Deel ff. 18–20 - ‘To a Lady viewing attentively the Golden Crocus in full bloom’ (author unknown)

1 entry

First line: ‘Why Delia, why that pensive air’. In the MS the title is ‘To a Ladry viewing attentively | The Golden Circus in full bloom’ . ‘Circus’ is also written instead of ‘Crocus’ in lines 14 and 18.

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Transcript

To a Ladry† viewing attentively
The Golden Circus† in full bloom.
Why Delia, why that pensive air,
That speaks a bosom fraught with care,
Whence that expressive sigh?
Is it because that beauteous flower,
That shines with such excess this hour,
The next must drop, & die?
Taught by this fragrant fugitive
A better reason may’st thou give
Nor blush to have it known;
It is to think thy beauty’s date
May be as short, it’s hapless fate
So soon may be thy own.
Yes Delia yes, those charms of thine,
Which now the Circus† far outshine,
And we so much admire,
In spite of all the fops can say,
Those very charms will fade away,
And Circus† like expire.
One moment then attention lend,
And learn a Moral from a friend,
Who fain wou’d have thee wise.
Tho Beauty’s bloom will quickly fade,
Yet think, Oh! think thou lovely maid,
That virtue never dies.

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The indentation of the lines has not been reproduced.

† Sic.

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2025.