My lady!--she was all we love; All praise (to speak her worth) is faint; Her manners show'd the yielding dove, Her morals, the seraphic saint: She never breath'd nor look'd complaint; No equal upon earth had she - Now, what is this fair thing I paint? Alas! as all that live shall be. There was, beside, a gallant youth, And him my bosom's friend I had; - Oh! I was rich in very truth, It made me proud--it made me mad! - Yes, I was lost--but there was cause! - Where stood my tale?--I cannot find - But I had all mankind's applause, And all the smiles of womankind. There were two cherub-things beside, A gracious girl, a glorious boy; Yet more to swell my full-blown pride, To varnish higher my fading joy, Pleasures were ours without alloy, Nay, Paradise,--till my frail Eve Our bliss was tempted to destroy - Deceived and fated to deceive. But I deserved;--for all that time, When I was loved, admired, caress'd,. There was within, each secret crime, Unfelt, uncancell'd, unconfess'd: I never then my God address'd, In grateful praise or humble prayer; And if His Word was not my jest - (Dread thought!) it never was my care. I doubted: --fool I was to doubt! If that all-piercing eye could see, - If He who looks all worlds throughout, Would so minute and careful be As to perceive and punish me: - With man I would be great and high, But with my God so lost, that He, In His large view should pass me by. Thus blest with children, friend, and wife, Blest far beyond the vulgar lot; Of all that gladdens human life, Where was the good that I had not? But my vile heart had sinful spot, And Heaven beheld its deep'ning stain; Eternal justice I forgot, And mercy sought not to obtain. Come near,--I'll softly speak the rest! - Alas! 'tis known to all the crowd, Her guilty love was all confess'd; And his, who so much truth avow'd, My faithless friend's.--In pleasure proud I sat, when these cursed tidings came; Their guilt, their flight was told aloud, And Envy smiled to hear my shame! I call'd on Vengeance; at the word She came: --Can I the deed forget? I held the sword--the accursed sword The blood of his false heart made wet; And that fair victim paid her debt, She pined, she died, she loath'd to live; - I saw her dying--see her yet: Fair fallen thing! my rage forgive! Those cherubs still, my life to bless, Were left; could I my fears remove, Sad fears that check'd each fond caress, And poison'd all parental love? Yet that with jealous feelings strove, And would at last have won my will, Had I not, wretch! been doom'd to prove Th' extremes of mortal good and ill. In youth! health! joy! in beauty's pride! They droop'd--as flowers when blighted bow; The dire infection came: --they died, And I was cursed--as I am now; - Nay, frown not, angry friend,--allow That I was deeply, sorely tried; Hear then, and you must wonder how I could such storms and strifes abide.