Page:The Lady's Book Vol. I.pdf/171

POETICAL PORTRAITS. 155 POETICAL PORTRAITS.

"Orient Pearls at random strung." SHAKSPEARE. His was the wizard spell, The spirit to enchain; His grasp o'er nature fell, Creation own'd his reign

MILTON. His spirit was the home Of aspirations high; A temple, whose huge dome Was hidden in the sky.

BYRON. Black clouds his forehead bound, And at his feet were flowers; Mirth, Madness, Magic, found In him their keenest powers.

SCOTT. He sings, and lo! Romance Starts from his mouldering urn. While Chivalry's bright lance And nodding plumes return.

SPENSER. Within th' enchanted womb Of his vast genius, lie Bright streams and groves, whose gloom Is lit by Una's eye.

WORDSWORTH. He hung his harp upon Philosophy's pure shrine; And placed by Nature's throne, Composed each placid line.

WILSON. His strain like holy hymn, Upon the ear doth float, Or voice of cherubim, In mountain vale remote.

GRAY. Soaring on pinions proud, The lightnings of his eye Scar the black thunder-cloud; He passes swiftly by.

BURNS. He seized his country's lyre, With ardent grasp and strong; And made his soul of fire Dissolve itself in song.

COLERIDGE. Magician, whose dread spell, Working in pale moonlight, From Superstition's cell Invokes each satellite!

COWPER. Religious light is shed Upon his soul's dark shrine; And Vice veils o'er her head At his denouncing line.

YOUNG. Involved in pall of gloom, He haunts, with footsteps dread, The murderer's midnight tomb, And calls upon the dead.

GRAHAME. O! when we hear the bell Of "Sabbath" chiming free, It strikes us like a knell, And makes us think of Thee.

W. L. BOWLES. From Nature's flowery throne His spirit took its flight, And moves serenely on In soft, sad, tender light.

SHELLEY. A solitary rock In a far distant sea, Rent by the thunder's shock, An emblem stands of Thee.

J. MONTGOMERY. Upon thy touching strain Religion's spirit fair, Falls down like drops of rain, And blends divinely there.

HOGG. Clothed in the rainbow's beam, 'Mid strath and pastoral glen, He sees the fairies gleam, Far from the haunts of men.

BAILIE. The Passions are thy slaves; In varied guise they roll Upon the stately waves Of thy majestic soul.

CAROLINE BOWLES. In garb of sable hue Thy soul dwells all alone, Where the sad drooping yew Weeps o'er the funeral stone.

HEMANS. To bid the big tear start, Unchallenged, from its shrine, And thrill the quivering heart With pity's voice, are thine.

TIGHE. On zephyr's amber wings, Like thine own Psyche borne, Thy buoyant spirit springs To hail the bright-eyed morn.

LANDON. Romance and high-soul'd Love, Like two commingling streams, Glide through the flowery grove, Of thy enchanted dreams.

MOORE. Crown'd with perennial flowers, By Wit and Genius wove, He wanders through the bowers Of Fancy and of Love.

SOUTHEY. Where Necromancy flings O'er Eastern lands her spell, Sustain'd on Fable's wings, His spirit loves to dwell.

COLLINS. Waked into mimic life, The Passions round him throng, While the loud "Spartan fife" Thrills through his startling song

CAMPBELL. With all that Nature's fire Can lend to polish'd Art, He strikes his graceful lyre To thrill or warm the heart.

THOMSON. The Seasons, as they roll, Shall bear thy name along; And graven on the soul Of Nature, live thy song.

MOIR. On every gentler scene That moves the human breast, Pathetic and serene, Thine eye delights to rest.

BARRY CORNWALL. Soft is thy lay--a stream Meand'ring calmly by, Beneath the moon's pale beam Ofsweet Italia's sky.

CRABBE. Wouldst thou his pictures know Their power- their harrowing truth Their scenes of wrath or woe? Go gaze on hapless "Ruth"

A. CUNNINGHAM. Tradition's lyre he plays With firm and skilful hand, Singing the olden lays Of his dear native land.

KEATS. Fair thy young spirit's mould Thou from whose heart the streams Of sweet Elysium roll'd Over Endymion's dreams.

BLOOMFIELD. Sweet bard upon the tomb In which thine ashes lie, The simple wildflowers bloom Before the ploughman's eye.

HOOD. Impugn Idare not thee, For I'm ofpuny brood; And thou wouldst punish me With pungent hardiHOOD.