Pleasure
.
AH
,
syren
Pleasure
!
when
thy
flattering
strains
Lured
me
to
seek
thee
through
thy
flowery
plains
,
Taught
from
thy
sparkling
cup
full
joys
to
sip
,
And
suck
sweet
poison
from
thy
velvet
lip
,
Didst
thou
in
opiate
charms
my
virtue
steep
,
Was
Reason
silent
,
and
did
Conscience
sleep
?
How
could
I
else
enjoy
thy
faithless
dreams
,
And
fancy
day-light
in
thy
meteor
gleams
;
Think
all
was
happiness
,
that
smiled
like
joy
,
And
with
dear
purchase
seize
each
glittering
toy
?
Till
roused
at
length
,
deep
rankling
in
my
heart
,
I
felt
the
latent
anguish
of
thy
dart
!
Oh
,
let
the
young
and
innocent
beware
,
Nor
think
uninjured
to
approach
thy
snare
!
Their-surest
conquest
is
,
the
foe
to
shun
;
By
fight
infected
,
and
by
truce
undone
.
Secure
,
at
distance
let
her
shores
be
past
,
Whose
sight
can
poison
,
and
whose
breath
can
blast
.
Contentment
blooms
not
on
her
glowing
ground
,
And
round
her
splendid
shrine
no
peace
is
found
.
If
once
enchanted
by
her
magic
charms
,
They
seek
for
bliss
in
Dissipation's
arms
:
If
once
they
touch
the
limits
of
her
realm
,
Offended
Principle
resigns
the
helm
,
Simplicity
forsakes
the
treacherous
shore
,
And
once
discarded
,
she
returns
no
more
.
Thus
the
charmed
mariner
on
every
side
Of
poisoned
Senegal's
ill-omened
tide
,
Eyes
the
rich
carpet
of
the
varied
hue
And
plains
luxuriant
opening
to
his
view
:
Now
the
steep
banks
with
towering
forests
crowned
,
Clothed
to
the
margin
of
the
sloping
ground
;
Where
with
full
foliage
bending
o'er
the
waves
,
Its
verdant
arms
the
spreading
Mangrove
laves
;
And
now
smooth
,
level
lawns
of
deeper
green
Betray
the
richness
of
the
untrodden
scene
:
Between
the
opening
groves
such
prospects
glow
,
As
Art
with
mimic
hand
can
ne'er
bestow
,
While
lavish
Nature
wild
profusion
yields
,
And
spreads
,
unbid
,
the
rank
uncultured
fields
;
Flings
with
fantastic
hand
in
every
gale
Ten
thousand
blossoms
o'er
each
velvet
vale
,
And
bids
unclassed
their
fragrant
beauties
die
Far
from
the
painter's
hand
or
sage's
eye
.
From
cloudless
suns
perpetual
lustre
streams
,
And
swarms
of
insects
glisten
in
their
beams
.
Near
and
more
near
the
heedless
sailors
steer
,
Spread
nil
their
canvas
,
and
no
warnings
hear
.
See
,
on
the
edge
of
the
clear
liquid
glass
The
wondering
beasts
survey
them
as
they
pass
,
And
fearless
bounding
o'er
their
native
green
,
Adorn
the
landscape
,
and
enrich
the
scene
;
Ah
,
fatal
scene
!
the
deadly
vapours
rise
,
And
swift
the
vegetable
poison
flies
,
Putrescence
loads
the
rank
infected
ground
,
Deceitful
calms
deal
subtle
death
around
;
Even
as
they
gaze
their
vital
powers
decay
,
Their
wasted
health
and
vigour
melt
away
;
Till
quite
extinct
the
animating
fire
,
Pale
,
ghastly
victims
,
they
at
last
expire
.