From scenes where BACCHUS takes his stand,
And VENUS fires the youthful heart;
Time seizing on my wither'd hand

And frowning, warns me to depart.

Against the terrors of his rage

My drooping soul let reason steel;
Who wants the spirit of his age,
Must all his age's evil feel.

Let youth enjoy the smiles of fate,
The yielding fair, the sparkling glass;
Two moments form our mortal date,
Let one to wisdom sacred pass.

But fly ye, to return no more,
Illusions, follies, love and joy,
Celestial gifts of genial power,

Life's sharpest sorrows to destroy.

Twice do we die, so fate decrees;
To cease to love, and to be lov'd,

Is death, and worse than death; to cease
To live is what I'll bear unmov'd.

Thus, troubled with awaken'd fire,
The loss of youthful joys I mourn'd,

And to the paths of fond desire,
My wand'ring soul again return'd.

When

When lo! to sooth my troubled mind,
Friendship descended from above,

As sweet, as tender, and as kind,

But charm'd-but ravish'd less than Love.

Pleas'd with her beauties as she stept,

Struck with her splendour as she shone,
Friendship I follow'd-but I wept,
Now forc'd to follow her alone.

AN INVOCATION.

CELESTIAL harmony descend,
The wrinkled brow of care unbend,
Thy chearful voice let sorrow hear,
And cease to drop the pensive tear;
But joy, exstatic joy impart
Its pleasing influence to the heart;
Descend celestial harmony!
Joy owes its sweetest charm to thee.

When love the bosom fills, 'tis thine
His power to heighten and refine,
Thy thrilling warblings, soft and slow,
Attun'd to melting passion flow;

And

Was there, alas! no other way,

You could the Goddess imitate;
Than in what most her folly lay,

Her choice prepost'rous of a mate!

But since 'tis past, I'll still rejoice,
If you the copy will pursue;
Resembling VENUS in her choice

And treatment of her chosen too.

In decking heads much time you've spent,
"Tis well, that bus'ness follow now;

And don't forget what ornament,

Your VENUS plac'd on VULCAN's brow.

* Miss B-H- married a gentleman engaged in the IronWorks, at S-.

ON

ON THE DEATH OF MISS F. H's LOVER.

THE youth of Peleus' verdant plain,
To fate resigns his struggling breath;
Each friend in pity's bitter strain,

Laments th' untimely stroke of death.

But, oh! his FANNY's tender heart,
Feels the keen pang that's felt by few;
For wounded by a double dart,

She weeps her friend and lover too.

Sorrowing she mourns his early doom,
His truth, his wondrous worth recalls!
And o'er fair merit's hallow'd tomb,
The lovely tear of beauty falls.

The tear of beauty falls—yet still

Not e'en that tear shall aught supply,

It cannot thaw death's icy chill,

Or wake the object of its sigh.

Still pensive mourner let it flow,

Spread sorrow's languour o'er thy face;

Thy charms thus soften'd, sweeter glow,

And from affliction borrow grace.

Lamented

Lamented shade! tho' pleasure's hour

To thee, yet scarce begun, was o'er;

Tho' on thy cheek youth's vernal flower
Just bloom'd-and bloom'd to close no more-

Still does thy fate my envy move,
Thy fortune friendly still appears,
Alive, blest with thy FANNY's love,
And dead, lamented with her tears.

TO MRS. C

ON HER DESIRING TO SEE SOME OF MY VERSES.

URGE, urge no more the vain request,

Resolv'd to shun the alarming test;
I'll prudent to thy sight refuse
The weak productions of my Muse;
Soon would thy penetrating eye
Defects unnumber'd there descry,
No beauties note; my feeble lays
Would claim thy pity, not thy praise.

For should'st thou see that there I aim
To catch imagination's flame;
Triumphantly to move along,
With all the pomp of lofty song;

Alas!