THE LILY AND THE ROSE. I. THE nymph must lose her female friend, If more admired than she But where will fierce contention end, If flowers can disagree? II. Within the garden's peaceful scene Appeared two lovely foes, Aspiring to the rank of queen, The Lily and the Rose. III. The Rose soon reddened into rage, And swelling with disdain, Appealed to many a poet's page To prove her right to reign. IV. The Lily's height bespoke command, A fair imperial flower; She seemed designed for Flora's hand, This civil bickering and debate The goddess chanced to hear, And flew to save, ere yet too late, The pride of the parterre; VI. Yours is, she said, the nobler hue, And yours the statelier mien; And, till a third surpasses you, Let each be deemed a queen. VII. Thus, soothed and reconciled, each seeks The fairest British fair: The seat of empire is her cheeks, They reign united there. IDEM LATINE REDDITUM. I. HEU inimicitias quoties parit æmula forma, Quam raro pulchræ pulchra placere potest? Sed fines ultrà solitos discordia tendit, Cum flores ipsos bilis et ira movent. II. Hortus ubi dulces præbet tacitosque recessûs, Hic sibi regales Amaryllis candida cultûs, III. Ira Rosam et meritis quæsita superbia tangunt, Multaque ferventi vix cohibenda sinû, Dum sibi fautorum ciet undique nomina vatûm, Jusque suum, multo carmine fulta, probat. IV. Altior emicat illa, et celso vertice nutat, Imperii, sceptrum, Flora quod ipsa gerat. V. Nec Dea non sensit civilis murmura rixæ, VI. Et tibi forma datur procerior omnibus, inquit, VII. His ubi sedatus furor est, petit utraque nympham, Qualem inter Veneres Anglia sola parit; Hanc penés imperium est, nihil optant amplius,hujus Regnant in nitidis, et sine lite, genis. THE POPLAR FIELD. THE poplars are felled, farewell to the shade, And the whispering sound of the cool colonade; The winds play no longer and sing in the leaves, Nor Ouse in his bosom their image receives. Twelve years have elapsed, since I last took a view The blackbird has fled to another retreat, My fugitive years are all hasting away, |