An
ELEGY
on
the
Death
of
an
amiable
YOUNG
LADY
.
WHILE
others
sing
the
heroes
glorious
fate
,
And
tune
to
warlike
strains
the
sounding
lyre
,
Their
noble
lives
,
their
fearless
deaths
relate
,
Their
gallant
deeds
,
which
wake
the
Muses
fire
;
While
British
bards
,
to
Wolfe's
immortal
praise
,
Rehearse
his
victories
and
fatal
doom
;
And
as
his
monument
the
sculptors
raise
,
Spread
freshest
garlands
on
their
warrior's
tomb
:
Let
me
,
whose
humbler
muse
hath
ne'er
aspir'd
To
such
majestic
,
such
exalting
strains
,
By
elegiac
song
be
now
inspir'd
,
And
mourn
a
virgin
snatched
from
these
plains
.
Sweet
wast
thou
,
as
the
op'ning
summer's
rose
,
Too
just
an
emblem
of
thee
,
lovely
maid
,
Which
in
the
morning
buds
,
at
mid-day
blows
,
But
withers
by
the
chilly
ev'ning's
shade
.
Calm
and
serene
thou
led
thy
peaceful
life
,
Religion's
sacred
task
thy
only
boast
;
Unknown
to
stormy
passion
,
or
to
strife
,
Thou
liv'd
in
ev'ry
good
,
in
friendship
most
.
Amid
the
joyful
gaiety
of
youth
,
The
Christian's
dignity
thou
still
preserv'd
,
Trod
all
the
paths
of
piety
and
truth
,
Nor
in
thy
actions
nor
thy
precepts
swerv'd
.
Snatch'd
from
this
low
,
inhospitable
clime
,
While
fortune
smil'd
upon
thy
chearful
head
,
Ev'n
in
the
pride
and
flow'r
of
youthful
prime
Thou
number'd
lies
,
among
the
numerous
dead
.
Thy
lovely
sisters
,
and
thy
aged
sire
,
In
deep
distress
,
thy
hapless
fate
deplore
;
Praise
thy
past
life
,
and
,
while
they
praise
,
admire
And
wail
their
charming
friend
,
alas
!
no
more
.
No
costly
monument
adorns
thy
tomb
,
No
panegyric
spreads
thy
humble
fame
;
Nor
verses
,
carv'd
upon
the
sculptur'd
dome
,
Transmit
to
after
times
thy
virtuous
name
.
Oft
as
the
circling
sun
returns
the
day
On
which
thou
mounted
to
th'
realms
of
rest
,
Unto
thy
lonely
grave
I'll
yearly
hie
,
And
bid
the
turf
lie
easy
on
thy
breast
.
I'll
sprinkle
flowers
of
ev'ry
richest
dye
,
And
deck
thy
grave
with
wreaths
of
liveliest
hue
,
Then
shed
a
tear
,
and
breathe
the
heaving
sigh
To
sacred
friendship
;
sure
so
much
is
due
.
Farewell
,
my
charmer
,
peace
attend
thy
rest
,
Thou
,
who
in
virtue
did
so
much
excel
;
For
this
I
hail
thee
blest
,
—
supremely
blest
.
Adieu
,
—
adieu
,
—
a
long
—
a
last
farewell
.