NANCY.
[This song was inspired by the charms of Clarinda. In one of the poet’s manuscripts the song commences thus:
Thine am I, my lovely Kate,
Well thou mayest discover
Every pulse along my veins
Tell the ardent lover.
This change was tried out of compliment, it is believed, to Mrs. Thomson; but Nancy ran more smoothly on the even road of lyrical verse than Kate.]
I.
Thine am I, my faithful fair,
Thine, my lovely Nancy;
Ev’ry pulse along my veins,
Ev’ry roving fancy.
II.
To thy bosom lay my heart,
There to throb and languish:
Tho’ despair had wrung its core,
That would heal its anguish.
III.
Take away those rosy lips,
Rich with balmy treasure:
Turn away thine eyes of love,
Lest I die with pleasure.
IV.
What is life when wanting love?
Night without a morning:
Love’s the cloudless summer sun,
Nature gay adorning.