Select Pieces In Verse And Prose V1 (1820) (Paperback)

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1816 Original Publisher: Printed by G. Davidson Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: TO HIS MOTHER. 1798. Thou dearest object of my earliest love, Whom Nature's voice first taught me to adore, Ere rising Reason's mandate could approve, What Heaven-taught Instinct had inspired before; O what a race my weary feet have run, Since last thy image met my wishful eye; Then waft me hence, thou quick revolving sun, To that lov'd region of eternal joy. For where can man in Heaven's high realms beside, Heart-soothing peace and gentle pleasure find; If senseless Apathy in Stoick pride, Constrain each nobler feeling of the mind? 'Tis warm Affection's links that mildly join In sacred sympathy each kindred soul, When rich with mercies from the hand divine, Days, months, and years in blissful silence roll. Such were the hours that once in rapture flew, While every day increase of bliss supplied; With every hour some sweeter pleasure grew, Each wish prevented, and each want untried. Yet, e'en while Freedom spread her charms around, While laugh'd the morn, and every joy was mine, Could fancied sorrows real pleasures wound, And passion thwart reflection's cool design. Fool that I was -- full oft I vow'd in vain, To rule my life with Reason's sober sway; Till headstrong Passion snatch'd the slacken'd rein, And chas'd Reflection's milder power away. Then when o'erwhelm'd I lay with fancied woe, Thy present image cheer'd the darkling scene; Methinks e'en now thy gentle dictates flow, Queen of each thought, of each affection queen. For thou art all that Heaven itself could form, The noblest soul, and mee...