from wrong and stain, Who would not try to win a heaven Where all we love shall live again? |