INTHEALBUMOFLUCYBARTON

inthealbumoflucybarton

(1824)

littlebook,surnamedofwhite,

cleanasyet,andfairtosight,

keepthyattributionright.

neverdisproportion'dscrawl;

uglyblot,that'sworsethanall;

onthymaidenclearnessfall!

ineachletter,heredesign'd,

letthereaderemblem'dfind

neatnessoftheowner'smind.

gildedmarginscountasin,

letthyleavesattractionwin

bythegoldenruleswithin;

sayingsfetch'dfromsagesold;

lawswhichholywritunfold,

worthytobegravedingold:

lighterfanciesnotexcluding;

blamelesswit,withnothingrudein,

sometimesmildlyinterluding

amidstrainsofgravermeasure:

virtue'sselfhathoftherpleasure

insweetmuses'grovesofleisure.

riddlesdark,perplexingsense;

darkermeaningsofoffence;

whatbutshades—bebanishedhence.

whitestthoughtsinwhitestdress,

candidmeanings,bestexpress

mindofquietquakeress.