To Romance

  1. 1Parent of golden dreams, Romance!
  2. 2Auspicious Queen of childish joys,
  3. 3Who lead'st along, in airy dance,
  4. 4Thy votive train of girls and boys;
  5. 5At length, in spells no longer bound,
  6. 6I break the fetters of my youth;
  7. 7No more I tread thy mystic round,
  8. 8But leave thy realms for those of Truth.
  1. 9And yet 'tis hard to quit the dreams
  2. 10Which haunt the unsuspicious soul,
  3. 11Where every nymph a goddess seems,
  4. 12Whose eyes through rays immortal roll;
  5. 13While Fancy holds her boundless reign,
  6. 14And all assume a varied hue;
  7. 15When Virgins seem no longer vain,
  8. 16And even Woman's smiles are true.
  1. 17And must we own thee, but a name,
  2. 18And from thy hall of clouds descend?
  3. 19Nor find a Sylph in every dame,
  4. 20A Pylades in every friend?
  5. 21But leave, at once, thy realms of air
  6. 22To mingling bands of fairy elves;
  7. 23Confess that woman's false as fair,
  8. 24And friends have feeling for--themselves?
  1. 25With shame, I own, I've felt thy sway;
  2. 26Repentant, now thy reign is o'er;
  3. 27No more thy precepts I obey,
  4. 28No more on fancied pinions soar;
  5. 29Fond fool! to love a sparkling eye,
  6. 30And think that eye to truth was dear;
  7. 31To trust a passing wanton's sigh,
  8. 32And melt beneath a wanton's tear!
  1. 33Romance! disgusted with deceit,
  2. 34Far from thy motley court I fly,
  3. 35Where Affectation holds her seat,
  4. 36And sickly Sensibility;
  5. 37Whose silly tears can never flow
  6. 38For any pangs excepting thine;
  7. 39Who turns aside from real woe,
  8. 40To steep in dew thy gaudy shrine.
  1. 41Now join with sable Sympathy,
  2. 42With cypress crown'd, array'd in weeds,
  3. 43Who heaves with thee her simple sigh,
  4. 44Whose breast for every bosom bleeds;
  5. 45And call thy sylvan female choir,
  6. 46To mourn a Swain for ever gone,
  7. 47Who once could glow with equal fire,
  8. 48But bends not now before thy throne.
  1. 49Ye genial Nymphs, whose ready tears
  2. 50On all occasions swiftly flow;
  3. 51Whose bosoms heave with fancied fears,
  4. 52With fancied flames and phrenzy glow
  5. 53Say, will you mourn my absent name,
  6. 54Apostate from your gentle train?
  7. 55An infant Bard, at least, may claim
  8. 56From you a sympathetic strain.
  1. 57Adieu, fond race! a long adieu!
  2. 58The hour of fate is hovering nigh;
  3. 59E'en now the gulf appears in view,
  4. 60Where unlamented you must lie:
  5. 61Oblivion's blackening lake is seen,
  6. 62Convuls'd by gales you cannot weather,
  7. 63Where you, and eke your gentle queen,
  8. 64Alas! must perish altogether.