No-life is a waste of wearisome hours, Which seldom the rose of enjoyment adorns; And the heart that is soonest awake to the flowers, Is always the first to be touch'd by the thorns! But send round the bowl, and be happy awhile ; May we never meet worse in our pilgrimage here, Than the tear that enjoyment can gild with a smile, And the smile that compassion can turn to a tear. II. The thread of our life would be dark, Heaven knows! If it were not with friendship and love intertwined; And I care not how soon I may sink to repose, When these blessings shall cease to be dear to my mind! But they who have loved the fondest, the purest, Too often have wept o'er the dream they believed; And the heart that has slumber'd in friendship securest, Is happy indeed if 'twas never deceived. But send round the bowl-while a relic of truth shall be mine,— Is in man or in woman, this prayer That the sun-shine of love may illumine our youth, And the moon-light of friendship console our decline. THOUGH THE LAST GLIMPSE OF ERIN WITH SORROW I SEE. AIR.-Coulin. I. I see, THOUGH the last glimpse of ERIN with sorrow II. To the gloom of some desert or cold rocky shore, Where the eye of the stranger can haunt us no more, I will fly with my COULIN, and think the rough wind Less rude than the foes we leave frowning behind. III. And I'll gaze on thy gold hair, as graceful it wreathes, * “In the twenty-eighth year of the reign of Henry VIII. an Act was made respecting the habits, and dress in general, of the Irish, whereby all persons were restrained from being RICH AND RARE WERE THE GEMS SHE WORE.* AIR.-The Summer is coming. I. RICH and rare were the gems she wore, And a bright gold ring on her wand she bore; Her sparkling gems or snow-white wand. shorn or shaven above the ears, or from wearing Glibbes, or Coulins (long locks), on their heads, or hair on their upper lip, called Crommeal. On this occasion a song was written by one of our bards, in which an Irish virgin is made to give the preference to her dear Coulin (or the youth with the flowing locks), to all strangers (by which the English were meant), or those who wore their habits. Of this song the air alone has reached and is universally admired."-WALKER'S Historical Memoirs of Irish Bards, page 134. Mr. Walker informs us also, that, about the same period, there were some harsh measures taken against the Irish Minstrels. us, * This ballad is founded upon the following anecdote: "The people were inspired with such a spirit of honour, virtue, and religion, by the great example of Brien, and by his excellent administration, that, as a proof of it, we are informed that a young lady of great beauty, adorned with jewels and a costly dress, undertook a journey alone from one end of the kingdom to the other, with a wand only in her hand, at the top of which was a ring of exceeding great value; and such an impression had the laws and government of this Monarch made on the minds of all the people, that no attempt was made upon her honour, nor was she robbed of her clothes or jewels."-WARNER'S History of Ireland, Vol. 1, Book 10. II. "Lady! dost thou not fear to stray, "As not to be tempted by woman or gold?” III. "Sir Knight! I feel not the least alarm, "No son of ERIN will offer me harm "For though they love woman and golden store, "Sir Knight! they love honour and virtue more!" IV. On she went, and her maiden smile In safety lighted her round the green isle. And blest for ever is she who relied Upon ERIN's honour and ERIN's pride! AS A BEAM O'ER THE FACE OF THE WATERS AIR.-The Young Man's Dream. I. As a beam o'er the face of the waters may glow II. One fatal remembrance, one sorrow that throws III. Oh! this thought in the midst of enjoyment will stay, |