POEMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, COMPOSED AT SEVERAL TIMES. BACCARE FRONTEM CINGITE, NE VATI NOCEAT MALA LINGUA FUTURO. Virgil, Eclog. 7. POEMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I. ANNO ETATIS XVII. ON THE DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT, DYING OF A COUgh. O FAIREST flower, no sooner blown but blasted, Summer's chief honor, if thou hadst outlasted That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss, For since grim Aquilo, his charioteer, Of long-uncoupled bed, and childless eld, So, mounting up in icy-pearléd car, Through middle empire of the freezing air He wander'd long, till thee he spied from far: But all unawares with his cold-kind embrace, Yet art thou not inglorious in thy fate; Young Hyacinth, born on Eurotas' strand,- But then transform'd him to a purple flower: Alack, that so to change thee Winter had no power! Yet can I not persuade me thou art dead, Oh no! for something in thy face did shine Oh say me true, if thou wert mortal wight, Wert thou some star which from the ruin'd roof Of sheeny Heaven, and thou some goddess fled Or wert thou that just maid who once before Or that crown'd matron sage, white-robéd Truth? Let down in cloudy throne to do the world some good? Or wert thou of the golden-wingéd host, To scorn the sordid world, and unto Heaven aspire? |