TRIBUTARY VERSES. 435 



Thou wert that flower of promise and of prime ; 



"Whose opening bloom, 'mid many an adverse blast, 

 Charm 'd the lone wanderer through this desert clime, 



But charm'd him with a rapture soon o'ercast, 

 To see thee languish into quick decay. 



Yet was not thy departing i'.Timature ! 

 For ripe in virtue thou wert reft away, 



And pure in spirit, as the blest are pure ; 

 Pure as the dew-drop, freed from earthly leaven, 

 That sparkles, is exhaled, and blends with heaven I* 



TO THE MEMORY OF HEXRY KIRKE WHITE. 



BY A LADY. 



(From the Associate Minstrels.) 



While in full choir the solemn requiem swells, 

 And bids the tranced thought sublimely soar, 

 ■\Miile Sorrow's breath inspires responsive shells, 

 One strain of simple grief my reed would pour : 

 No splendid offering 

 Of lofty praise I bring ; 

 Yet, sainted spirit ! own the pensive tear 

 Shed in sad tribute on thine early bier. 



Soft as the airs that fan the waking spring. 



And on the margin of some melting rill, 

 In music wild their sounds ^olian fling, 



When the pale North regains his empire chill, 

 And all his fury^ dies. 

 Thy touching minstrelsies 

 With magic sweetness on thy f>pring arose, 

 Then faintly murmuring, sunk to deep repose. 



For thee his glowing torch did Genius fire ! 

 Who now its meteor brightness shall recall ? 

 Too soon he bore it to thy funeral. 

 And bid in drowning tears its flame expire. 

 For thee did Fancy weave a chaplet wild, 

 And from her woodland bower, 

 With many a forest flower 

 Enwreathe the brows of her much-favoured child ! 



* Yonng, I fhink, says of Narcissa, " slio sparkled, was exhaled, 

 and went to heaven." 



