Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

pathos which pervades the whole strain. He said they all appeared to him to want individuality of feeling. At the desire of a friend he gave his own conception of it in these verses, which it seems hard to read, perhaps impossible to hear sung, without tears.

SONG.

Air-Gramachree.

I.

If I had thought thou could'st have died,

I might not weep for thee;
But I forgot, when by thy side,

That thou could'st mortal be;
It never through my mind had past,
The time would e'er be o'er,

And I on thee should look my last,
And thou should'st smile no more!

II.

And still upon that face I look,

And think 'twill smile again;

And still the thought I will not brook,
That I must look in vain!

But when I speak-thou dost not say,

What thou ne'er left'st unsaid;

And now I feel, as well I may,

Sweet Mary! thou art dead!

III.

If thou would'st stay, e'en as thou art,
All cold, and all serene-

I still might press thy silent heart,

And where thy smiles have been !
While e'en thy chill, bleak corse I have,
Thou seemest still mine own;
But there I lay thee in thy grave-
And I am now alone!

IV.

I do not think, where'er thou art,

Thou hast forgotten me ;

And I, perhaps, may soothe this heart,
In thinking too of thee:

Yet there was round thee such a dawn
Of light ne'er seen before,

As fancy never could have drawn,
And never can restore!

He was asked whether he had any real incident in view, or had witnessed any immediate occurrence which might have prompted these lines. His reply "He had not; but that he had sung the air over and over till he burst into a flood of tears, in which mood he composed the words."

was,

The following song was written, at the request of a lady of high professional character as a musician, for an air of her own composition, which I believe was never published:

SONG.
I.

Go, forget me-why should sorrow
O'er that brow a shadow fling?
Go, forget me-and to-morrow

Brightly smile and sweetly sing.
Smile-though I shall not be near thee;
Sing-though I shall never hear thee:

May thy soul with pleasure shine
Lasting as the gloom of mine!
Go, forget me, &c.

Like the Sun, thy presence glowing,
Clothes the meanest things in light;
And when thou, like him art going,
Loveliest objects fade in night.

[blocks in formation]

V.

Ah, Beauty! of all things on earth
How many thy charms most desire !
Yet Beauty with Youth has its birth,-
And Beauty with Youth must expire.
VI.

Ah, fair ones! so sad is the tale,

That my song in my sorrow I steep;
And where I intended to rail,

I must lay down my harp, and must weep.

VII.

But Virtue indignantly seized

The harp as it fell from my hand;
Serene was her look, though displeased,
And she utter'd her awful command.

VIII.

"Thy tears and thy pity employ

"For the thoughtless, the giddy, the vain "But those who my blessings enjoy

"Thy tears and thy pity disdain.

IX.

"For Beauty alone ne'er bestow'd

"Such a charm as Religion has lent ;
"And the cheek of a belle never glow'd
"With a smile like the smile of content.

X.

"Time's hand, and the pestilence-rage,
"No hue, no complexion can brave;

"For Beauty must yield to old age,

"But I will not yield to the grave."

41

The history of Mr. Wolfe's college life is too deficient in incidents of general interest to dwell minutely upon it. He never took any share in concerns of a public nature; but, on the contrary, endeavoured to

shun all occasions of notoriety. This portion of his life, accordingly, supplies but little other materials for his memoir than a short account of his studies, and of his few desultory poetical efforts. Before we enter upon the more important part of his life, or attempt to exhibit his character in its more serious aspect, it may be well to collect together, in this part of the volume, the principal compositions by which he distinguished himself amongst his fellow-students, and gave so fair a promise of future celebrity. Two of those which obtained medals in the Historical Society shall be given here at full length, and such parts of his speech on opening the sessions as the editor has been able to collect with accuracy from the mutilated fragments of the manuscript.

The prose composition which follows will be principally interesting to those who are conversant with the usual course of academic studies. It seems unnecessary to add any explanatory notes for such readers; and perhaps no helps of this kind, that would not be absolutely tedious, could materially heighten the interest to others.

Its general design and manner may possibly remind some readers of a beautiful paper by Addison, in the Tatler, called, "The vision of the Hill of Fame." I do not know that the author was acquainted with it; but even though it may possibly have suggested the outline of the plan to his mind, it will be found that the imagery and descriptive parts are perfectly original. In two or three instances, the same characters which are introduced in this vision appear in that of Addison; but it will probably be allowed that the peculiar genius and character of each is more distinctly and fully brought to light in this little work of fancy, and that, on the whole, it need scarcely shrink from a comparison with the beautiful paper above mentioned.

« AnteriorContinuar »