Like some mild lambent flame the passion plays;

And, vanquish’d by ideal charms,

I sink in the imagin’d arms

Of some sweet Phillis of my youthful days.

XVIII.

But, lo! the Portrait of yon hoary sage

From whose grave lore I learnt in youth

Many a rigid moral truth,

Frowns me again to cold unfeeling age---

How are the soft emotions checkt