Page:Landon in Literary Gazette 1822.pdf/92

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Literary Gazette, 7th December, 1822, Pages 775–776 (cont.)

On one side of the temple stood
A deep and solitary wood,
Where chesnuts reared their giant length,
And mocked the fallen columns' strength;
It was the lone wood-pigeon's home,
And flocks of them would ofttimes come,
And, lighting on the temple, pour
A cooing dirge to days no more!
And by its side there was a lake
With only snow-white swans to break,
With ebon feet and silver wing,
The quiet waters' glittering.
And when sometimes, as eve closed in,
I waked my lonely mandolin,
The gentle birds came gliding near,
As if they loved that song to hear.

Tis past, 'tis past, my happiness
Was all too pure and passionless!
I waked from calm and pleasant dreams
To watch the morning's earliest gleams,
Wandering with light feet 'mid the dew,

Till my cheek caught its rosy hue;