3. Still had she gazed, but,’
midst the tide,
Two angel forms were
seen to glide,
The Genii
of the stream;
Their scaly armour’s
Tyrian hue,
Through richest purple,
to the view
Betray’d
a golden gleam.
4. The hapless nymph with wonder
saw;
A whisker first, and
then a claw,
With many
an ardent wish,
She stretch’d
in vain to reach the prize:
What female heart can
gold despise?
What cat’s
averse to fish?
5. Presumptuous maid! with looks
intent,
Again she stretch’d,
again she bent,
Nor knew
the gulf between:
(Maligant Fate sat by
and smiled,)
The slippery verge her
feet beguiled;
She tumbled
headlong in.
6. Eight times emerging from the
flood,
She mew’d to every
watery god
Some speedy
aid to send.
No Dolphin came, no
Nereid stirr’d,
Nor cruel Tom or Susan
heard:
A favourite
has no friend!
7. From hence, ye beauties! undeceived,
Know one false step
is ne’er retrieved,
And be with
caution bold:
Not all that tempts
your wandering eyes,
And heedless hearts,
is lawful prize,
Nor all
that glisters gold.
* * * * *
III—ON A DISTANT PROSPECT OF ETON COLLEGE.
[Greek: Anthropos ikanae profasis eis to dustuchein]
MENANDER.
1 Ye distant spires! ye antique towers!
That crown
the watery glade
Where grateful Science
still adores
Her Henry’s
(1) holy shade;
And ye that from the
stately brow
Of Windsor’s heights
the expanse below
Of grove,
of lawn, of mead survey,
Whose turf, whose shade,
whose flowers among
Wanders the hoary Thames
along
His silver-winding
way:
2 Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shade!
Ah, fields
beloved in vain!
Where once my careless
childhood stray’d,
A stranger
yet to pain!
I feel the gales that
from ye blow
A momentary bliss bestow,
As, waving
fresh their gladsome wing,
My weary soul they seem
to soothe,
And, redolent of joy
and youth,
To breathe
a second spring.
3 Say, father Thames! for thou hast seen
Full many
a sprightly race,
Disporting on thy margent
green,
The paths
of pleasure trace,
Who foremost now delight
to cleave
With pliant arm thy
glassy wave?
The captive
linnet which enthral?
What idle progeny succeed
To chase the rolling
circle’s speed,
Or urge
the flying ball?