Poems; [manuscript] /; by the late Baroness Ferdinand Hompesch.

172 180

Wild unstudied be the Song, Such sounds to real Joy belong.-

I sing of Love! of that celestial Pow'r! Pure, bright, immortal, and of heav'nly birth And kneeling grateful bliss the happy hour Which gave the beauteous Sovereign to the Earth

Bound in his rosy chain forever, Thus enchanted but we live, Death alone, such ties should sever, Heav'n alone, such Joys could give.

First the white Cord of Innocence The beauteous hand of Friendship wove, The next was [trussed?] by Confidence, And Wisdoms self assisted Love.

And this alone could bliss secure, From doubt and Sorrow, pain and fear,

181

And bid to later time endure, The pleasures Love hath lavish'd here.

Hence pining Care, pale Jealousy, That hasts to meet the poison'd dart, Casting around thy tear swoln eye, To seek fresh tortures for the heart.

Thou who canst bid the bosom glow, Or freeze in icy chains the Mind, Bid poison from affection flow, And our best powers in torpor bind.

Then who canst murder Hope and Peace, And chace fair Healths fair form away, Thy spells are broke, thy pow'r shall cease, Thy baseless fabrics all decay.

173 182

And in their stead, high in the Rock behold Where Love and Confidence erect their seal Fancy's bright Clouds beneathe its base are roll'd Within the Virtues and the Graces meet

Clifton May 28th 1802

Loud howls the blast o'er Cliftons fair domain, Heavy and fragrent falls the beating shower, Around sad Solitude and Violence reign, And give me up to Memory's pensive power.

A few short fleeting years are past, since here Blest in a Mother's care I vainly strove, To guard her from the stroke! e'er there so near, But hope found refugre in a Fathers love.

That hope too fail'd! can ought on Earth endure, Oh! Memory! point not to his distant Grave, Tonic ne'er can soften, nor can Reason cure The Agony that disappointment gave.

183

Yet still repeat the Precepts he bestow'd, Pour his loud accents on my mournful ear, For wisdom from his lips so gently flow'd, That perfect Love had banish'd ev'ry fear.

Methinks e'en now I hear, Lessons of truth By Fancy graced, by Elegance refined Which formed to better hopes my early youth And raised to higher views my opening Mind

Bright in his thought when glorious Visions rose I caught the spirit from his kindling eye With sensibility his bosom glows And mine then learnt the charm of sympathy

Oh fatal Pleasures, too refin'd to last Are ye indeed for ever ever flown And does find Memory recall the past Only to show how much I am alone

174 184

Cease Murmur cease Heav'n still enough bestows One generous heart tho' absent feels for Thee And from Maternal hope sweet comfort flows To soothe the pain that springs from Memory.

Clifton May 30th 1802

Away sad serious thoughts on rosy moments sweetly blown, With every dear emotion bliss, These moments I may call my own.

When our first hope, our angel Boy Playfully joined our clasping hands, Rushing tides of grateful joy, From both the raptur'd tear demands.

And bending o'er his youthful head, Our hearts full fraught we raised to Heavn'n