[Page 28]
The LINNET'S PETITION.
I
1 As Stella sat the other day,
2 Beneath a myrtle shade,
3 A tender bird in plaintive notes,
4 Address'd the pensive maid.
II
5 Upon a bough in gaudy cage,
6 The feather'd warbler hung,
7 And in melodious accents thus,
8 His fond petition sung.
[Page 29]III
9 "Ah! pity my unhappy fate,
10 "And set a captive free,
11 "So may you never feel the loss,
12 "Of peace, or liberty. "
IV
13 "With ardent pray'r and humble voice,
14 "Your mercy now I crave,
15 "Your kind compassion and regard,
16 "My tender life to save. "
V
17 "Ah! wherefore am I here confin'd,
18 "Ah! why does fate ordain,
19 "A life so innocent as mine,
20 "Should end in grief and pain. "
[Page 30]VI
21 "I envy every little bird,
22 "That warbles gay and free,
23 "The meanest of the feather'd race,
24 "Is happier far than me. "
VII
25 "Sweet liberty by heaven sent,
26 "From me, alas! is torn,
27 "And here without a cause confin'd,
28 "A captive doom'd I mourn. "
VIII
29 "When bright Aurora's silver rays,
30 "Proclaim the rising morn,
31 "And glitt'ring dew drops shine around,
32 "Or gild the flow'ring thorn. "
[Page 31]IX
33 "When every bird except myself,
34 "Went forth his mate to see,
35 "I always tun'd my downy throat,
36 "To please, and gladden thee. "
X
37 "Beneath thy window each new day,
38 "And in the myrtle bow'r,
39 "I strove to charm thy list'ning ear,
40 "With all my little pow'r. "
XI
41 "Ah! what avails this gaudy cage,
42 "Or what is life to me,
43 "If thus confin'd, if thus distress'd,
44 "And robb'd of liberty. "
[Page 32]XII
45 "I who the greatest fav'rite was
46 "Of all the feather'd race,
47 "Think, Stella think, the pain I feel,
48 "And pity my sad case. "
XIII
49 While here condemn'd to sure despair,
50 "What comfort have I left,
51 "Or how can I this fate survive,
52 "Of every joy bereft."
XIV
53 "My harmless life was ever free,
54 "From mischief and from ill,
55 "My only wish on earth to prove,
56 "Obedient, to your will. "
[Page 33]XV
57 "Then pity my unhappy fate,
58 "And set a captive free,
59 "So may you never feel the loss,
60 "Of peace, or liberty. "
XVI
61 On Stella's breast compassion soon,
62 Each tender feeling wrought,
63 Resolv'd to give him back with speed,
64 That freedom which he sought.
XVII
65 With friendly hand she ope'd the cage,
66 By kindred pity mov'd,
67 And sympathetic joys divine,
68 Her gentle bosom prov'd.
[Page 34]XVIII
69 When first she caught the flutt'ring thing,
70 She felt strange extasy,
71 But never knew so great a bliss,
72 As when she set him free.
About this text
Author: Mary Robinson (née Darby)
Themes:
Genres:
occasional poem
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Robinson, Mary, 1758-1800. Poems by Mrs. Robinson [poems only]. London: Printed for C. Parker, the Upper Part of New Bond-Street, 1775, pp. 28-34. [8],134p.,plate; 8⁰. (ESTC T100118)
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 Mary Robinson (née Darby)
- ANOTHER. ()
- A CHARACTER. ()
- A CHARACTER. ()
- A CHARACTER. ()
- The COMPLAINT. ()
- An EPISTLE to a FRIEND. ()
- HYMN to VIRTUE. ()
- LETTER to a FRIEND on leaving TOWN. ()
- An ODE to CHARITY. ()
- An ODE to CONTENTMENT. ()
- ODE to SPRING. ()
- ODE to VIRTUE. ()
- An ODE to WISDOM. ()
- On a FRIEND. ()
- On the BIRTH-DAY of a LADY. ()
- On the DEATH of a FRIEND. ()
- On the DEATH of LORD GEORGE LYTTELTON. ()
- A PASTORAL BALLAD. ()
- A PASTORAL ELEGY. ()
- SONG. ()
- SONG. ()
- A SONG. ()
- THOUGHTS on RETIREMENT. ()
- To AURELIA on her GOING ABROAD. ()
- To LOVE: written extempore. ()
- To MATILDA. ()
- The VISION. ()
- The WISH. ()
- WRITTEN EXTEMPORE on the PICTURE of a FRIEND. ()
- Written on the Outside of an HERMITAGE. ()