The Lame Youth
Faint rose o'er yonder hoary Tower
The silver crescent of the moon,
Not reaching yet her brilliant noon
For scarce had Day resigned the hour.
It threw its beams across the Vale,
Since that mild eve more moons have rolled
Than six and twenty years e'er told,
But, let us hasten to the Tale!
Queen M AB from forth her gold-cup bed
Leapt lightly on the scented earth;
Her fresh waked Spirits teem'd with Mirth,
And troops of sportive Fais she led.
On beauteous Insects quick they sat,
And chased Ephem'ri o'er the banks,
Then gravely march'd through Barley ranks,
Or drove to rest the drowsy Gnat.
When lo! on his paternal Lawn
The loveliest Child her Greatness spied!
In sportive circles, charmed, they glide,
And bounding like the woodland Fawn.
Behold, she said, this charming Boy!
View his beauteous ringlet Hair;
This rose-dew shall confirm him fair,
I give him Taste, I grant him Joy!
The Princely O BERON stole near;
Too much like mortal Husbands, he,
Too much like mortal Ladies, she,
It was not always Dove! and Dear!
So Princess! thus, at rising Night,
You ever quit your day retreat,
Mere Mortal's infant sure to meet,
And torture my offended sight.
Perverse one, see! he gruffly cried,
Your bounteous Gifts I thus destroy;
I touch his frame — behold your Boy!
Dare not a Husband's power deride.
At the stern Angel's strong arrest
The Patriarch's firm sinew shrunk.
In torturous pain the muscles sunk
Of him the Fairy Queen had blessed!
She wept! she scream'd! she tore her locks,
The Echoes seized her rending sighs,
And quickly sent them to the skies,
Or bore them 'gainst resounding rocks.
Monster ! she cried in fiercest screech,
That deed malicious I thus meet,
I give him Smiles, and Features sweet,
And Wit, and fascinating Speech.
Contempt fierce Oberon expressed;
Yet still, he said, my power thou'lt own,
Thou Vixen partner of my throne,
And feel my Anger is not Jest!
The Smiles, and Wit, and Speech, thou'st given,
I powerless make. His Heart shall swell,
And there reserved Hauteur shall dwell,
Shifting Caprice, and will uneven.
Ah! sobbed the Queen, Barbarian! Wretch!
Thy Power, alas! I long have known,
Always to thwart me is it shown,
To grieve me ever on the stretch.
Her Tears — what Favorite weeps in vain!
Subdued the Elfin monarch's ire,
Assuaged was all his wrathful fire,
And thus he sooth'd the royal pain.
Queen of my Heart! suppress those sighs
Spite of marr'd Symmetry I swear,
Spite of Caprice, and haughty air,
This urchin, Age and Youth shall prize.
My peach-lip'd Mab 'tis wrong to vex!
And, malgre all the Ills I gave,
This chosen, gifted, child shall have
More claims to please than half his sex.
When thy gifts reign, he'll always please,
When Wit, Smiles, Sweetness light his face,
And eloquence unfolds its grace.
Should he to my reign yield, and teaze,
If he's capricious, if he's vain,
A frowning Sprite shall start to sight,
Whom Gnomes and Pigmies taught to write,
Ne'er vaunted M USE bestowed her Strain!
Sans Mercy, she shall goad his mind,
And gabble forth her words in haste,
By no smooth pause, no cadence, braced,
Wild as her walk, and unconfined.
Such sprites are mission'd to restrain
The smaller crimes of savage man,
That still elude the Law's wide span,
Though giving wounds, inflicting pain!
With utmost rage she'll swiftly dash
In Aconite her eager quill,
Abuse him with her utmost skill,
Prepare for every fault a lash.
A lovely Maid, of high descent,
Not yet divulged to Earth and day,
Shall guard, and make him con, the Lay,
Till of his sin he shall repent.
C AREW , 'mongst mortals she'll be named,
And Heralds shall her Grand-sires trace,
From english Belles of distant race,
And noble Knights for courage famed.
The ancient Castle of her Sire,
Shall many a filial Damsel boast,
Each Sister see a Rival Toast,
And each her Rival shall admire!
There too, where brilliant Virtues shine,
The Matron Beauty shall preside,
The Mansion's star, the Master's Bride,
A Model to her future Line!
When firm in manhood, if the child
Shall cherish only thy rich boon,
And all, I gave, assiduous prune,
They'll hail him — bless'd of Mab the mild!
But, when he turns, sweet Mab! from thee,
And yields him to the mental foe
He forth his soul should strive to throw,
He then fierce O BERON 's shall be!
Nor shall the Castle Sylphs display,
Whilst thus he yields, one chearing Smile!
No glance his gloomy hours shall guile,
But frowns corrective shall dismay!
The Queen ceased pouting, grew more calm,
Again caress'd th' unconscious child,
Then, darted to a distant wild,
To bathe in soothing lunar balm.
But, every year she once returns,
To watch her object through a day,
To lure him from her husband's sway,
And oft her eye with Pleasure burns!
But, when she finds he sinks to be
The Being O BERON designed,
Her little Fais, with pains refined
His Ankle grasp, invest his knee!
His bed in ardent pain is press'd
In many a torturous turn-about!
His Servants say he has the Gout,
But little Fais enjoy the Jest!
The silver crescent of the moon,
Not reaching yet her brilliant noon
For scarce had Day resigned the hour.
It threw its beams across the Vale,
Since that mild eve more moons have rolled
Than six and twenty years e'er told,
But, let us hasten to the Tale!
Queen M AB from forth her gold-cup bed
Leapt lightly on the scented earth;
Her fresh waked Spirits teem'd with Mirth,
And troops of sportive Fais she led.
On beauteous Insects quick they sat,
And chased Ephem'ri o'er the banks,
Then gravely march'd through Barley ranks,
Or drove to rest the drowsy Gnat.
When lo! on his paternal Lawn
The loveliest Child her Greatness spied!
In sportive circles, charmed, they glide,
And bounding like the woodland Fawn.
Behold, she said, this charming Boy!
View his beauteous ringlet Hair;
This rose-dew shall confirm him fair,
I give him Taste, I grant him Joy!
The Princely O BERON stole near;
Too much like mortal Husbands, he,
Too much like mortal Ladies, she,
It was not always Dove! and Dear!
So Princess! thus, at rising Night,
You ever quit your day retreat,
Mere Mortal's infant sure to meet,
And torture my offended sight.
Perverse one, see! he gruffly cried,
Your bounteous Gifts I thus destroy;
I touch his frame — behold your Boy!
Dare not a Husband's power deride.
At the stern Angel's strong arrest
The Patriarch's firm sinew shrunk.
In torturous pain the muscles sunk
Of him the Fairy Queen had blessed!
She wept! she scream'd! she tore her locks,
The Echoes seized her rending sighs,
And quickly sent them to the skies,
Or bore them 'gainst resounding rocks.
Monster ! she cried in fiercest screech,
That deed malicious I thus meet,
I give him Smiles, and Features sweet,
And Wit, and fascinating Speech.
Contempt fierce Oberon expressed;
Yet still, he said, my power thou'lt own,
Thou Vixen partner of my throne,
And feel my Anger is not Jest!
The Smiles, and Wit, and Speech, thou'st given,
I powerless make. His Heart shall swell,
And there reserved Hauteur shall dwell,
Shifting Caprice, and will uneven.
Ah! sobbed the Queen, Barbarian! Wretch!
Thy Power, alas! I long have known,
Always to thwart me is it shown,
To grieve me ever on the stretch.
Her Tears — what Favorite weeps in vain!
Subdued the Elfin monarch's ire,
Assuaged was all his wrathful fire,
And thus he sooth'd the royal pain.
Queen of my Heart! suppress those sighs
Spite of marr'd Symmetry I swear,
Spite of Caprice, and haughty air,
This urchin, Age and Youth shall prize.
My peach-lip'd Mab 'tis wrong to vex!
And, malgre all the Ills I gave,
This chosen, gifted, child shall have
More claims to please than half his sex.
When thy gifts reign, he'll always please,
When Wit, Smiles, Sweetness light his face,
And eloquence unfolds its grace.
Should he to my reign yield, and teaze,
If he's capricious, if he's vain,
A frowning Sprite shall start to sight,
Whom Gnomes and Pigmies taught to write,
Ne'er vaunted M USE bestowed her Strain!
Sans Mercy, she shall goad his mind,
And gabble forth her words in haste,
By no smooth pause, no cadence, braced,
Wild as her walk, and unconfined.
Such sprites are mission'd to restrain
The smaller crimes of savage man,
That still elude the Law's wide span,
Though giving wounds, inflicting pain!
With utmost rage she'll swiftly dash
In Aconite her eager quill,
Abuse him with her utmost skill,
Prepare for every fault a lash.
A lovely Maid, of high descent,
Not yet divulged to Earth and day,
Shall guard, and make him con, the Lay,
Till of his sin he shall repent.
C AREW , 'mongst mortals she'll be named,
And Heralds shall her Grand-sires trace,
From english Belles of distant race,
And noble Knights for courage famed.
The ancient Castle of her Sire,
Shall many a filial Damsel boast,
Each Sister see a Rival Toast,
And each her Rival shall admire!
There too, where brilliant Virtues shine,
The Matron Beauty shall preside,
The Mansion's star, the Master's Bride,
A Model to her future Line!
When firm in manhood, if the child
Shall cherish only thy rich boon,
And all, I gave, assiduous prune,
They'll hail him — bless'd of Mab the mild!
But, when he turns, sweet Mab! from thee,
And yields him to the mental foe
He forth his soul should strive to throw,
He then fierce O BERON 's shall be!
Nor shall the Castle Sylphs display,
Whilst thus he yields, one chearing Smile!
No glance his gloomy hours shall guile,
But frowns corrective shall dismay!
The Queen ceased pouting, grew more calm,
Again caress'd th' unconscious child,
Then, darted to a distant wild,
To bathe in soothing lunar balm.
But, every year she once returns,
To watch her object through a day,
To lure him from her husband's sway,
And oft her eye with Pleasure burns!
But, when she finds he sinks to be
The Being O BERON designed,
Her little Fais, with pains refined
His Ankle grasp, invest his knee!
His bed in ardent pain is press'd
In many a torturous turn-about!
His Servants say he has the Gout,
But little Fais enjoy the Jest!
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