The dark vault of the night: While o'er the eye The dews of slumber press, and waking sorrows fly. Go thou, and bide with him who guides His bark through lonely seas; And as reclining on his helm, Sadly he marks the starry realm, To him thou mayst bring ease: But thou to me Art misery, [my pillow flee. So pr'ythee, pr'ythee, plume thy wings, and from And, memory, pray what art thou? Does bliss untainted from thee flow? Is it without a thorn? With all thy smiles, And witching wiles, [defiles. Yet not unfrequent bitterness thy mournful sway The drowsy night-watch has forgot To call the solemn hour; Lull'd by the winds, he slumbers deep, Invoke thy tardy power; And restless lie, With unclosed eye, And count the tedious hours as slow they minute by. GENIUS. AN ODE. I. 1. MANY there be, who, through the vale of life, By them unheeded, carking care, With even tenor and with equal breath, Alike through cloudy and through sunny day, Then sink in peace to death. II. 1. But, ah! a few there be whom griefs devour, Repining penury, and sorrow sour, And self-consuming spleen. And these are Genius' favourites: these Know the thought-throned mind to please, And from her fleshy seat to draw To realms where Fancy's golden orbits roll, Disdaining all but 'wildering rapture's law, The captivated soul. III. 1. Genius, from thy starry throne, Oh! hear the plaint by thy sad favourite made, He tells of scorn, he tells of broken vows, To curse his being and his thirst for praise. I. 2. Lament not ye, who humbly steal through life, That Genius visits not your lowly shed; For, ah, what woes and sorrows ever rife Distract his hapless head! For him awaits no balmy sleep, He wakes all night, and wakes to weep; Or by his lonely lamp he sits At solemn midnight, when the peasant sleeps, In feverish study, and in moody fits His mournful vigils keeps. M II. 2. And, oh! for what consumes his watchful oil? Lo! where dejected pale he lies, He feels the vital flame decrease, He sees the grave wide yawning for its prey, Without a friend to soothe his soul to peace, And cheer the expiring ray. III. 2. By Sulmo's bard of mournful fame, By him, the youth, who smiled at death, For still to misery closely thou'rt allied, What though to thee the dazzled millions bow, And to thy posthumous merit bend them low; Though unto thee the monarch looks with awe, And thou at thy flash'd car dost nations draw, Yet, ah! unseen behind thee fly Corroding Anguish, soul-subduing Pain, Yes, Genius, thee a thousand cares await, Mocking thy derided state; Thee chill Adversity will still attend, Before whose face flies fast the summer's friend, And leaves thee all forlorn; While leaden Ignorance rears her head and laughs, And fat Stupidity shakes his jolly sides, And while the cup of affluence he quaffs With bee-eyed Wisdom, Genius derides, Who toils, and every hardship doth outbrave, To gain the meed of praise when he is mouldering in his grave. FRAGMENT OF AN ODE TO THE MOON. MILD orb, who floatest through the realm of night, Now doubly dear as o'er my silent seat, It casts a mournful melancholy gleam, These feverish dews that on my temples hang, |