Great God! you'll say-To us so kind, The houseless, friendless wretch! The tears that tremble down your cheek, And from your heart the sighs that steal How oft, my Love! with shapings sweet I seize you in the vacant air, 'Tis said, on Summer's evening hour And so shall flash my love-charg'd eye COMPOSED AT CLEVEDON, SOMERSETSHIRE. My pensive Sara! thy soft cheek reclin'd Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is Light from plants. In Sweden a very curious phenomenon has been observed on certain flowers by M. Haggern, lecturer in natural To sit beside out cot, our cot o'er grown With white-flower'd Jasmin, and the broad-leav'd Myrtle, (Meet emblems they of Innocence and Love!) And watch the clouds, that late were rich with light, Snatch'd from yon bean-field! and the world so hush'd! Tells us of Silence. And that simplest Lute Like some coy Maid half-yielding to her Lover, history. One evening he perceived a faint flash of light repeatedly dart from a marigold. Surprised at such an uncommon appearance, he resolved to examine it with attention; and, to be assured it was no deception of the eye, he placed a man near him, with orders to make a signal at the moment when he observed the light. They both saw it constantly at the same moment. The light was most brilliant on marigolds of an orange or flame colour; but scarcely visible on pale ones. The flash was frequently seen on the same flower two or three times in quick succession; but more commonly at intervals of several minutes; and when several flowers in the same place emitted their light together, it could be observed at a considerable distance. This phenomenon was remarked in the months of July and August at sun-set, and for half an hour, when the atmosphere was clear; but after a rainy day, or when the air was loaded with vapours nothing of it was seen. The following flowers emitted flashes, more or less vivid, in this order : 1. The marigold, galendula officinalis. 2. Monk's-hood, tropælum majus. 3. The or nge-lily, lilium bulbiferum. 4. The Indian pink, tagetes patula & erecta. From the rapidity of the flash, and other circumstances, it may be conjectured that there is something of electricity in this phenome non. It pours such sweet upbraidings, as must needs Such a soft floating witchery of sound Full many a thought uncall'd and undetain'd, Traverse my indolent and passive brain, As wild and various as the random gales Be but organic Harps diversly fram'd, That tremble into thought, as o'er them sweeps, For never guiltless may I speak of Him, I praise him, and with Faith that inly feels; * A sinful and most miserable man Wilder'd and dark, and gave me to possess Peace, and this Cot, and Thee, heart-honour'd Maid! TO AN UNFORTUNATE WOMAN. WHOM THE AUTHOR HAD KNOWN IN THE DAYS OF HER INNOCENCE. MYRTLE leaf, that ill besped When the Rustic o'er his sheaf Lightly didst thou, foolish thing! L'athée n'est point à mes yeux un faux esprit; je puis vivre avec lui aussi bien et mieux qu'avec le dévot, car il raisonne d'avantage, mais il lui manque un sens, et mon ame ne se fond point entièrement avec la sienne : il est froid au spectacle le plus ravissant, et il cherche un syllogisme lorsque je rends une action de grace. " Appel a l'impartiale postérité, par la Citoyenne Roland," troisème partie, p. 67. While the Flatt'rer on his wing Gaily from thy mother stalk Wert thou danc'd and wafted high; Flung to fade, to rot, and die! LINES. ON OBSERVING A BLOSSOM ON THE FIRST OF FEBRUARY, 1796. WRITTEN NEAR SHEFFIELD. SWEET Flower! that peeping from thy russet stem, This dark, freeze-coated, hoarse, teeth-chattering Month * Chatterton, |