"Alas! my love," he cry'd, Is written in my heart "To me thou art more gay, " What though my fortune frown, And deny thee a silken gown; SONG. AH WILLOW. TO THE SAME IN HER SICKNESS. To the brook and the willow that heard him complain, Ah willow, willow. Poor Colin sat weeping, and told them his pain; Ah willow, willow; ah willow, willow. Sweet stream, he cry'd sadly, I'll teach thee to flow. Ah willow, &c. And the waters shall rise to the brink with my woe. Ah willow, &c. All restless and painful poor Amoret lies, And counts the sad moments of time as it flies. To the nymph my heart loves, ye soft slumbers repair; Ah willow, &c. [your care. Spread your downy wings o'er her, and make her Ah willow, &c. Dear brook, were thy chance near her pillow to creep, Ah willow, &c. Perhaps thy soft murmurs might lull her to sleep. Ah willow, &c. Let me be kept waking, my eyes never close, So the sleep that I lose brings my fair one repose, But if I am doom'd to be wretched indeed; If the loss of my dear-one, my love is decreed; If no more my sad heart by those eyes shall be cheer'd; Ah willow, &c. If the voice of my warbler no more shall be heard ; Ah willow, &c. Believe me, thou fair-one; thou dear-one believe, Few sighs to thy loss, and few tears will I give. One fate to thy Colin and thee shall be ty'd, And soon lay thy shepherd close by thy cold side Then run, gentle brook; and to lose thyself, haste; Ah willow, willow. Fade thou too, my willow, this verse is my last; Ah willow, willow; ah willow, willow. JOSEPH ADDISON. JOSEPH OSEPH ADDISON, a person in the foremost ranks of wit and elegant literature, was the son of the Reverend Lancelot Addison, at whose parsonage at Milston, near Ambrosbury, Wiltshire, he was born in May, 1672. At the age of fifteen he was entered of Queen's College, Oxford, where he distinguished himself by his proficiency in classical literature, especially in Latin poetry. He was afterwards elected a demy of Magdalen College, where he took the degrees of bachelor and master of arts. In his twenty-second year he became an author in his own language, publishing a short copy of verses addressed to the veteran poet, Dryden. Other pieces in verse and prose succeeded; and in 1695 he opened the career of his fortune as a literary man, by a complimentary poem on one of the campaigns of King William, addressed to the Lord-keeper Somers. A pension of 300l. from the crown, which his patron obtained for him, enabled him to indulge his inclin ation for travel; and an epistolary poem to Lord Halifax in 1701, with a prose relation of his travels, published on his return, are distinguished by the spirit of liberty which they breathe, and which, during life, was his ruling passion. The most famous of his political poems, "The Campaign," appeared in 1704. It was a task kindly imposed by Lord Halifax, who intimated to him that the writer should not lose his labour. It was accordingly rewarded by an immediate appointment to the post of commissioner of appeals. This will be the proper place for considering the merits of Addison in his character of a writer in verse. Though Dryden and Pope had already secured the first places on the British Parnassus, and other rivals for fame were springing to view, it will scarcely be denied that Addison, by a decent mediocrity of poetic language, rising occasionally to superior efforts, has deserved that degree of praise, which, in general estimation, has been allotted to him. It cannot be doubted that playful and humorous wit was the quality in which he obtained almost unrivalled pre-eminence; but the reader of his poem to Sir Godfrey Kneller will discover, in the comparison of the painter to Phidias, a very happy and elegant resemblance pointed out in his verse. His celebrated tragedy of " Cato," equally remarkable for a correctness of plan, and a sustained elevation of style, then unusual on the English stage, was further distinguished by the glow of its sentiments in favour of political liberty, and was equally applauded by both parties. |