[Page [101]]

TO A YOUNG MAN UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH FOR FORGERY.

FROM HIS MISTRESS.

1 IN awful solitude, in direful chains,
2 Where deep despair and sad reflection reigns,
3 If yet thy breast another's woes can feel,
4 Woes which no language ever can reveal,
5 Let the distresses of a hapless maid,
6 Be to thy silent gloomy cell convey'd.
7 Life left my heart, I felt my blood run cold,
8 When the sad tidings of thy fate were told:
[Page 102]
9 Then keenest anguish wrung my tortur'd frame,
10 Distraction seem'd to seize my madd'ning brain.
11 Depriv'd of thee, who could all pain remove,
12 My heaven on earth, my happiness, my love;
13 Depriv'd of hope, whose dear, delusive ray
14 Did softest scenes of happiness, portray:
15 Scenes now for ever fled! the poignant dart,
16 Deep wounds my soul, and tears my bleeding heart.
17 For thee, no more, I'll wait th' appointed hour,
18 No more I'll meet thee in the peaceful bower;
19 No more, enraptur'd, hang upon thy smile,
20 No more thy presence ev'ry care beguile.
21 Was it for me? grant support gracious heav'n!
22 Was it for me the fatal bond was giv'n?
23 Is it for me stern Justice must arise?
24 Is it for me he now a victim lies?
25 Distracting thoughts still crowd upon my mind!
26 O were my restless soul to heav'n resign'd!
[Page 103]
27 O could I now my piercing griefs conceal,
28 Nor add fresh anguish to the wounds you feel!
29 'Tis vain, alas! my bursting heart o'erflows,
30 And death I feel will terminate my woes!
31 It was for thee alone I wish'd to live;
32 The world without thee can no pleasure give.
33 Now law for one rash act thy life demands
34 Tho' pure till then thy thoughts, unstain'd thy hands:
35 While villains hourly practis'd in deceit,
36 At freedom range, nor dread impending fate.
37 Ah! now I see thee to the scaffold walk,
38 I hear the gazing crowd unthinking talk.
39 Farewell, my love! O still on heaven rely,
40 I can no more, I tremble, faint and die!

Text

  • TEI/XML [chunk] (XML - 100K / ZIP - 10K) / ECPA schema (RNC - 357K / ZIP - 73K)
  • Plain text [excluding paratexts] (TXT - 1.8K / ZIP - 1.2K)

Facsimile (Source Edition)

(Page images digitized from a copy in the Library of the University of California, Los Angeles.)

Images

PDF

All Images (PDF - 1.1M)

About this text

Title (in Source Edition): TO A YOUNG MAN UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH FOR FORGERY. FROM HIS MISTRESS.
Themes:
Genres: heroic couplet; lament

Text view / Document view

Source edition

Little, Janet, 1759-1813. The Poetical Works of Janet Little, the Scotch Milkmaid. Air: Printed by John & Peter Wilson, 1792, pp. [101]-103.  (ESTC T126549) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Library of the University of California, Los Angeles.)

Editorial principles

Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

Other works by Janet Little (later Richmond)