— whom I met in earlier day,
Following, as SCIENCE led the way,
And warmly hail'd a gen'rous name
Glowing with FREEDOM'S sacred flame,
What time, by Cam's slow-gliding stream,
I mus'd at ease the pensive theme;
Or, as in some Aonian Grove,
Where Bards ecstatic lov'd to rove,
I struck, at FANCY'S call, the Classic Lyre,
And felt, or seem'd to feel, some Prophet's holy fire!

We saw no Alps in grandeur climb,
Nor Ocean rous'd to thought sublime,
No Mountain-torrents roll'd around,
Nor Rocks gave out the mystic sound:
Yet clear was Morning's earliest Light,
The Star of Evening mild and bright;
And, lofty on his mid-day throne,
The Sun, in beauty glorious, shone;
Sweet was the Gale that brush'd the wavy field,
And NATURE'S simplest forms could charms unnumber'd yield!

But now no more! — for time has sped,
And many a golden Day-dream fled;
While backward as I turn my eye,
Friends, now no more, awake the sigh;
And, ah, as swift the Rivers glide,
To lose themselves in Ocean's tide;
And, as the Birds forget to sing,
And Trees put off the dress of Spring,
So thou, my Friend, art hast'ning on to death,
And I shall cease from Song, and soon resign my breath!

But, rise some scenes of fresh delight—
Some vision'd bliss still charm my sight;
And, long as aught of Life shall last,
Let some new Day-dream chace the past;
Still fire me, FREEDOM'S ardent throng,
And fill me, soul-enchanting Song;
Still, FRIENDSHIP, deign with me to rest,
And raise your Altar in my Breast!
But, when the nobler Virtues cease to fire,
Oh, thou, ye Visions, close, and Life itself expire!