The Domestic Affections and Other Poems.

ADDRESS TO FANCY.

OH, queen of dreams ! 'tis now the hour, Thy fav'rite hour of silence and of sleep; Come, bring thy wand, whose magic pow'r, Can wake the troubled spirits of the deep !

And while around, on ev'ry eye The “honey‐dews of slumber” lie, Oh ! guide me to the wild retreat, Where fays in nightly revel meet; And gaily sport in mystic ring, By lonely glen, or haunted spring !

Now ev'ry sound has died away, The winds and waves are lull'd to rest; The sighing breeze forgets to play, And moon‐beams tremble o'er the ocean's breast­

Come, Fancy ! come, creative pow'r ! That lov'st the tranquil reign of night: Perhaps in such a silent hour, Thy visions charm'd the bard of Avon's sight; Oh, poet blest ! thy guiding hand Led him thro' scenes of fairy‐land; To him, thy favor'd child, alone, Thy bright, Elysian worlds were shown !

Come, Fancy, come; with lov'd control, Bewitch thy votary's pensive soul ! Come, sportive charmer ! lovely maid ! In rainbow‐colored vest array'd; Invoke thy visionary train, The subjects of thy gentle reign.

If e'er ethereal spirits meet, On earth; to pour their dirges sweet; Now might they hover on the moon‐beam pale, And breathe celestial music on the gale.

And hark ! from yonder distant dell, I hear angelic numbers swell ! Ah ! sure some airy sylph is nigh, To wake such heav'nly melody ! Now soft the dulcet notes decay, Float on the breeze and melt away; Again they fall­again they rise, Ah ! now the soft enchantment dies ! The charm is o'er­the spell is past, The witching spell, too sweet to last !

Hail, Fancy, hail ! around thy hallow'd shrine, What sylphid bands, what radiant forms appear ! Ah ! bless thy votary with thy dreams divine, Ah ! wave thy wand, and call thy visions dear !

Bear me, oh ! bear me, to thy realms unknown, Enchantress ! waft me in thy car sublime ! To bend, entranc'd, before thy shadowy throne, To view the wonders of thy fairy‐clime !