TOCHARLESLLOYD

poemsfromblankverse,bycharleslloydandcharleslamb,1798

tocharleslloyd

astranger,andalone,ipastthosescenes

wepastsolatetogether;andmyheart

feltsomethinglikedesertion,whenilook'd

aroundme,andthewell-knownvoiceoffriend

wasabsent,andthecordiallookwasthere

nomoretosmileonme.ithoughtonlloyd;

allhehadbeentome.andnowigo

againtominglewithaworldimpure,

withmenwhomakeamockofholythings

mistaken,andofman'sbesthopethinkscorn.

theworlddoesmuchtowarptheheartofman,

andimaysometimesjoinitsideotlaugh.

ofthisinowcomplainnot.dealwithme,

omniscientfather!asthoujudgestbest,

andinthyseasontenderthoumyheart.

ipraynotformyself;iprayforhim

whosesoulissoreperplex'd:shinethouonhim,

fatheroflights!andinthedifficultpaths

makeplainhiswaybeforehim.hisownthoughts

mayhenotthink,hisownendsnotpursue;

soshallhebestperformthywillonearth.

greatestandbest,thywillbeeverours!

august,1797.