FABLE XXIII.The FUNERAL FLOWERS.
I.AS, lonely walking o’er the plain,With solemn step and slow,A hapless swain, at midnight hour,Went forth to vent his woe;II.His hand the sweetest flow’rets fill’dThat glow’d with beauty’s bloom;Now destin’d with their richest tintsT’ adorn hisLaura’stomb.III.Lo! there each mournful flow’r he strew’d,Which vernalFlorabears;With frequent sighs dispers’d them round,And water’d them with tears.IV.There was theVi’let’spurple hue,AndHyacinthusseen;The leaves with monarch’s names inscrib’d,And plaintive notes between.V.SweetRosemary, and many a plantIn Eastern gardens known;And Lover’sMyrtle, which the QueenOf Beauty deigns to own.VI.A Sage, who wander’d there aloneIn the dank dews of night,To gather plants of mystic pow’r,Beneath the moon’s pale light,VII.With scornful smile, and eye askance,The hapless youth survey’d;Who paid the last sad tribute thereTo the departed maid.VIII.“And what! (said he) shall those sweet flow’rs,“Which sinking life can save,“And plants of aromatic scent,“Adorn adreary grave?IX.“For shame, fond youth! learn Nature’s gifts“With better skill to prize.“Attend her precepts; read them here:“Befrugal, and bewise.”X.He ceas’d; the sighing youth reply’d,“ToLaura’sshade I give,“Unblam’d, each emblematic flow’r,“Whichshefirst taught to live.XI.“And frequent here fairFlora’strain“Uncull’d bymeshall bloom;“And, nurs’d by brightAurora’stears,“Diffuse their rich perfume.XII.“Then urge me not, with narrow mind,“To wrong the dust below;“But ratherTHOUexpand thy heart,“And gen’rous tears bestow.”XIII.Thus as he spoke, theRedbreastmild,The friend of human-kind,Wide scatter’d leaves o’er the low mound,And on the turf reclin’d.XIV.WhilePhilomelwith plaintive notesFunereal dirges sungO’erLaura’stomb, who oft’ in lifeHad mourn’dherravish’d young.XV.And vain (she sang) was Wisdom’s lore,That taught the heart to hide;And vain the empty idle boastOf Philosophic Pride.XVI.The flow’rs more sweetly seem’d to smileReviving at her lay;And sweeter scent, and fresher green,The swelling leaves display.XVII.The Sage stood check’d, the solemn songSuch virtue could impart;He dropp’d a tear, to pity due,That humaniz’d the heart.XVIII.The “graceful softness of the soul”He learn’d thenceforth to prize;And own’d,whereNaturetouch’d the Heart,’TwasFollyto bewise.
I.AS, lonely walking o’er the plain,With solemn step and slow,A hapless swain, at midnight hour,Went forth to vent his woe;II.His hand the sweetest flow’rets fill’dThat glow’d with beauty’s bloom;Now destin’d with their richest tintsT’ adorn hisLaura’stomb.III.Lo! there each mournful flow’r he strew’d,Which vernalFlorabears;With frequent sighs dispers’d them round,And water’d them with tears.IV.There was theVi’let’spurple hue,AndHyacinthusseen;The leaves with monarch’s names inscrib’d,And plaintive notes between.V.SweetRosemary, and many a plantIn Eastern gardens known;And Lover’sMyrtle, which the QueenOf Beauty deigns to own.VI.A Sage, who wander’d there aloneIn the dank dews of night,To gather plants of mystic pow’r,Beneath the moon’s pale light,VII.With scornful smile, and eye askance,The hapless youth survey’d;Who paid the last sad tribute thereTo the departed maid.VIII.“And what! (said he) shall those sweet flow’rs,“Which sinking life can save,“And plants of aromatic scent,“Adorn adreary grave?IX.“For shame, fond youth! learn Nature’s gifts“With better skill to prize.“Attend her precepts; read them here:“Befrugal, and bewise.”X.He ceas’d; the sighing youth reply’d,“ToLaura’sshade I give,“Unblam’d, each emblematic flow’r,“Whichshefirst taught to live.XI.“And frequent here fairFlora’strain“Uncull’d bymeshall bloom;“And, nurs’d by brightAurora’stears,“Diffuse their rich perfume.XII.“Then urge me not, with narrow mind,“To wrong the dust below;“But ratherTHOUexpand thy heart,“And gen’rous tears bestow.”XIII.Thus as he spoke, theRedbreastmild,The friend of human-kind,Wide scatter’d leaves o’er the low mound,And on the turf reclin’d.XIV.WhilePhilomelwith plaintive notesFunereal dirges sungO’erLaura’stomb, who oft’ in lifeHad mourn’dherravish’d young.XV.And vain (she sang) was Wisdom’s lore,That taught the heart to hide;And vain the empty idle boastOf Philosophic Pride.XVI.The flow’rs more sweetly seem’d to smileReviving at her lay;And sweeter scent, and fresher green,The swelling leaves display.XVII.The Sage stood check’d, the solemn songSuch virtue could impart;He dropp’d a tear, to pity due,That humaniz’d the heart.XVIII.The “graceful softness of the soul”He learn’d thenceforth to prize;And own’d,whereNaturetouch’d the Heart,’TwasFollyto bewise.
I.AS, lonely walking o’er the plain,With solemn step and slow,A hapless swain, at midnight hour,Went forth to vent his woe;
I.
AS, lonely walking o’er the plain,
With solemn step and slow,
A hapless swain, at midnight hour,
Went forth to vent his woe;
II.His hand the sweetest flow’rets fill’dThat glow’d with beauty’s bloom;Now destin’d with their richest tintsT’ adorn hisLaura’stomb.
II.
His hand the sweetest flow’rets fill’d
That glow’d with beauty’s bloom;
Now destin’d with their richest tints
T’ adorn hisLaura’stomb.
III.Lo! there each mournful flow’r he strew’d,Which vernalFlorabears;With frequent sighs dispers’d them round,And water’d them with tears.
III.
Lo! there each mournful flow’r he strew’d,
Which vernalFlorabears;
With frequent sighs dispers’d them round,
And water’d them with tears.
IV.There was theVi’let’spurple hue,AndHyacinthusseen;The leaves with monarch’s names inscrib’d,And plaintive notes between.
IV.
There was theVi’let’spurple hue,
AndHyacinthusseen;
The leaves with monarch’s names inscrib’d,
And plaintive notes between.
V.SweetRosemary, and many a plantIn Eastern gardens known;And Lover’sMyrtle, which the QueenOf Beauty deigns to own.
V.
SweetRosemary, and many a plant
In Eastern gardens known;
And Lover’sMyrtle, which the Queen
Of Beauty deigns to own.
VI.A Sage, who wander’d there aloneIn the dank dews of night,To gather plants of mystic pow’r,Beneath the moon’s pale light,
VI.
A Sage, who wander’d there alone
In the dank dews of night,
To gather plants of mystic pow’r,
Beneath the moon’s pale light,
VII.With scornful smile, and eye askance,The hapless youth survey’d;Who paid the last sad tribute thereTo the departed maid.
VII.
With scornful smile, and eye askance,
The hapless youth survey’d;
Who paid the last sad tribute there
To the departed maid.
VIII.“And what! (said he) shall those sweet flow’rs,“Which sinking life can save,“And plants of aromatic scent,“Adorn adreary grave?
VIII.
“And what! (said he) shall those sweet flow’rs,
“Which sinking life can save,
“And plants of aromatic scent,
“Adorn adreary grave?
IX.“For shame, fond youth! learn Nature’s gifts“With better skill to prize.“Attend her precepts; read them here:“Befrugal, and bewise.”
IX.
“For shame, fond youth! learn Nature’s gifts
“With better skill to prize.
“Attend her precepts; read them here:
“Befrugal, and bewise.”
X.He ceas’d; the sighing youth reply’d,“ToLaura’sshade I give,“Unblam’d, each emblematic flow’r,“Whichshefirst taught to live.
X.
He ceas’d; the sighing youth reply’d,
“ToLaura’sshade I give,
“Unblam’d, each emblematic flow’r,
“Whichshefirst taught to live.
XI.“And frequent here fairFlora’strain“Uncull’d bymeshall bloom;“And, nurs’d by brightAurora’stears,“Diffuse their rich perfume.
XI.
“And frequent here fairFlora’strain
“Uncull’d bymeshall bloom;
“And, nurs’d by brightAurora’stears,
“Diffuse their rich perfume.
XII.“Then urge me not, with narrow mind,“To wrong the dust below;“But ratherTHOUexpand thy heart,“And gen’rous tears bestow.”
XII.
“Then urge me not, with narrow mind,
“To wrong the dust below;
“But ratherTHOUexpand thy heart,
“And gen’rous tears bestow.”
XIII.Thus as he spoke, theRedbreastmild,The friend of human-kind,Wide scatter’d leaves o’er the low mound,And on the turf reclin’d.
XIII.
Thus as he spoke, theRedbreastmild,
The friend of human-kind,
Wide scatter’d leaves o’er the low mound,
And on the turf reclin’d.
XIV.WhilePhilomelwith plaintive notesFunereal dirges sungO’erLaura’stomb, who oft’ in lifeHad mourn’dherravish’d young.
XIV.
WhilePhilomelwith plaintive notes
Funereal dirges sung
O’erLaura’stomb, who oft’ in life
Had mourn’dherravish’d young.
XV.And vain (she sang) was Wisdom’s lore,That taught the heart to hide;And vain the empty idle boastOf Philosophic Pride.
XV.
And vain (she sang) was Wisdom’s lore,
That taught the heart to hide;
And vain the empty idle boast
Of Philosophic Pride.
XVI.The flow’rs more sweetly seem’d to smileReviving at her lay;And sweeter scent, and fresher green,The swelling leaves display.
XVI.
The flow’rs more sweetly seem’d to smile
Reviving at her lay;
And sweeter scent, and fresher green,
The swelling leaves display.
XVII.The Sage stood check’d, the solemn songSuch virtue could impart;He dropp’d a tear, to pity due,That humaniz’d the heart.
XVII.
The Sage stood check’d, the solemn song
Such virtue could impart;
He dropp’d a tear, to pity due,
That humaniz’d the heart.
XVIII.The “graceful softness of the soul”He learn’d thenceforth to prize;And own’d,whereNaturetouch’d the Heart,’TwasFollyto bewise.
XVIII.
The “graceful softness of the soul”
He learn’d thenceforth to prize;
And own’d,whereNaturetouch’d the Heart,
’TwasFollyto bewise.