But when life's clouds o'ertake us, And the cold world is clothed in gloom; The rose of Love is best in bloom. That lures astray with treacherous spark; That lives an hour and leaves us dark: The Greenland hut beneath the snow, The bosom's home it brightens, When all beside is chill below. PRINGLE. LOVE. HAT art thou, Love? or who may thee define? That soft on bed of roses loves to rest, And crop the flower where lurks the deadly bane! Oh, many a thorn those dear delights invest, Child of the rosy cheek, and heaving snow-white breast! Thou art the genial balm of virtuous youth, And point'st where Honour waves her wreath on high: Like the sweet breeze that wanders from the south, Thou breath'st upon the soul, where embryos lie Of new delights, the treasures of the sky! Who knows thy trembling watch in bower of even! Thy earliest grateful tear and melting sigh? Oh, never was to yearning mortal given So dear delights as thine, thou habitant of heaven! Oh, I will worship even before thy bust, When my dimmed eye no more thy smile can see! While this deserted bosom beats, it must Still beat in unison with hope and thee! When moon and stars have ceased their range sublime, Aud angels rung the knell of all-consuming time. HOGG. LOVE. N joyous youth, what soul hath never known Where rapture uttered vows, and wept between ; yours, unmoved, to severe and to meet; In vain the viewless seraph, lingering there, AIL, holy love! thou word that sums all bliss. Gives and receives all bliss, fullest when most Thou givest! spring-head of all felicity, Deepest when most is drawn! emblem of God! O'erflowing most when greatest numbers drink! Essence that binds the uncreated Three, Chain that unites creation to its Lord, Centre to which all being gravitates, Eternal, ever-growing, happy Love! Enduring all, hoping, forgiving all; Instead of law, fulfilling every law; Entirely blest, because thou seek'st no more, Hop'st not, nor fear'st; but on the present liv'st, And hold'st perfection smiling in thy arms. Mysterious, infinite, exhaustless Love! On earth mysterious, and mysterious still In heaven! sweet chord, that harmonizes all The harps of paradise! the spring, the well, That fills the bowl and banquet of the sky. Hail, Love; first Love, thou word that sums all bliss! The sparkling cream of all Time's blessedness, The silken down of happiness complete! She gathered, and selected with her hand, All rarest odours, all divinest sounds, All thoughts, all feelings dearest to the soul; And brought the holy mixture home, and filled But who would that expound which words transcends Must talk in vain. Behold a meeting scene Of early love, and thence infer its worth. POLLOK. DOMESTIC LOVE. OMESTIC Love! not in proud palace halls That in the thickets of the woodbine hide, Of woody hills some little bubbling spring Shining along through banks with harebells dyed; And many a bird to warble on the wing, When Morn her saffron robe o'er heaven and earth doth fling. Oh, Love of loves! to thy white hand is given Thine are the joyous hours of winter's even, CROLY. DOMESTIC LOVE. UT happy they! the happiest of their kind! blend. 'Tis not the coarser tie of human laws, Where Friendship full exerts her softest power, Ineffable, and sympathy of soul; Thought meeting thought, and will preventing will, And nothing strikes your eye but sights of bliss; Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books, THOMSON. A MOTHER'S LOVE. HERE is in all this cold and hollow world no fount Of deep, strong, deathless love, save that within A mother's heart.—It is but pride, wherewith To his fair son the father's eye doth turn, Watching his growth. Ay, on the boy he looks, The bright glad creature springing in his path, But as the heir of his great name, the young And stately tree, whose rising strength ere long Shall bear his trophies well.—And this is love! |