Young's Night Thoughts; With Life, Critical Dissertation, and Explanatory Notes (Paperback)

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1853. Excerpt: ... NIGHT NINTH. THE CONSOLATION. As when a traveller, a long day past In painful search of what he cannot find, At night's approach, content with the next cot, There ruminates, a while, his labour lost; Then cheers his heart with what his fate affords, And chants his sonnet to deceive the time, Till the due season calls him to repose: Thus I, long-travell'd in the ways of men, And dancing, with the rest, the giddy maze, Where Disappointment smiles at Hope's career; 10 Warn'd by the languor of life's evening ray, At length have housed me in an humble shed; Where, future wandering banish'd from my thought, And waiting, patient, the sweet hour of rest, I chase the moments with a serious song. Song soothes our pains; and age has pains to soothe. When age, care, crime, and friends embraced at heart, Torn from my bleeding breast, and death's dark shade, Which hovers o'er me, quench th' ethereal fire; Canst thou, 0 Night indulge one labour more? 20 One labour more indulge then sleep, my strain 21 Till, haply, waked by Raphael's golden lyre, Where night, death, age, care, crime, and sorrow, cease; To bear a part in everlasting lays; Though far, far higher set, in aim, I trust, Symphonious to this humble prelude here. Has not the Muse asserted pleasures pure, Like those above; exploding other joys % Weigh what was urged, Lorenzo fairly weigh; And tell me, hast thou cause to triumph still? 30 I think, thou wilt forbear a boast so bold. But if, beneath the favour of mistake, Thy smile's sincere; not more sincere can be Lorenzo's smile, than my compassion for him. The sick in body call for aid; the sick In mind are covetous of more disease; And when at worst, they dream themselves quite well. To know ourselves diseased, is half our cure. When Nature's blush by Custom is wiped off, And Conscie...