The British Poets Volume 84; Including Translations (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1822 Excerpt: ...limbs, to kiss his reverend face, With eager transport to disclose the whole, And pour at once the torrent of his soul.--Not so: --his judgment takes the winding way Of question distant, and of soft essay; More gentle methods on weak age employs, And moves the sorrows, to enhance the joys. Then, to his sire with beating heart he moves; And with a tender pleasantry reproves: Who digging round the plant still hangs his head, Nor aught remits the work, while thus he said--'Great is thy skill, O father great thy toil: Thy careful hand is stamp'd on all the soil, Thy squadron'd vineyards well thy art declare, The olive green, blue fig, and pendent pear; And not one empty spot escapes thy care. On every plant and tree thy cares are shown; Nothing neglected, but thyself alone. Forgive me, father, if this fault I blame; Age so advanced may some indulgence claim. Not for thy sloth, 1 deem thy lord unkind; Nor speaks thy form a mean or servile mind: I read a monarch in that princely air, The same thy aspect, if the same thy care; Soft sleep, fair garments, and the joys of wine, These are the rights of age, and should be thine. Who then thy master, say? and whose the land So dress'd and managed by thy skilful hand? But chief, O tell me (what I question most) Ts this the far famed Ithacensian coast? For so reported the first man I view'd (Some surly islander, of manners rude), Nor further conference vouchsafed to stay; Heedless he whistled, and pursued his way. But thou whom years have taught to understand, Humanely hear, and answer my demand: A friend I seek, a wise one and a brave; Say, lives he yet, or moulders in the grave? Time was (my fortunes then were at the best) When at my house I lodged this foreign guest; He said from Ithaca's fair isle he came, And old L...