I While Flora has her home above, Gay Laura o’er the mead was dancing; With merry words she laughed at Love, Her saucy eyes around him glancing; —But as she went with playful air, Sportive as winds when evening closes, The boy-god struck her to the heart— For Love lay hid among the roses! II Beware, fair maids, the subtle foe, Where’er you are he slyly lingers, With smiling look but bended bow, And arrow quivering in his fingers. And when you think him far away, Believe the g

’Tis done — the crew is saved — e’en at the hour When hope seemed lost, & frail life’s human powers; Heaven has come; oh let this wretched bear, For hope is oft-times night when man would much despair The boat has reached the light house, where the the voice Of kindred bids the drooping heart rejoice; The fire is blazing on the genial hearth, The welcome kettle sings its song of mirth, And the poor shivering souls escape the main, Warm their half frozen limbs to life again; L

(1817) 18171817 I’ve gaz’d on many a beauteous scene, In distant climes, where sunny skies Smile on the vales of living green, And torrents roll, and mountains rise: But not in lands more warm and bright,’ Mid valleys rich, & heights sublime, Does the eye rest with deep delight On mingling beauties such as thine. Whether, when morning’s golden ray, Clothes thee in splendour, life, & light, Or on thy gushing fountains play The cold moonbeam, or sweet twilight; Or bosom of thy

How sweetly does the moonbeam smile To-night upon yon leafy isle! Oft in my fancy’s wanderings, I’ve wish’d that little isle had wings, And we, within its fairy bow’rs, Were wafted off to seas unknown, Where not a pulse should beat but ours, And we might live, love, die alone! Far from the cruel and the cold, —Where the bright eyes of angels only Should come around us, to behold A paradise so pure and lonely!

Sweet be her dreams, the fair, the young! Grace—Beauty, breathe upon her! Music, haunt thou around her tongue! Life, fill her path with honour! All golden thoughts, all wealth of days, Truth, Friendship, Love surround her! So may she smile till life be closed, And angel hands have crowned her!