THE
TULIP
AND
LILY
.
BY
MR.
B—Y
.
HIGH
o'er
the
bed
,
conspicuous
seen
,
A
Tulip
rose
,
the
garden's
queen
.
Never
on
Holland's
foggy
strand
Was
taller
rear'd
by
Dutchman's
hand
:
Never
was
Flora
known
t'
imprint
On
Tulip's
leaf
a
brighter
tint
,
Or
lead
with
more
fantastic
freak
,
On
Tulip's
leaf
the
varying
streak
.
Beneath
the
tow'ring
Tulip's
shade
,
In
nought
but
simple
white
array'd
,
And
shelter'd
from
th'
intruding
view
,
A
Lily
of
the
valley
grew
;
The
humblest
plant
of
all
the
train
That
deck
the
mountain
or
the
plain
,
Or
on
the
river's
margin
blow
,
And
paint
the
dancing
scene
below
.
Unenvying
she
the
praise
could
hear
Of
finer
flow'rs
that
flaunted
near
:
And
she
could
see
without
a
sigh
The
saucy
Zephyr
pass
her
by
,
To
woo
the
Pink
,
more
gayly
drest
,
Or
pant
upon
the
Rose's
breast
.
It
chanc'd
upon
a
May-day
morn
,
When
blossoms
crowd
the
whitening
thorn
,
With
more
than
usual
lustre
bright
,
The
genial
God
of
heat
and
light
,
Thro'
the
blue
heavens
pursu'd
his
course
,
And
shone
with
more
than
Summer
force
.
Each
flow'r
that
glow'd
in
bright
array
Witness'd
the
life-imparting
day
:
The
Tulip
too
,
above
the
rest
,
The
vig'rous
warmth
with
joy
confest
.
What
transport
in
her
bosom
swell'd
,
Each
varying
streak
when
she
beheld
Withdraw
from
the
pursuing
eye
,
And
shift
into
the
neighb'ring
dye
!
The
Lily's
charms
,
and
humbler
state
,
She
view'd
with
boundless
joy
elate
;
And
thus
unable
to
refrain
,
Broke
out
in
contumelious
strain
:
"
How
vary
,
midst
the
garden's
race
,
"
The
marks
of
bounteous
Nature's
grace
!
"
How
boasts
th'
imperial
Tulip's
flow'r
"
The
effort
of
her
vig'rous
pow'r
!
"
Who
e'er
could
view
without
surprise
,
"
Th'
expanded
leaf
,
and
glossy
dyes
!
"
The
colours
that
together
run
,
"
And
wave
and
brighten
in
the
sun
!
"
Whilst
she
that
blossoms
in
my
shade
,
"
As
tho'
to
spring
from
earth
afraid
,
"
No
leaf
expands
,
nor
dye
displays
,
"
Nor
wins
surprise
,
nor
merits
praise
.
"
Behold
yon
butterfly
so
sine
,
"
Whose
brightness
almost
equals
mine
,
"
That
hovers
o'er
the
gay
parterre
,
"
And
hangs
on
wav'ring
wings
in
air
;
"
What
tho'
from
flow'r
to
flow'r
he
sport
,
"
And
pay
to
all
a
passing
court
;
"
In
vain
with
deepen'd
tints
they
glow
,
"
And
fletter
to
the
flutt'ring
bean
,
"
In
vain
each
envious
rival
burns
,
"
To
kindred
finery
still
he
turns
,
"
On
me
at
length
delights
to
rest
,
"
And
spread
his
plumage
o'er
my
breast
.
"
To
these
proud
taunts
,
and
more
beside
,
The
Lily
not
a
word
replied
,
But
hung
her
head
with
modest
grace
,
Nor
look'd
th'
insulter
in
the
face
.
Not
so
the
Bee
,
who
murmur'd
near
,
And
chanc'd
th'
opprobrious
strain
to
hear
.
Ill-pleas'd
to
see
the
flow'r
neglected
,
Which
she
so
honour'd
and
respected
!
From
whose
full
cup
she
daily
drew
So
large
a
share
of
precious
dew
;
Whilst
from
her
high
and
mighty
neighbour
She
scarcely
got
what
paid
her
labour
;
Thus
,
settled
on
the
Lily's
breast
,
Her
indignation
she
exprest
:
"
And
whence
proceeds
the
haughty
strain
,
"
Thou
flow'r
,
so
useless
,
and
so
vain
!
"
Forget
you
,
then
,
from
whence
you
sprung
,
"
The
tawdry
child
of
sordid
dung
!
"
What
tho'
in
varying
colours
bright
,
"
You
glare
awhile
upon
the
sight
;
"
The
transient
hour
of
blooming
o'er
,
"
Your
faded
charms
attract
no
more
,
"
And
all
your
finery
quite
forgot
:
"
Unmarkt
you
wither
,
and
you
rot
.
"
Now
hither
turn
but
your
reflection
,
"
You'll
kiss
the
rod
of
my
correction
.
"
This
flow'r
,
on
whom
so
rude
you
prest
,
"
In
Nature's
simplest
cloathing
drest
,
"
From
her
our
num'rous
tribes
derive
"
The
choicest
sweets
that
store
the
hive
:
"
And
she
,
meek
daughter
of
the
vale
,
"
That
growing
scents
the
passing
gale
,
"
Not
less
revives
the
ravish'd
sense
,
"
When
rooted
and
remov'd
from
hence
.
"
On
Chloe's
breast
still
seen
to
blow
,
"
Adds
whiteness
to
the
dazzling
snow
:
"
And
dealing
sweetness
,
tho'
in
death
,
"
Perfumes
e'en
Chloe's
fragrant
breath
.
"