Hope and Grief—W. Maddocks.
Impromptu in a Post-chaise, on seeing some Boys playing at See-saw.
Says Hope to Grief one low’ring day,
“Cast off those looks of sorrow;
Come, dry your tears, and let us play:
All may be well to-morrow.”
“Alas!” cries Grief, “no leisure hour
The Gods assign my fate;
On love or friendship, fame or power,
I’m ever doom’d to wait.”
“Never,” cries Hope, with winning smile,
“Nourish my foe Despair;
Yon hamlet see, let’s join awhile
The boys at see-saw there.”
Now purple lights and balmy gales
Play round the radiant maid;
Her angel look at once prevails,
Grief sigh’d—but still obey’d.
Hope featly pois’d the trembling beam,
Grief made no further pother;
The spectre sat at one extreme,
The fairy at the other.
Then came Despair with low’ring frown,
With scowling eye he gazed;
For lo! the heavier Grief weigh’d down,
The higher Hope was rais’d.
But Mercy, e’en by angels blest,
Smil’d from her starry scope,
To see that Grief, the more deprest,
Looks up the more to Hope!