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Thirty Eight. Addressed to Mrs. H—y.
1 IN early youth's unclouded scene,
2 The brilliant morning of eighteen,
3 With health and springtly joy elate,
4 We gaz'd on Life's enchanting spring,
5 Nor thought how quickly Time would bring
6 The mournful period — Thirty eight.
7 Then the starch maid, or matron sage,
8 Already of that sober age,
9 We view'd with mingled scorn and hate;
10 In whose sharp words, or sharper face,
11 With thoughtless mirth we lov'd to trace
12 The sad effects of — Thirty eight.
13 Til sadd'ning, sick'ning at the view,
14 We learn'd to dread what Time might do;
15 And then preferr'd a prayer to Fate,
16 To end our days ere that arriv'd;
17 When (pow'r and pleasure long surviv'd)
18 We met neglect and — Thirty eight.
19 But Time, in spite of wishes, flies,
20 And Fate our simple prayer denies,
21 And bids us Death's own hour await:
22 The auburn locks are mix'd with grey,
23 The transient roses fade away,
24 But Reason comes at — Thirty eight.
25 Her voice the anguish contradicts
26 That dying Vanity inflicts;
27 Her hand new pleasures can create,
28 For us she opens to the view
29 Prospects less bright — but far more true,
30 And bids us smile at — Thirty eight.
31 No more shall Scandal's breath destroy
32 The social converse we enjoy
33 With bard or critic tête a tête;
34 O'er Youth's bright blooms her blights shall pour,
35 But spare th' improving friendly hour
36 That Science gives to — Thirty eight.
37 Stripp'd of their gaudy hues by Truth,
38 We view the glitt'ring toys of Youth,
39 And blush to think how poor the bait,
40 For which to public scenes we ran,
41 And scorn'd of sober Sense the plan
42 Which gives content at — Thirty eight.
43 Tho' Time's inexorable sway
44 Has torn the myrtle bands away,
45 For other wreaths 'tis not too late,
46 The am'ranth's purple glow survives,
47 And still Minerva's olive lives
48 On the calm brow of — Thirty eight.
49 With eye more steady we engage
50 To contemplate approaching age,
51 And life more justly estimate;
52 With firmer souls, and stronger pow'rs,
53 With Reason, Faith and Friendship ours,
54 We'll not regret the stealing hours
55 That lead from Thirty — e'en to Forty eight.
About this text
Author: Charlotte Smith (née Turner)
Themes:
Genres:
comic verse
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Source edition
Smith, Charlotte Turner, 1749-1806. Elegiac sonnets, and other poems. By Charlotte Smith. The first Worcester edition, from the sixth London edition, with additions. Printed at Worcester [Mass.]: by Isaiah Thomas, sold by him in Worcester, and by said Thomas and Andrews in Boston, 1795, pp. 102-105. xix,[2],22-126,[2]p.,[5] leaves of plates: ill.; 15 cm. (12mo) (OTA N22357)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, 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 Charlotte Smith (née Turner)
- Elegy. ()
- [THE EMIGRANTS.] ()
- Ode to Despair. From the Novel of Emmeline. ()
- Origin of Flattery. ()
- Peasant of the Alps. From the Novel of Celestina. ()
- Song. ()
- Song. From the French of Cardinal Bernis. ()
- SONNET [01] I. ()
- SONNET [02] II. Written at the Close of Spring. ()
- SONNET [03] III. To a Nightingale. ()
- SONNET [04] IV. To the Moon. ()
- SONNET [05] V. To the South Downs. ()
- SONNET [06] VI. To Hope. ()
- SONNET [07] VII. On the Departure of the Nightingale. ()
- SONNET [08] VIII. To Spring. ()
- SONNET [09] IX. ()
- SONNET [10] X. To Mrs. G***. ()
- SONNET [11] XI. To Sleep. ()
- SONNET [12] XII. Written on the Sea Shore. — October, 1784. ()
- SONNET [13] XIII. From Petrarch. ()
- SONNET [14] XIV. From Petrarch. ()
- SONNET [15] XV. From Petrarch. ()
- SONNET [16] XVI. From Petrarch. ()
- SONNET [17] XVII. From the thirteenth Cantata of Metastasio. ()
- SONNET [18] XVIII. To the Earl of Egremont. ()
- SONNET [19] XIX. To Mr. Hayley. On receiving some elegant Lines from him. ()
- SONNET [20] XX. To the Cotentess of A****. Written on the Anniversary of her Marriage. ()
- SONNET [21] XXI. Supposed to be written by Werter. ()
- SONNET [22] XXII. By the same. To Solitude. ()
- SONNET [23] XXIII. By the same. To the North Star. ()
- SONNET [24] XXIV. By the same. ()
- SONNET [25] XXV. By the same. Just before his Death. ()
- SONNET [26] XXVI. To the River Arun. ()
- SONNET [27] XXVII. ()
- SONNET [28] XXVIII. To Friendship. ()
- SONNET [29] XXIX. To Miss C****. On being desired to attempt writing a Comedy. ()
- SONNET [30] XXX. To the River Arun. ()
- SONNET [31] XXXI. Written on Farm Wood, South Downs, May, 1784. ()
- SONNET [32] XXXII. To Melancholy. Written on the Banks of the Arun, October, 1785. ()
- SONNET [33] XXXIII. To the Naiad of the Arun. ()
- SONNET [34] XXXIV. To a Friend. ()
- SONNET [35] XXXV. To Fortitude. ()
- SONNET [36] XXXVI. ()
- SONNET [37] XXXVII. Sent to the Hon. Mrs. O'Niell, with painted Flowers. ()
- SONNET [38] XXXVIII. From the Novel of Emmeline. ()
- SONNET [39] XXXIX. To Night. From the same. ()
- SONNET [40] XL. From the same. ()
- SONNET [41] XLI. To Tranquillity. ()
- SONNET [42] XLII. Composed during a Walk on the Downs, Nov. 1787. ()
- SONNET [43] XLIII. ()
- SONNET [44] XLIV. Written in the Church Yard at Middleton in Sussex. ()
- SONNET [45] XLV. On leaving a part of Sussex. ()
- SONNET [46] XLVI. Written at Penshurst, in Autumn, 1788. ()
- SONNET [47] XLVII. To Fancy. ()
- SONNET [48] XLVIII. To Mrs. ****. ()
- SONNET [49] XLIX. Supposed to have been written in a Church Yard, over the Grave of a Young Woman of nineteen. From the Novel of Celestina. ()
- SONNET [50] L. From the Novel of Celestina. ()
- SONNET [51] LI. Supposed to have been written in the Hebrides. From the Novel of Celestina. ()
- SONNET [52] LII. The Pilgrim. From the Novel of Celestina. ()
- SONNET [53] LIII. The Laplander. From the Novel of Celestina. ()
- SONNET [54] LIV. The sleeping Woodman. Written in April, 1790. ()
- SONNET [55] LV. The Return of the Nightingale. Written in May, 1791. ()
- SONNET [56] LVI. The Captive escaped in the Wilds of America. Addressed to the Honourable Mrs. O'Neill. ()
- SONNET [57] LVII. To Dependence. ()
- SONNET [58] LVIII. The Glow Worm. ()
- SONNET [59] LIX. Written during a Thunder Storm, September, 1791; in which the Moon was perfectly clear, while the Tempest gathered in various directions near the Earth. ()
- Verses. Intended to have been prefixed to the Novel of Emmeline, but these suppressed. ()