English

I cannot walk in darkness long, —
My Light is by my side;
I cannot stumble or go wrong,
While following such a guide.

I see his presence in the night,
And, though my heart is awed,
I do not quail beneath the sight
Or nearness of my God.

He is my stay and my defence, —
How shall I fail or fall?
My Helper is Omnipotence,
My Ruler ruleth all!

The powers below and powers above
Are subject to his care:
I cannot wander from his love
Who loves me everywhere.

Is there no God in all the circling spheres,
No Love deep-throbbing through the endless years,
No Wisdom to construct the shining dome,
And for the weary soul no rest, no home?

Soul, struggle on! Within the darkest night
Still broods the majesty of deathless Right:
If to its promptings clear thou still art true,
The larger, sweeter lights will flash to view;

The stars will shine, and the blue pomp of day,
And to thine ear the Everlasting Yea
Will breathe its music and its lofty song;

Semper Avarus Eget.

I.

Cries Gripus, gloating on his Pelf,
O! what a noble Passion!
Since Love of Gain increases more,
The more we get Possession.

II.

Thus M**** N thinks; — such dirty Souls
Are never worth our heeding;
Then fare you well, we give you Joy
Of this your constant Breeding .

All the night, in broken slumber,
I went down the world of dreams,
Through a land of war and turmoil
Swept by loud and labouring streams,
Where the masters wandered, chanting
Ponderous and tumultuous themes.

Chanting from unwieldy volumes
Iron maxims stern and stark,
Truths that swept, and burst, and stumbled
Through the ancient rifted dark;
Till my soul was tossed and worried,
Like a tempest-driven bark.

But anon, within the distance,
Stood the village vanes aflame,

Thy rise was as the morning, glorious, bright!
And error vanished like the affrighted dark; —
While many a soul, as the aspiring lark,
Waked by thy dawn, soared singing to the light,
Drowning in gladdest song the earth's despite!
And beauty blossomed in all lowly nooks —
Love, like a river made of nameless brooks,
Grew and exulted in thy wakening sight!
All nature hailed thee as a risen sun;
Nor will thy setting blur her thankful eyes!
While earth remains thy day shall not be done,

Eternally without or blot, or staine,
During may you in memory remaine;
Making the teares be pearles, which men do weep,
O teaching them in their right ford to keep,
Not for the world to mourne, thence no reliefe
Doth then ensue, thy word doth mend our grieff .

Godly's the sorrow, whereto you exhorting
Require us, from the worldly care, dehorting,
In such a wife, that when this grieff we take,
Fairely grieff doth us mend and better make,
Fearing to sin this grieff in us doth breed,
Ensasing us thereby 'gainst sin at need:

Upon the Author's being accus'd of having wrote against Mrs . YEATES.

Some base designing — (down my Rage)
Has filch'd my Title to engage:
I write 'gainst Y EATES — forbid it Love,
Forbid it all ye Pow'rs above:
No, by my Life; full oft I've seen,
And ever prais'd that Goddess Mein;
Which with resistless Charms must sway,
Nay draws us from ourselves away:
Ill-fated Drury! curse the Hour,
That banish'd from thy Seat of Pow'r,
This peerless Fair: — Let Dancer strive,
To keep your glimm'ring Lamp alive,

All within and all without me
Feel a melancholy thrill;
And the darkness hangs about me,
Oh, how still;
To my feet, the river glideth
Through the shadow, sullen, dark;
On the stream the white moon rideth,
Like a barque—
And the linden leans above me,
Till I think some things there be
In this dreary world that love me,
Even me!

Gentle buds are blooming near me,
Shedding sweetest breath around;
Countless voices rise, to cheer me,
From the ground;
And the lone bird comes—I hear it

My friends, the grape that charms the cup to-night,
Should be the noblest ever grown in cluster;
Our flowers of wit and song should be so bright,
That all the place should wear a noon-tide lustre.

For he whose natal day, and marvellous worth,
We strive to honor with our yearly presence,
Was of that clay so seldom found on earth,
On which the gods bestow their purest essence.

Ay, doubly bright should this ovation be;
For we are honored far beyond your dreaming,
The inward spirit bids me look and see,

Upon seeing Miss READ at Bath in the Character of R OSALIND in the Comedy of As you like it.

I.

Such a pleasing sweet Display,
Well demands a grateful Lay,
Fav'rite Muse assist the Strain,
Sing to Rosalinda's Fame!

II.

Elegance and sprightly Ease,
Ev'ry Charm combin'd to please,
Muse assist the flowing Verse,
Rosalinda's Praise rehearse.

III.

What attractive Grace appears,
Rapture to our Eyes and Ears;
Quitting Female Garb, you move
A perfect Ganymede in Love.