ELEGY
II
.
BY
THE
SAME
.
WHEN
,
young
,
life's
journey
I
began
,
The
glittering
prospect
charm'd
my
eyes
,
I
saw
along
th'
extended
plan
Joy
after
joy
successive
rise
:
And
Fame
her
golden
trumpet
blew
;
And
Power
display'd
her
gorgeous
charms
;
And
Wealth
engag'd
my
wandering
view
;
And
Pleasure
woo'd
me
to
her
arms
:
To
each
by
turns
my
vows
I
paid
,
As
Folly
led
me
to
admire
;
While
Fancy
magnified
each
shade
,
And
Hope
increas'd
each
fond
desire
:
But
soon
I
found
'twas
all
a
dream
;
And
learn'd
the
fond
pursuit
to
shun
,
Where
few
can
reach
their
purpos'd
aim
,
And
thousands
daily
are
undone
:
And
Fame
,
I
found
,
was
empty
air
;
And
Wealth
had
Terror
for
her
guest
;
And
Pleasure's
path
was
strewn
with
care
;
And
Power
was
vanity
at
best
.
Tir'd
of
the
chace
,
I
gave
it
o'er
;
And
,
in
a
far
sequester'd
shade
,
To
Contemplation's
sober
power
My
youth's
next
services
I
paid
.
There
Health
and
Peace
adorn'd
the
scene
;
And
oft
,
indulgent
to
my
prayer
,
With
mirthful
eye
and
frolic
mien
,
The
Muse
would
deign
to
visit
there
:
There
would
she
oft
delighted
rove
The
slower-enamell'd
vale
along
;
Or
wander
with
me
thro'
the
grove
,
And
listen
to
the
woodlark's
song
;
Or
,
'mid
the
forest's
awful
gloom
,
Whilst
wild
amazement
fill'd
my
eyes
,
Recal
past
ages
from
the
tomb
,
And
bid
ideal
worlds
arise
.
Thus
in
the
Muse's
favour
blest
,
One
wish
alone
my
soul
could
frame
,
And
Heaven
bestow'd
,
to
crown
the
rest
,
A
friend
,
and
Thyrsis
was
his
name
.
For
manly
constancy
,
and
truth
,
And
worth
,
unconscious
of
a
stain
,
He
bloom'd
the
flower
of
Britain's
youth
,
The
boast
and
wonder
of
the
plain
.
Still
with
our
years
our
friendship
grew
;
No
cares
did
then
my
peace
destroy
;
Time
brought
new
blessings
as
he
flew
,
And
every
hour
was
wing'd
with
joy
.
But
soon
the
blissful
scene
was
lost
,
Soon
did
the
sad
reverse
appear
;
Love
came
,
like
an
untimely
frost
,
To
blast
the
promise
of
my
year
.
I
saw
young
Daphne's
angel-form
,
(
Fool
that
I
was
,
I
bless'd
the
smart
)
And
,
while
I
gaz'd
,
nor
thought
of
harm
,
The
dear
infection
seiz'd
my
heart
.
She
was
—
at
least
in
Damon's
eyes
—
Made
up
of
loveliness
and
grace
,
Her
heart
a
stranger
to
disguise
,
Her
mind
as
perfect
as
her
face
:
To
hear
her
speak
,
to
see
her
move
,
(
Unhappy
I
,
alas
!
the
while
)
Her
voice
was
joy
,
her
look
was
love
,
And
Heaven
was
open'd
in
her
smile
!
She
heard
me
breathe
my
amorous
prayers
,
She
listen'd
to
the
tender
strain
,
She
heard
my
sighs
,
she
saw
my
tears
,
And
seem'd
at
length
to
share
my
pain
:
She
said
she
lov'd
—
and
I
,
poor
youth
!
(
How
soon
,
alas
,
can
Hope
persuade
!
)
Thought
all
she
said
no
more
than
truth
,
And
all
my
love
was
well
repaid
.
In
joys
unknown
to
courts
or
kings
,
With
her
I
sate
the
live-long
day
,
And
said
and
look'd
such
tender
things
,
As
none
beside
could
look
or
say
!
How
soon
can
Fortune
shift
the
scene
,
And
all
our
earthly
bliss
destroy
?
Care
hovers
round
,
and
Grief's
fell
train
Still
treads
upon
the
heels
of
Joy
.
My
age's
hope
,
my
youth's
best
boast
,
My
soul's
chief
blessing
,
and
my
pride
,
In
one
sad
moment
all
were
lost
,
And
Daphne
chang'd
,
and
Thyrsis
died
.
O
who
,
that
heard
her
vows
ere-while
,
Could
dream
these
vows
were
insincere
?
Or
who
could
think
,
that
saw
her
smile
,
That
fraud
could
find
admittance
there
?
Yet
she
was
false
—
my
heart
will
break
!
Her
frauds
,
her
perjuries
were
such
—
Some
other
tongue
than
mine
must
speak
—
I
have
not
power
to
say
how
much
!
Ye
swains
,
hence
warn'd
,
avoid
the
bait
,
O
shun
her
paths
,
the
traitress
shun
!
Her
voice
is
death
,
her
smile
is
fate
,
Who
hears
,
or
sees
her
,
is
undone
.
And
,
when
Death's
hand
shall
close
my
eye
,
(
For
soon
,
I
know
,
the
day
will
come
)
O
chear
my
spirit
with
a
sigh
,
And
grave
these
lines
upon
my
tomb
!
THE
EPITAPH
.
Consign'd
to
dust
,
beneath
this
stone
,
In
manhood's
prime
is
Damon
laid
;
Joyless
he
liv'd
,
and
dy'd
unknown
In
bleak
misfortune's
barren
shade
.
Lov'd
by
the
Muse
,
but
lov'd
in
vain
—
'Twas
beauty
drew
his
ruin
on
;
He
saw
young
Daphne
on
the
plain
;
He
lov'd
,
believ'd
,
and
was
undone
.
His
heart
then
sunk
beneath
the
storm
,
(
Sad
meed
of
unexampled
truth
)
And
sorrow
,
like
an
cnvious
worm
,
Devour'd
the
blossom
of
his
youth
.
Beneath
this
stone
the
youth
is
laid
—
O
greet
his
ashes
with
a
tear
!
May
Heaven
with
blessings
crown
his
shade
,
And
grant
that
peace
he
wanted
here
!