The works of Charles and Mary Lamb . eekly glad Her quiet heart in its own depths did dwell:Like to the waters of some crystal well, In which the stars of heaven at noon are seen,Fancy might deem on her young spirit fell Glimpses of light more glorious and sereneThan that of lifes brief day, so heavenly was her mien. This was the downright good sonnet :— TO A GRANDMOTHER Old age is dark and unlovely.*—Ossian. O say not so ! A bright old age is thine ; Calm as the gentle light of summer eves, Ere twilight dim her dusky mantle weaves ;Because to thee is given, in strengths decline,A heart that d
The works of Charles and Mary Lamb . eekly glad Her quiet heart in its own depths did dwell:Like to the waters of some crystal well, In which the stars of heaven at noon are seen,Fancy might deem on her young spirit fell Glimpses of light more glorious and sereneThan that of lifes brief day, so heavenly was her mien. This was the downright good sonnet :— TO A GRANDMOTHER Old age is dark and unlovely.*—Ossian. O say not so ! A bright old age is thine ; Calm as the gentle light of summer eves, Ere twilight dim her dusky mantle weaves ;Because to thee is given, in strengths decline,A heart that does not thanklessly repine At aught of which the hand of God bereaves, Yet all He sends with gratitude receives ;—May such a quiet, thankful close be hence thy fire-side chair appears to me A peaceful throne—which thou wert formd to fill ; Thy children—ministers, who do thy will;And those grand-children, sporting round thy little subjects, looking up to thee. As one who claims their fond allegiance THE YOUNG CATECHIST PAIN1EI> AND ENGRAVED BY HENRY iMEYER 1827 NOTES TO HONE 729 And these are the lines at the foot of page 153 in a poemaddressed to a child seven years old :— There is a holy, blest companionship In the sweet intercourse thus held with those Whose tear and smile are guileless; from whose lipThe simple dictate of the heart yet flows ;— Though even in the yet unfolded rose The worm may lurk, and sin blight blooming youth, The light born with us long so brightly childhoods first deceits seem almost truth,To lifes cold after lie, selfish, and void of ruth. Van Balen was the painter of the picture of the Madonna andChild which Mrs. FitzGerald (Edward FitzGeralds mother) hadgiven to Barton and for which he expressed his thanks in a poem. The artist who painted Lamb recently was Henry Meyer(1782 ?-1847)5 the portrait being that which serves as frontispieceto Vol. VI. of this edition. See opposite page 728 for a reprodu
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