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From “Night Thoughts,” Night II.
CELESTIAL Happiness, whene’er she stoops | |
| To visit Earth, one shrine the goddess finds, | |
| And one alone, to make her sweet amends | |
| For absent Heaven—the bosom of a friend; | |
| Where heart meets heart, reciprocally soft, | 5 |
| Each other’s pillow to repose divine. | |
| Beware the counterfeit; in passion’s flame | |
| Hearts melt, but melt like ice, soon harder froze. | |
| True love strikes root in reason; passion’s foe: | |
| Virtue alone entenders us for life: | 10 |
| I wrong her much—entenders us for ever: | |
| Of Friendship’s fairest fruits, the fruit most fair | |
| Is virtue kindling at a rival fire, | |
| And, emulously, rapid in her race. | |
| O the soft enmity! endearing strife! | 15 |
| This carries friendship to her noontide point, | |
| And gives the rivet of eternity. | |
| From Friendship, which outlives my former themes, | |
| Glorious survivor of old Time and Death; | |
| From Friendship, thus that flower of heavenly seed; | 20 |
| The wise extract Earth’s most Hyblean bliss, | |
| Superior wisdom, crowned with smiling joy. * * * * * | |
| What if (since daring on so nice a theme) | |
| I show thee friendship delicate, as dear, | |
| Of tender violations apt to die? | 25 |
| Reserve will wound it; and distrust, destroy | |
| Deliberate in all things with thy friend, | |
| But since friends grow not thick on every bough, | |
| Nor every friend unrotten at the core; | |
| First, on thy friend, deliberate with thyself, | 30 |
| Pause, ponder, sift; not eager in the choice, | |
| Nor jealous of the chosen; fixing, fix; | |
| Judge before friendship, then confide till death. * * * * * | |
| Friendship ’s the wine of life; but friendship new | |
| (Not such was his) is neither strong, nor pure. | 35 |
| O! for the bright complexion, cordial warmth, | |
| And elevating spirit, of a friend, | |
| For twenty summers ripening by my side, | |
| All feculence of falsehood long thrown down; | |
| All social virtues rising in his soul; | 40 |
| As crystal clear; and smiling as they rise! | |
| Here nectar flows; it sparkles in our sight; | |
| Rich to the taste, and genuine from the heart: | |
| High-flavored bliss for gods! on Earth how rare! | |
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