And all that we call beauty, talent, worth,
Mimicked the transient fashion of the Earth?
The fragile bloom has withered in the storm—
The pride of better years now feeds the worm!
The next subject of contemplation is the death of a beloved and distinguished friend; afterwards the poet goes on to describe the influence of sublime scenery in awakening corresponding sensations in the mind. An address to the Deity is attempted: next it is shown that external beauties alone cannot soothe a wounded heart; a fact happily illustrated by the disappointment of Tasso on his return to his native Sorrento—
Tasso, the pride, the victim of the Great,
Who learned the value of their smile too late.
Had shone in courts resplendent, and beneath
A prison’s wall had drawn his painful breath,
Sought his beloved Sorrento; for he fed