Her lips with music eloquent

As her own grand upright piano; No-never yet was Peri lent

To earth like thee, sweet Adriana. I may not--dare not--call to mind

The joys that once my breast elated, Though yet, methinks, the morning wind

Sweeps over my ear, with thy tones freighted : And then I pause, and turn aside

From pleasure's throng of pangless-hearted, To weep! No. Sentiment and pride

Are by each other always thwarted ! I press my hand upon my brow,

To still the throbbing pulse that heaves it, Recall my boyhood's faltered vow,

And marvel-if she still believes it.

But she is woman and her heart,

Like her tiara's brightest jewel, Cold-hard-till kindled by some art,

Then quenchless burns-itself its fuelSo poets say. Well, let it pass,

And those who list may yield it credit ; But as for constancy, alas!

I've never known-I've only read it.

Love ! 'tis a roving fire, at most

The cuerpo santa of life's ocean;
Now flashing through the storm, now lost-

Who trust, 'tis said, rue their devotion,
It may be, 'tis a mooted creed-

I have my doubts, and it-believers, Though one is faithless—where's the need

Of shunning all-as gay deceivers ?

I said I loved. I did. But ours

Was felt, not growled hyæna fashion ! We wandered not at midnight hours,

Some dignity restrained the passion ! We loved—I never stooped to woo ;

We met-I always doffed my beaver ; She smiled a careless “How d'ye do

Good morning, sir,”—I rose to leave her She loved—she never told me so;

I never asked—I could not doubt it ; For there were signs on cheek and brow;

And asking! Love is known without it! 'Twas understood-we were content,

And rode, and sang, and waltzed together! Alone, without embarrassment

We talked of something—not the weather !

Time rolled along—the parting hour

With arrowy speed brought its distresses, A kiss—a miniature-a flower

A ringlet from those raven tresses ; And the tears that would unbidden start,

(An hour, perhaps, and they had perished,) In the far chambers of my heart,

I swore her image should be cherished.

I've looked on peril—it has glared

In fashionable forms upon me,
From levelled aim-from weapon bared-

And doctors three attending on me!
But never did my sternness wane

At pang by shot or steel imparted; I'd not recall that hour of pain

For years of bliss-it passed-we parted.

We parted—though her tear-gemmed cheeks,

Her heaving breast had thus unmanned meShe quite forgot me in three weeks! .

And other beauties soon trepanned me. We met-and did not find it hard

Joy's overwhelming tide to smotherThere was a “Mrs." on her card,

And I-was married to another.

SONG.*

LORD ROLAND.
Lord ROLAND rose, and went to mass,

And doffed his mourning weed !
And bade them bring a looking-glass,

And saddle fast a steed;
“I'll deck with gems my bonnet's loop,

And wear a feather fine,
And when lorn lovers sit and droop
Why, I will sit and dine !

Sing merrily, sing merrily,
And fill the cup of wine !
Though Elgitha be thus untrue,

Adele is beauteous yet ;
And he that's baffled by the blue

May bow before the jet ;
So welcome-welcome hall or heath !

So welcome shower or shine!
And wither there, thou willow wreath,
Thou never shalt be mine!

Sing merrily, sing merrily,

And fill the cup of wine ! * First published in Knight's Quarterly Magazine.

Proud Elgitha ! a health to thee,

A health in brimming gold ! And store of lovers after me,

As honest, and less cold : My hand is on my bugle horn,

My boat is on the brine;
If ever gallant died of scorn,
I shall not die of thine !

Sing merrily, sing merrily !
And fill the cup of wine !

MIN

NAPISAL

CHILDHOOD AND HIS VISITORS.

A

Once on a time, when sunny May

Was kissing up the April showers, I saw fair Childhood hard at play

Upon a bank of blushing flowers : Happy-he knew not whence or how,

And smiling,—who could choose but love him? For not more glad than Childhood's brow

Was the blue heaven that beamed above him.

Old Time, in most appalling wrath,

That valley's green repose invaded; The brooks grew dry upon his path,

The birds were mute, the lilies faded. But Time so swiftly winged his flight,

In haste a Grecian tomb to batter, That Childhood watched his paper kite,

And knew just nothing of the matter.

With curling lip and glancing eye

Guilt gazed upon the scene a minute;
But Childhood's glance of purity

Had such a holy spell within it,
That the dark demon to the air

Spread forth again his baffled pinion, And hid his envy and despair,

Self-tortured, in his own dominion.

Then stepped a gloomy phantom up,

Pale, cypress-crowned, Night's awful daughter, And proffered him a fearful cup

Full to the brim of bitter water ;
Poor Childhood bade her tell her name;

And when the beldame muttered—“Sorrow," He said—“Don't interrupt my game;

I'll taste it, if I must, to-morrow."

The Muse of Pindus thither came,

And wooed him with the softest numbers That ever scattered wealth and fame

Upon a youthful poet's slumbers ; Though sweet the music of the lay,

To°Childhood it was all a riddle, And, “Oh,” he cried, “ do send away

That noisy woman with the fiddle !"

Then Wisdom stole his bat and ball,

And taught him, with most sage endeavour, Why bubbles rise and acorns fall,

And why no toy may last for ever. She talked of all the wondrous laws

Which Nature's open book discloses, And Childhood, ere she made a pause,

Was fast asleep among the roses.