Volume Iii Part 14 (1/2)
TO MR. MARSTON'S PLAY OF ”THE PATRICIAN'S DAUGHTER.”
No tale of streaming plumes and harness bright Dwells on the poet's maiden harp to-night; No trumpet's clamour and no battle's fire Breathes in the trembling accents of his lyre;
Enough for him, if in his lowly strain He wakes one household echo not in vain; Enough for him, if in his boldest word The beating heart of MAN be dimly heard.
Its solemn music which, like strains that sigh Through charmed gardens, all who hearing die; Its solemn music he does not pursue To distant ages out of human view; Nor listen to its wild and mournful chime In the dead caverns on the sh.o.r.e of Time; But musing with a calm and steady gaze Before the crackling flames of living days, He hears it whisper through the busy roar Of what shall be and what has been before.
Awake the Present! shall no scene display The tragic pa.s.sion of the pa.s.sing day?
Is it with Man, as with some meaner things, That out of death his single purpose springs?
Can his eventful life no moral teach Until he be, for aye, beyond its reach?
Obscurely shall he suffer, act, and fade, Dubb'd n.o.ble only by the s.e.xton's spade?
Awake the Present! Though the steel-clad age Find life alone within the storied page, Iron is worn, at heart, by many still-- The tyrant Custom binds the serf-like will; If the sharp rack, and screw, and chain be gone, These later days have tortures of their own; The guiltless writhe, while Guilt is stretched in sleep, And Virtue lies, too often, dungeon deep.
Awake the Present! what the Past has sown Be in its harvest garner'd, reap'd, and grown!
How pride breeds pride, and wrong engenders wrong, Read in the volume Truth has held so long, a.s.sured that where life's flowers freshest blow, The sharpest thorns and keenest briars grow, How social usage has the pow'r to change Good thoughts to evil; in its highest range To cramp the n.o.ble soul, and turn to ruth The kindling impulse of our glorious youth, Crus.h.i.+ng the spirit in its house of clay, Learn from the lessons of the present day.
Not light its import and not poor its mien; Yourselves the actors, and your homes the scene.
[Sidenote: Mr. W. C. Macready.]
_Sat.u.r.day Morning._
MY DEAR MACREADY,
One suggestion, though it be a late one. Do have upon the table, in the opening scene of the second act, something in a velvet case, or frame, that may look like a large miniature of Mabel, such as one of Ross's, and eschew that picture. It haunts me with a sense of danger. Even a t.i.tter at that critical time, with the whole of that act before you, would be a fatal thing. The picture is bad in itself, bad in its effect upon the beautiful room, bad in all its a.s.sociations with the house. In case of your having nothing at hand, I send you by bearer what would be a million times better. Always, my dear Macready,
Faithfully yours.
P.S.--I need not remind you how common it is to have such pictures in cases lying about elegant rooms.
[Sidenote: Mr. W. P. Frith.]
1, DEVONs.h.i.+RE TERRACE, YORK GATE, REGENT'S PARK, _November 15th, 1842._
MY DEAR SIR,
I shall be very glad if you will do me the favour to paint me two little companion pictures; one, a Dolly Varden (whom you have so exquisitely done already), the other, a Kate Nickleby.
Faithfully yours always.
P.S.--I take it for granted that the original picture of Dolly with the bracelet is sold?
[Sidenote: The same.]
DEVONs.h.i.+RE TERRACE, _November 17th, 1842._