MUTABILITY.

I.

THE flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow dies;

All that we wish to stay

Tempts and then flies.

What is this world's delight?

Lightning that mocks the night, Brief even as bright.

II.

Virtue, how frail it is!

Friendship how rare!

Love, how it sells poor bliss

For proud despair!

But we, though soon they fall,

Survive their joy, and all

Which ours we call.

III.

Whilst skies are blue and bright,

Whilst flowers are gay,

Whilst eyes that change ere night Make glad the day;

Whilst yet the calm hours creep,

Dream thou and from thy sleep
Then wake to weep.

SONNET.

POLITICAL GREATNESS.

NOR happiness, nor majesty, nor fame,

Nor peace, nor strength, nor skill in arms or arts,
Shepherd those herds whom tyranny makes tame;
Verse echoes not one beating of their hearts,
History is but the shadow of their shame,
Art veils her glass, or from the pageant starts
As to oblivion their blind millions fleet,
Staining that Heaven with obscene imagery
Of their own likeness. What are numbers knit
By force or custom? Man who man would be,
Must rule the empire of himself; in it
Must be supreme, establishing his throne
On vanquished will, quelling the anarchy
Of hopes and fears, being himself alone.

THE AZIOLA.

I.

"Do you not hear the Aziola cry? Methinks she must be nigh,"

Said Mary, as we sate

In dusk, ere stars were lit, or candles brought;
And I, who thought

This Aziola was some tedious woman,

Asked, "Who is Aziola?"

How elate

I felt to know that it was nothing human,

No mockery of myself to fear or hate :
And Mary saw my soul,

And laughed, and said, "Disquiet yourself not; 'Tis nothing but a little downy owl."

II.

Sad Aziola! many an eventide

Thy music I had heard

By wood and stream, meadow and mountain side,

And fields and marshes wide,

Such as nor voice, nor lute, nor wind, nor bird,

The soul ever stirred;

Unlike and far sweeter than them all.

Sad Aziola! from that moment I

Loved thee and thy sad cry.

REMEMBRANCE.

I.

SWIFTER far than summer's flight –
Swifter far than youth's delight -
Swifter far than happy night,

Art thou come and gone

As the wood when leaves are shed,
As the night when sleep is fled,
As the heart when joy is dead,

I am left alone, alone.

II.

The swallow summer comes again
The owlet night resumes his reign —
But the wild-swan youth is fain

To fly with thee, false as thou. My heart each day desires the morrow; Sleep itself is turned to sorrow;

Vainly would my winter borrow

Sunny leaves from any bough.

Pansies let my flowers be:

On the living grave I bear
Scatter them without a tear-

Let no friend, however dear,

Waste one hope, one fear for me.

A LAMENT.

I.

Он, world! oh, life! oh, time!

On whose last steps I climb

Trembling at that where I had stood before; When will return the glory of your prime? No more-O, never more!

II.

Out of the day and night

A joy has taken flight;

Fresh spring, and summer, and winter hoar, Move my faint heart with grief, but with delight No more - O, never more!