[ { "title": "To the Memory of Henry Welles Livingston", "author": "Major Henry Livingston, Jr.", "lines": [ "A gentle spirit now above", "Once animated what lies here", "Till heav'n announc'd in tenderest love", "\"Ascend Immortal to yon sphere.\"", "", "The lambkin at the great behest", "Gave up its life without one groan;", "When lo! In robes supernal drest", "He found the bright abodes his own!", "", "Most glorious and delightful scenes", "Rush'd full upon his raptur'd sense;", "Beyond what fancy ever dreams,", "Or Eden knew in innocence.", "", "Adieu! Adieu! My sweest boy,", "Adieu till life's vain dream be o'er;", "Then with a parent's keenest joy", "I'll cling to Thee to part no more." ], "linecount": "16" }, { "title": "Epithalamium: A Marriage Poem", "author": "Major Henry Livingston, Jr.", "lines": [ "'Twas summer, when softly the breezes were blowing,", "And Hudson majestic so sweetly was flowing,", "The groves rang with music & accents of pleasure", "And nature in rapture beat time to the measure,", "When Helen and Jonas, so true and so loving,", "Along the green lawn were seen arm in arm moving,", "Sweet daffodils, violets and roses spontaneous", "Wherever they wandered sprang up instantaneous.", "The ascent the lovers at length were seen climbing", "Whose summit is grac'd by the temple of Hymen:", "The genius presiding no sooner perceived them", "But, spreading his pinions, he flew to receive them;", "With kindest of greetings pronounced them well come", "While hollidays clangor rang loud to the welkin." ], "linecount": "14" }, { "title": "1819 New Year's Carrier's Address", "author": "Major Henry Livingston, Jr.", "lines": [ "Believe me, dear patrons, I have wand'red too far,", "Without any compass, or planet or star;", "My dear native village I scarcely can see", "So I'll hie to my hive like the tempest-tost bee.", "Hail home! sacred home! to my soul ever dear;", "Abroad may be wonders but rapture is here.", "My future ambition will never soar higher", "Than the clean brushed hearth and convivial fire;", "Here I lounge at my pleasure, and bask at my ease,", "Full readily sooth'd, and desirous to please,", "As happy myself as I happy can be,", "I wish all the circle as happy as me.", "But hark what a clatter! the Jolly bells ringing,", "The lads and the lasses so jovially singing,", "Tis New-Years they shout and then haul me along", "In the mdist of their merry-make Juvenile throng;", "But I burst from their grasp: unforgetful of duty", "To first pay obeisence to wisdom and Beauty,", "My conscience and int'rest unite to command it,", "And you, my kind PATRONS, deserve & demand it.", "On your patience to trespass no longer I dare,", "So bowing, I wish you a Happy New Year." ], "linecount": "22" }, { "title": "The Dance", "author": "Major Henry Livingston, Jr.", "lines": [ "Take the name of the swain, a forlorn witless elf", "Who was chang'd to a flow'r for admiring himself.", "A part deem'd essential in each lady's dress", "With what maidens cry when they wish to say yes.", "A lullabye carriage, soft, cozy and light", "With the name of the Poet who sang on the night.", "", "The queen of Cairo, all lovely and winning", "Whose blandishments ever kept Antony grinning.", "The flow'r whose odors unremittingly please:", "With the glory of forests, the king of the trees.", "To the prince of the fairies, a jealous old knave,", "Put the name of the tree that undid Mother Eve.", "To finish the whole, add that period of day", "When the linnet and thrush to repose hie away.", "", "The initials of these, if adjusted with care.", "Will show you the fairest where thousands are fair.", "The sweet, pretty graces still hover about her", "And Cupid would die with vexation without her.", "When she swims in the dance or wherever she goes", "She's crowded by witlings, plain-fellows, and beaux", "Who throng at her elbow and tread on her toes.", "", "If a pin or a hankerchief happen to fall", "To seize on the prise fills with uproar the ball;", "Such pulling and hawling & shoving & pushing", "As rivals the racket of 'key and the cushion;'", "And happy- thrice happy! too happy! the swain", "Who can replace the pin or bandana again.", "", "Tho the fellows surround & so humbly adore her", "The girls on the contrary cannot endure her;", "Her beauty their beauty forever disgraces", "And her sweeter face still eclipses their faces-", "For no lov'ly girl can a lov'ly girl bear", "And fair ones are ever at war with the fair.", "", "", "(Nancy Crooke)" ], "linecount": "34" }, { "title": "On my Sister Joanna's Entrance into Her 33rd Year", "author": "Major Henry Livingston, Jr.", "lines": [ "On this thy natal day permit a friend -", "A brother - with thy joys his own to blend:", "In all gladness he would wish to share", "As willing in thy griefs a part to bear.", "", "Meekly attend the ways of higher heav'n!", "Is much deny'd? Yet much my dear is giv'n.", "Thy health, thy reason unimpaired remain", "And while as new fal'n snows thy spotless fame", "The partner of thy life, attentive - kind -", "And blending e'en the interests of the mind.", "", "What bliss is thine when fore thy glistring eye", "Thy lovely infant train pass jocund by!", "The ruddy cheek, the smiling morning face", "Denote a healthy undegenerate race:", "In them renew'd, you'll live and live again,", "And children's children's children lisp thy name.", "Bright be the skies where'er my sister goes", "Nor scowling tempests injure her repose -", "The field of life with roses thick be strow'd", "Nor one sharp thorn lie lurking in the road.", "Thy ev'ry path be still a path of peace", "And each revolving year thy joys increase;", "Till hours and years of time itself be o'er", "And one eternal day around thee pour." ], "linecount": "24" }, { "title": "To the Memory of Sarah Livingston", "author": "Major Henry Livingston, Jr.", "lines": [ "BEYOND where billows roll or tempests vex", "Is gone the gentlest of the gentle sex!", "---Her brittle bark on life's wild ocean tost", "Unequal to the conflict soon was lost.", "Severe her sufferings! much, alas, she bore,", "Then sunk beneath the storm & rose no more.", "But when th' Archangel's awful trump shall sound", "And vibrate life thro all the deep profound", "Her renovated vessel will be seen,", "Transcendant floating on the silver stream!", "All beauteous to behold! serene she glides", "Borne on by mildest & propitious tides;", "While fanning zephyrs fill her snow white sails", "And aid her passage with the friendliest gales", "Till safe within the destin'd port of bliss", "She furls her sails and moors in endless peace." ], "linecount": "16" }, { "title": "An Elegy on the Death of Montgomery Tappen", "author": "Major Henry Livingston, Jr.", "lines": [ "An elegy on the death of MONTGOMERY TAPPEN who dies at Poughkeepsie on the 20th of Nov. 1784 in the ninth year of his age.", "", "", "The sweetest, gentlest, of the youthful train,", "Here lies his clay cold upon the sable bier!", "He scarce had started on life's varied plain,", "For dreary death arrested his career.", "", "His cheek might vie with the expanded rose,", "And Genius sparkled in his azure eyes!", "A victim so unblemish'd Heaven chose,", "And bore the beauteous lambkin to the skies.", "", "Adieu thou loveliest child! Adieu adieu!", "Our wishes fain would follow thee on high.", "What more can friendship - what more fondness do,", "But drop the unbidden tear & heave the sigh?", "", "Ye youths whose ardent bosoms virtue fires,", "Who eager wish applause and pant for fame,", "Press round MONTGOMERY'S hearse, the NAME inspires", "And lights in kindred souls its native flame.", "", "COLUMBIA grateful hails the tender sound", "And when MONTGOMERY'S nam'd still drops a tear,", "From shore to shore to earth's remotest bound", "Where LIBERTY is known that NAME is dear." ], "linecount": "21" } ]