For thy dear love my weary soul hath grown Heedless of youthful sports: I seek no more Or joyous dance, or music’s thrilling tone, Or joys that once could charm in minstrel lore, Or knightly tilt where steel-clad champions meet, Borne on impetuous _barbs_ to bleed at beauty’s feet. Shakspeare’s _Sonnets_. As a warrior clad In sable arms, like chaos dull and sad, But mounted on a _barb_ as white As the fresh new-born light,-- So the black night too soon Came riding on the bright and silver moon, Whose radiant heavenly ark Made all the clouds, beyond her influence, seem E’en more than doubly dark, Mourning, all widow’d of her glorious beam. Cowley. THE FEVER DREAM. [Amongst the very few specimens that have been preserved of Mrs Hemans’s livelier effusions, which she never wrote with any other view than the momentary amusement of her own immediate circle, is a letter addressed about this time to her sister who was then travelling in Italy. The following extracts from this familiar epistle may serve to show her facility in a style of composition which she latterly entirely discontinued. The first part alludes to a strange fancy produced by an attack of fever, the description of which had given rise to many pleasantries--being an imaginary voyage to China, performed in a cocoa-nut shell with that eminent old English worthy, John Evelyn.] Apropos of your illness, pray give, if you please, Some account of the converse you held on high seas With Evelyn, the excellent author of “Sylva,” A work that is very much prized at Bronwylfa. I think that old Neptune was visited ne’er In so well-rigg’d a ship, by so well-matched a pair. There could not have fallen, dear H., to your lot any Companion more pleasant, since you’re fond of botany, And _his_ horticultural talents are known, Just as well as Canova’s for fashioning stone. Of the vessel you sail’d in, I just will remark That I ne’er heard before of so curious a bark. Of gondola, coracle, pirogue, canoe, I have read very often, as doubtless have you; Of the Argo conveying that hero young Jason; Of the ship moor’d by Trajan in Nemi’s deep basin; Of the galley (in Plutarch you’ll find the description) Which bore along Cydnus the royal Egyptian; Of that wonderful frigate (see “Curse of Kehama”) Which wafted fair Kailyal to regions of Brama, And the venturous barks of Columbus and Gama. But Columbus and Gama to you must resign a Full half of their fame, since your voyage to China, (I’m astonish’d no shocking disaster befel,) In that swift-sailing first-rate--a cocoa-nut shell!