68. EBB to Edward Moulton-Barrett (father)
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 59–60.
Hope End
To my dearest Papa
On his birth day
May 28th 1818. [1]
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Euterpe! On Parnassus rocks
Who loves to pass the hours
And twine thy glossy raven locks
With Helicons pure flowers.
Where gently bending oer thy shell
Thou pliest the tuneful note,
To Heaven the flowing numbers swell
In mid air, trembling float.
I call thee not to tell of fame
Or pride, or pomp, or monarchs bliss
That lyre deserves a sacred name
Which winds a lay, so dear as this.
A Parent’s birth to celebrate
Euterpe strings the lyre
With face of joy and heart elate
She smites the echoing wire.
Oh Parent loved so justly, hail!
To us so dear, so justly dear
And hail the day, where sorrows fail,
Their shadowy forms to rear.
When joys on joys, & smiles on smiles
Disclose each longed for wish
When time each joyful hour beguiles
Progressive—bliss on bliss!
Low lies his head, who on this much loved day,
First came to being,—low the Statesman lies
Inert in death—who shook just freedom’s sway
Made Britain tremble for her liberties.
Now sleeps in peace—there let him sleep
Within deaths narrow precincts let him lie,
Let man forget, who made blest freedoms weep
His name a Pitt—his victim liberty!
Oh may his earliest days, for ever live!
His age!– Ah let that sleep, & never wake!
His shame forget, the dead forgive
Forgive his vices for his virtues sake. [2]
Yet more have seen the light this day
Yet more to earth their dust consigned
A heart than thine, the Muse can say
Ne’er breathed more gently good & kind
Farewell! no blessing need I pray
From Heaven upon a Parents head
What joys are wished, ’tis vain to say
And most is felt, where least is said.
Publication: None traced.
Source: Copy in Mary Moulton-Barrett’s hand in “Poems by EBB,” Berg Collection.
1. His 33rd birthday.
2. Footnote by EBB’s mother indicates that this passage refers to William Pitt, who shared her husband’s birthday, having been born on 28 May 1759.
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