Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-08-11
ODE TO lie VI DON.

Mother of light how hirly dost thou 20
Over those holy crests, dtciueiy led!
Art thoa that IL In.tcss Of the Silver Bow
Fabed of old: Or rather dJst llou tread
Those cloudy sunm'ts thence TO ynGe below,
Like the wild Cnamu.s oa her Alpine snow,
Where hunter Nc: or c!imed--3cclrG from
dreaG?
A thousand ancient faucics have read
0fthat far presonce, aud a thousand wrought
Wopdrous aud bright,
Upon thc silver hght,
Tracing fresh f cures with the artists thought
What art thou Ike? sometimes see thee ride
a far bound galley oa lis perilous way;
Whilst breezy waves toss up their silvery spray;
Sometimes behold thee glide
Clusteru by all thy family of stars,
Like lone widow through the welkin wide,
Whose pailie4 cheek the midnight sorrow mars:
Sometimes watch thee on FROM steep to steep
Timidly lighted by thy yestal torch,
Till iu some Latmian cave I see thee creep,
TO catch the young Endymion asleep,
i,eavins thy splendoor at the jagged porch.
o thou art boautifa, howc'cr il be!
Iiuntre:s uf Dian, OF whatever namcd--
And h the veriest Pagan, who first framed
4 Silver idol, and ne'or worsaipu thee!
II is too la'e or thon shonll'st have my Ence--
90 ltle no" lor tbe on l. Di' -len vows,
And not divine the crescent on thy brov>;
YET, call thee nothing bet the mere mild moon
Behind those chesGut bouehs.
Casting their dspp!ed shadows at my feet,
will be grateful sor irat simple boon,
In many a Thoughtful verse and anthem sweet,
And bless .by dainty face whcne'er " meet.
Ia nights far gone--Gy, far away md dead,
,-.ore Care fretieJ with ij!ess eye.
I was thy wooer ON my little bed,
And watch'G thy silver advent in the sky;
Letting the downy hours ofre.t go by,
70 see thee food the hea rcus witl milky light,
And feed thy snowy swans before slept;
For thou vert then purveyor of my dreams
Thou wer, the fairies armorer, that kept
Their hurnish'd helms, and crowns, and corsets
bright
TAcir spears and differing mails;.-
And ever thou liJst spill in wandring streams,
Sparkles and midnight CLEANS,
For fishes TO new gloss their argent scales.
Why sgh.' why creeping iears' why clasred
hands,
[. is to count the boys expended dow'r?
That Fairies since have broke their gifted
wands,
Tha. young D delight. lilo any o'crJlown flower
Gave, one by one its sweet leaves 10 the ground.
hour,
Thou art sadler dial 90 ol Time
Than ever have found
0n sunny garden plot, or moss. grown tow'r,
fl5ttoed with stern aui melancholy rhyme!
Why should GROVE for ths: Oh. must yearn
Whist Time, conspirator with Memory,
Keeps his cold ashes in en antique urn.
i,ichly emboss'J with childish revelry,-
With leaves. and clusterd fruits, and Flower
eterue,
Eternal to the worll. though not TO me-
~, there will those young sports and blossom
be,
The leathless wreath, anil undecsyed iestoon,
When am hcarsed within,
I.css than yon paIlii primrose TO the moon,
Vnom now she watches thro' hcr yapogrs thin
20 let Il be: Before lived 10 sigh,
hon vert in Avon. and thousand rills-
D.autiful Orb! anil so whene'er lie
vroddep, thon wilt be gazing from thy hills
Blest by thy loving light whore'er it spia',
And blessed thy fair face, o Mother mild;
,ii,l PIT soul in rivers as they run;
-tiu lend thy lovely lamp TO lovers ioni,
,nd blend ,hoir plightcI shadows in'o one:
still emile n, even on the budded child,
Aad close his eyelids with thy silver wands!