202 WHAT YOU PLEASE. 



Watching the sunlight to and fro 



Upon the foliage come and go ; 



Or bending back, with listening ear. 



Amid the glimmering silence near : 



The bird along the green boughs springing, 



Now hushing in the gloom, now singing ; 



Or, careless of sweet sounds, I fold 



The beauty of my dreams about 



Some gentle face beloved of old, 



From time's dark shadow looking out. 



And to that shady harbour green, 



Where stranger face is seldom seen, 



Sweet May, thy low-toned footstep cometh, 



While the wild bee faintly hummeth, 



In the lily's silver bell, 



Oh, then, sweet May, I love thee well ! 



Thou dewy-footed creature, sorrow 

 From thy face a light doth borrow ; 

 The weary pilgrim sinks to sleep, 

 The mourner's heart forgets to weep ! 

 Then why by thee am I forgot ? 

 And why dost thou regard me not ? 

 Thy love is pour'd on bower and tree, 

 Then hear my pray'r, and bring with thee. 

 My beloved Emily ! 



July 14th. I have been amusing myself for the last hour writing and 

 translating epigrams. 



The following lines are addressed to the celebrated Madame de 

 Sevigny, while playing at blind-man's-buff. * 



De toutes les fa9ons vous avez droit de plaire, 

 Mais sourtout vous S9avez nous charmer en ce jour. 

 Voyant vos yeaux bandez, on vous prend pour 1'amour, 

 Ses voyant decouverts, on vous prend pour sa mere. 



Every art hast thou of pleasing, 



But to-day beyond all other, 



With blinded eyes for love, we take thee, 



Uncovered, for his mother. 



Take another on Mistress Dido, who is reported to have done some very 

 strange things in the ^Eneid. 



Pauvre Didon, on t' a reduite 

 De tes Maris le triste sort ? 

 L'un en mourant cause ta fuite, 

 L'autre en fuiant cause ta mort. 



Thy husband's wretched fate hath brought thee 

 Poor Dido, to a mournful plight, 

 One hath caused thy flight by dying, 

 And one thy dying by his flight. 



Charpentier, the author, took his idea from Ausonius. 



Infelix Dido, nulli bene empta Marito 

 Hoc pereunte fugis hoc fugiente peris. 



* Does the gent spell, right ? PRINTER'S DEVIL. 



