To Julia!
Julia! since far from you I’ve rang’d,
Our souls with fond affection glow not;
You say ’tis I, not you have chang’d,
I’d tell you why,—but yet I know not.
2
Your polish’d brow, no cares have crost,
And Julia! we are not much older,
Since trembling first my heart I lost,
Or told my love with hope, grown bolder.
3
Sixteen was then our utmost age,
Two years have lingering pass’d away, love!
And now new thoughts our minds engage,
At least, I feel disposed to stray, love!
4
’Tis I, that am alone to blame,
I, that am guilty of love’s treason;
Since your sweet breast, is still the same,
Caprice must be my only reason.
5
I do not, love, suspect your truth,
With jealous doubt my bosom heaves not,
Warm was the passion of my youth,
One trace of dark deceit it leaves not.
6
No, no, my flame was not pretended,
For oh! I lov’d you most sincerely,
And though our dream at last is ended,
My bosom still esteems you dearly.
7
No more we meet in yonder bowers,
Perhaps my soul’s too prone to roving,
But older, firmer hearts than ours,
Have found monotony in loving.
8
Your cheeks soft bloom is unimpair’d,
Your beauties still are daily bright’ning,
Your eye for conquest comes prepar’d,
The forge of love’s resistless lightning.
9
Arm’d thus to make their bosoms bleed,
Many will throng to sigh like me, love,
More constant they may prove indeed,
Fonder alas! they ne’er can be, love!