Sweet girl, believe that every bird that sings, And every flower that stars the elastic sod, And every thought the happy summer brings To thy pure spirit, is a word of God. A GRACE. SWEETEST Lord! that wert so blest Food that needs as good as may be. The sainted sire, the Mother Maid, Babe, and boy, and youth, and man, But might the prayer within my breast Make others blest, as I am blest; And might my joy in thanking Thee Make for all hungry souls a plea : Then would I praise and Thee adore, And ever thank Thee, more and more Rejoicing, if Thou would'st but bless Thy creatures for my thankfulness. "MULTUM DILEXIT." SHE sat and wept beside His feet; the weight She sat and wept, and with her untress'd hair From her sweet soul, because she loved so much. I am a sinner, full of doubts and fears, Make me a humble thing of love and tears. 1848. NOTES BY THE EDITOR. SONNET I. THE first sketch of this sonnet was sent by the Author in a letter to his mother, when it had been proposed to him to write an Essay on his father's life and genius. Aliter SONNET X, page 12, lines 3, 4. And tinged by time like patch of snow in May SONNET XIII, page 15. This sonnet, with that on Freedom, page 49, are variations, and, as the Editor thinks, improvements upon those bearing the same name in the first volume,-if, indeed, they be not the original sketches. SONNET XIV, page 16. On this sonnet the author observes: "It was written in haste, and contains little more than a general hint, or perhaps a few turns of phrase." |