"FAREWELL, RENOWN!"

FAREWELL, Renown! Too fleeting flower,

That grows a year to last an hour; Prize of the race's dust and heat,

Too often trodden under feet,

Why should I court your "barren dower "?

Nay; had I Dryden's angry power,

The thews of Ben, - the wind of Gower,
Not less my voice should still repeat

Farewell!

Because the Muses' bower

Is filled with rival brows that lower;

Because, howe'er his pipe be sweet,

The Bard, that "pays," must please the street;But most... because the grapes are sour,

Farewell, Renown!

"MORE POETS YET!"

(To J. L. W.)

"MORE Poets yet!"— I hear him say, Arming his heavy hand to slay;

64

Despite my skill and swashing blow,' They seem to sprout where'er I go; — I killed a host but yesterday!"

Slash on, O Hercules! You may.
Your task 's, at best, a Hydra-fray;
And though you cut, not less will grow
More Poets yet!

Too arrogant ! For who shall stay
The first blind motions of the May?
Who shall out-blot the morning glow?-
Or stem the full heart's overflow?

Who? There will rise, till Time decay,

More Poets yet!

"WITH PIPE AND FLUTE.”

(To E. G.)

WITH pipe and flute the rustic Pan

Of old made music sweet for man; And wonder hushed the warbling bird, And closer drew the calm-eyed herd, The rolling river slowlier ran.

Ah! would, ah! would, a little span,
Some air of Arcady could fan

This age of ours, too seldom stirred
With pipe and flute !

But now for gold we plot and plan ;
And from Beersheba unto Dan,
Apollo's self might pass unheard,

Or find the night-jar's note preferred; – Not so it fared, when time began,

With pipe and flute !

O

TO A JUNE ROSE.

(To A. P.)

ROYAL Rose! the Roman dress'd

His feast with thee; thy petals press'd Augustan brows; thine odour fine, Mix'd with the three-times-mingled wine, Lent the long Thracian draught its zest.

What marvel then, if host and guest,
By Song, by Joy, by Thee caress'd,
Half-trembled on the half-divine,

And yet and yet

O royal Rose!

I love thee best

In our old gardens of the West.

Whether about my thatch thou twine,

Or Hers, that brown-eyed maid of mine, Who lulls thee on her lawny breast,

O royal Rose !

TO DAFFODILS.

(To A. J. M.)

YELLOW flowers that HERRICK Sung! O yellow flowers that danced and swung In WORDSWORTH'S verse, and now to me, Unworthy, from this "pleasant lea," Laugh back, unchanged and ever young;

Ah, what a text to us o'erstrung,
O'erwrought, o'erreaching, hoarse of lung,
You teach by that immortal glee,
O yellow flowers!

We, by the Age's oestrus stung,
Still hunt the New with eager tongue,

Vexed ever with the Old, but ye,
What ye have been ye still shall be,
When we are dust the dust among,
O yellow flowers!