Fugitive Pieces Part 3

HARROW, 1803.

ADRIAN'S ADDRESS TO HIS SOUL, WHEN DYING.

Animula! vagula, Blandula, Hospes, comesque, corporis, Quoe nunc abibis in Loca?

Pallidula, rigida, nudula, Nec ut soles dabis Jocos.

_TRANSLATION_.

Ah! gentle, fleeting, wav'ring sprite!

Friend and a.s.sociate of this clay, To what unknown region borne, Wilt thou now wing thy distant flight?

No more with wonted humour gay, But pallid, cheerless, and forlorn.

1806.

TO MARY.

Rack'd by the flames of jealous rage, By all her torments deeply curst, Of h.e.l.l-born pa.s.sions far the worst, What hope my pangs can now a.s.suage?

2.

I tore me from thy circling arms, To madness fir'd by doubts and fears, Heedless of thy suspicious tears, Nor feeling for thy feign'd alarms.

3.

Resigning every thought of bliss, Forever, from your love I go, Reckless of all the tears that flow, Disdaining thy polluted kiss.

4.

No more that bosom heaves for me, On it another seeks repose, Another riot's on its snows, Our bonds are broken, both are free.

5.

No more with mutual love we burn, No more the genial couch we bless, Dissolving in the fond caress; Our love o'erthrown will ne'er return.

6.

Though love than ours could ne'er be truer, Yet flames too fierce themselves destroy, Embraces oft repeated cloy, _Ours_ came too _frequent_, to endure.

7.

You quickly sought a second lover, And I too proud to share a heart, Where once I held the _whole_, not _part_, Another mistress must discover.

8.

Though not the _first_ one, who hast blest me, Yet I will own, you was the dearest, The one, unto my bosom nearest; So I conceiv'd, when I possest thee.

9.

Even now I cannot well forget thee, And though no more in folds of pleasure, Kiss follows kiss in countless measure, I hope _you_ sometimes will regret me.

10.

And smile to think how oft were done, What prudes declare a sin to act is, And never but in darkness practice, Fearing to trust the tell-tale sun.

11.

And wisely therefore night prefer, Whose dusky mantle veils their fears, Of _this_, and _that_, of eyes and ears, Affording shades to those that err.

12.

Now, by my foul, 'tis most delight To view each other panting, dying.

In love's _extatic posture_ lying, Grateful to _feeling_, as to _sight_.

13.

And had the glaring G.o.d of Day, (As formerly of Mars and Venus) Divulg'd the joys which pa.s.s'd between us, Regardless of his _peeping_ ray.

14.

Of love admiring such a _sample_, The G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses descending, Had never fancied us offending, But _wisely_ followed _our example_.

When to their airy hall, my father's voice, Shall call my spirit, joyful in their choice, When pois'd upon the gale, my form shall ride, Or dark in mist, descend the mountain's side; Oh! may my shade behold no sculptur'd urns, To mark the spot, where earth to earth returns.

No lengthen'd scroll of virtue, and renown, My _epitaph_, shall be my name alone; If _that_ with honour fails to crown my clay, Oh! may no other fame my deeds repay; _That_, only _that_, shall single out the shot, By _that_ remember'd, or fore'er forgot.--

1803.

TO ----

1.

Oh! when shall the grave hide forever my sorrow?

Oh! when shall my soul wing her flight from this clay?

The present is h.e.l.l! and the coming to-morrow, But brings with new torture, the curse of to-day.

2.