Oh! did those eyes instead of fire,
With bright, but mild affection
shine,
Though they might kindle less desire,
Love, more than mortal, would
be thine.
2.
For thou art form’d so heavenly
fair,
Howe’er those
orbs may wildly beam,
We must admire, but still despair,
That fatal glance forbids
esteem.
3.
When nature stamp’d thy beauteous
birth,
So much perfection in thee
shone,
She fear’d, that too divine for
earth,
The skies might claim thee
for their own.
4.
Therefore to guard her dearest work,
Lest angels might dispute
the prize,
She bade a secret lightning lurk,
Within those once celestial
eyes.
5.
These might the boldest Sylph appal,
When gleaming with meridian
blaze,
Thy beauty must enrapture all,
But who can dare thine ardent
gaze?
6.
’Tis said that Berenice’s
hair,
In stars adorns the vault
of heaven,
But they would ne’er permit thee
there,
Thou would’st
so far outshine the seven.
7.
For did those eyes as planets roll,
Thy sister lights would scarce
appear,
E’en suns which systems now controul,
Would twinkle dimly through
their sphere.
Friday, Nov. 7th, 1806.
* * * *
AS THE AUTHOR WAS DISCHARGING HIS
PISTOLS IN A GARDEN, TWO LADIES PASSING NEAR THE SPOT,
WERE ALARMED BY THE SOUND OF A BULLET HISSING NEAR
THEM. TO ONE OF WHOM THE FOLLOWING VERSES ON THE
OCCASION, WERE ADDRESSED THE NEXT MORNING.
1.
Doubtless, sweet girl, the hissing lead,
Wafting destruction near thy
charms,
And hurtling13 o’er thy lovely
head,
Has fill’d that breast
with fond alarms.
2.
Surely some envious Demon’s force,
Vex’d to behold such
beauty here,
Impell’d the bullet’s viewless
course,
Diverted from its first career.
3.
Yes! in that nearly fatal hour,
The ball obey’d some
hell-born guide,
But Heaven with interposing power,
In pity turn’d the death
aside.
4.
Yet, as perchance one trembling tear,
Upon that thrilling bosom
fell,
Which I, th’ unconscious
cause of fear,
Extracted from its glistening
cell;—
5.
Say, what dire penance can atone?
For such an outrage done to
thee,
Arraign’d before thy beauty’s
throne,
What punishment wilt thou
decree?
6.
Might I perform the Judge’s part,
The sentence I should scarce
deplore.
It only would restore a heart,
Which but belong’d to
thee before.
7.
The least atonement, I can make,
Is to become no longer free,
Henceforth, I breathe, but for thy sake.
Thou shall be all in all
to me.
8.
But thou perhaps may’st now reject
Such expiation of my guilt,
Come then—some other mode elect?
Let it be death—or
what thou wilt.
9.
Choose then relentless! and I swear,
Nought shall thy dread decree
prevent,
Yet hold—one little word forbear!
Let it be aught but banishment.
[Footnote 13: This word is used
by GRAY in his poem to the fatal Sisters:—
“Iron sleet of arrowy shower,
Hurtles through the darken’d
air.”
* * *
*
