[Page 344]

THE SHRUBBERY, Written in a Time of Affliction.

1.
1 OH happy shades! to me unblest,
2 Friendly to peace, but not to me,
3 How ill the scene that offers rest,
4 And heart that cannot rest, agree!
2.
5 This glassy stream, that spreading pine,
6 Those alders quiv'ring to the breeze,
7 Might sooth a soul less hurt than mine,
8 And please, if any thing could please.
3.
9 But fixt unalterable care
10 Foregoes not what she feels within,
11 Shows the same sadness ev'ry where,
12 And slights the season and the scene.
[Page 345]
4.
13 For all that pleas'd in wood or lawn,
14 While peace possess'd these silent bow'rs,
15 Her animating smile withdrawn,
16 Has lost its beauties and its pow'rs.
5.
17 The saint or moralist should tread
18 This moss-grown alley, musing slow,
19 They seek like me the secret shade,
20 But not like me, to nourish woe.
6.
21 Me fruitful scenes and prospects waste,
22 Alike admonish not to roam,
23 These tell me of enjoyments past,
24 And those of sorrows yet to come.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): THE SHRUBBERY, Written in a Time of Affliction.
Themes: sadness; nature
Genres: occasional poem

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Source edition

Cowper, William, 1731-1800. Poems: by William Cowper, of the Inner Temple, Esq. London: printed for J. Johnson, 1782, pp. 344-345. [4],367,[1]p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T14895; OTA K027775.000) (Page images digitized by the University of California Libraries.)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

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