What though we never silence broke,
Our eyes a sweeter language spoke;
The tongue in flattering falsehood deals,
And tells a tale, it never feels;
Deceit, the guilty lips impart,
And hush the mandates of the heart,
But soul’s interpreters, the eyes
Spurn such restraint, and scorn disguise.
As thus our glances oft convers’d,
And all our bosoms felt, rehears’d,
No spirit from within reprov’d
us,
Say rather, “’twas the spirit
mov’d us.”
Though what they utter’d, I repress,
Yet, I conceive, thou’lt partly
guess;
For, as on thee, my memory ponders,
Perchance, to me thine also wanders;
This for myself, at least I’ll say,
Thy form appears through night, through
day,
Awake, with it my fancy teems,
In sleep, it smiles in fleeting dreams;
The vision charms the hours away,
And bids me curse Aurora’s ray;
For breaking slumbers of delight,
Which make me wish for endless night.
Since, oh! whate’er my future fate,
Shall joy or woe my steps await;
Tempted by love, by storms beset,
Thine image, I can ne’er forget.
Alas! again no more we meet,
No more our former looks repeat;
Then let me breathe this parting prayer,
The dictate of my bosom’s care:
“May Heaven so guard my lovely quaker,
“That anguish never can o’ertake
her;
“That peace and virtue ne’er
forsake her,
“But bliss be aye, her heart’s
partaker:
“No jealous passion shall invade,
“No envy that pure breast pervade;”
For he that revels in such charms,
Can never seek another’s arms;
“Oh! may the happy mortal fated,
“To be by dearest ties related;
“For her each hour new
joy discover,
“And lose the husband in the lover.
“May that fair bosom never know
“What ’tis to feel the restless
woe;
“Which stings the soul, with vain
regret,
“Of him, who never can forget.”
* * * * *
TO JULIA!
Julia! since far from you I’ve rang’d,
Our souls with fond affection
glow not;
You say ’tis I, not you have
chang’d,
I’d tell you why,—but
yet I know not.
2.
Your polish’d brow, no cares have
crost,
And Julia! we are not much
older,
Since trembling first my heart I lost,
Or told my love with hope,
grown bolder.
3.
Sixteen was then our utmost age,
Two years have lingering pass’d
away, love!
And now new thoughts our minds engage,
At least, I feel disposed
to stray, love!
4.
’Tis I, that am alone to
blame,
I, that am guilty of
love’s treason;
Since your sweet breast, is still the
same,
Caprice must be my only reason.