VIRTUE. Sweet day!-so cool, so calm, so bright, Sweet rose !-whose hue, angry and brave, Bids the rash gazer wipe his Thy root is ever in its grave, eye : And thou must die! Gay spring! so full of sweets and bloom, Virtue alone unfading flower! Whose root nor time nor death can sever, Though final flames all else devour, Shall live for ever! Herbert. PARADISE AND THE PERI. FROM LALLA ROOKH. One morn a Peri at the gate 'How happy,' exclaimed this child of air, Are the holy spirits that wander there, 'Mid flowers that never shall fade or fall; Though mine are the gardens of earth and sea, And the stars themselves have flowers for me, One blossom of heaven out-blooms them all! Though sunny the lake of cool Cashmere, With its plane-tree isle reflected clear, And sweetly the founts of that valley fall; Though bright are the waters of Sing-Su-Hay, And the golden floods that thitherward stray, Yet-oh 'tis only the blest can say, How the waters of heaven outshine them all! 'Go wing thy flight from star to star, From world to luminous world, as far As the universe spreads its flaming wall; Take all the pleasures of all the spheres, And multiply each through endless years One minute of heaven is worth them all!' The glorious angel, who was keeping From Eden's fountain when it lies Who brings to this eternal gate The gift that is most dear to heaven! Go, seek it, and redeem thy sin 'Tis sweet to let the pardoned in!' Rapidly as comets run To the embraces of the sun;— But whither shall the spirit go To find this gift for heaven ?—' I know The wealth,' she cries, of every urn, I know where the isles of perfume are, But gifts like these are not for the sky. Where was there ever a gem that shone Like the steps of Alla's wonderful throne! And the drops of life-oh what would they be In the boundless deep of eternity?' While thus she mused, her pinions fanned But crimson now her rivers ran With human blood-the smell of death Came reeking from those spicy bowers, And man, the sacrifice of man, Mingled his taint with every breath Upwafted from the innocent flowers! Land of the sun! what foot invades Thy Pagods and thy pillared shades,Thy cavern shrines and idol stones, Thy monarchs and their thousand thrones ? |