Dance on, dance on, ’tis joy to see; We once were nimble e’en as ye, And danced to give the oldest glee; O wherefore add, as we, you too, Once gone your prime cannot renew; You too, like us, at last shall stand To watch and not to join the band, Content some day (a far-off day) To your supplanters soft to say, Youth goes, but goes not all in vain, Young folks, so only you remain, Dance on, dance on, ’tis joy to see. _SOLVITUR ACRIS HIEMS._ Youth, that went, is come again, Youth, for which we all were fain; With soft pleasure and sweet pain In each nerve and every vein, Circling through the heart and brain, Whence and wherefore come again? Eva, tell me! Dead and buried when we thought him, Who the magic spell hath taught him? Who the strong elixir brought him? Dead and buried as we thought, Lo! unasked for and unsought Comes he, shall it be for nought? Eva, tell me! Youth that lifeless long had lain, Youth that long we longed in vain for, Used to grumble and complain for, Thought at last to entertain A decorous cool disdain for, On a sudden see again Comes, but will not long remain, Comes, with whom too in his train, Comes, and shall it be in vain? Eva, tell me! _THESIS AND ANTITHESIS._ If that we thus are guilty doth appear, Ah, guilty tho’ we are, grave judges, hear! Ah, yes; if ever you in your sweet youth ’Midst pleasure’s borders missed the track of truth, Made love on benches underneath green trees, Stuffed tender rhymes with old new similes, Whispered soft anythings, and in the blood Felt all you said not most was understood— Ah, if you have—as which of you has not?— Nor what you were have utterly forgot, Then be not stern to faults yourselves have known, To others harsh, kind to yourselves alone. That we, young sir, beneath our youth’s green trees Once did, not what should profit, but should please, In foolish longing and in love-sick play Forgot the truth and lost the flying day— That we went wrong we say not is not true, But, if we erred, were we not punished too? If not—if no one checked our wandering feet,— Shall we our parents’ negligence repeat?— In future times that ancient loss renew, If none saved _us_, forbear from saving you? Nor let that justice in your faults be seen Which in our own or was or should have been?