The scene of this Poem is located on the banks of the Eden, a pleasant river in Cumberland. It is founded on facts, but the names and some other immaterial points are imaginary.

p. 89 LORD HENRY OF THE EDEN-SIDE.

p. 89

Roll, ye gentle waters, Rich in music laden; Know ye not of matters Hid in sorrow’s deep den. Bloom, ye buxom beauties, By this Eden river; Thine a gem of duties To attend it ever. Spread, ye fruitful valleys, Drawing from it life-spring; Ye may cope with allies, And a victor’s song sing.

’Twas by this Eden of the northern land, Upon the fertile banks of the fair stream, Where nature’s beauties to the noonday spread, And in the golden sunset sparkle more, As charm to charm is added ever new, Until the eye is weary to behold The bounty of the grandeur there contained, To watch the peaceful bosom of the stream p. 90Sparkle, as with a thousand diamonds set; While softly moving, as by inward life Inspired, to guide it in the bidden course, As it glides on and onward to the firth; While in its rural bed the silver trout Runs pouting freely, darts from stone to stone, As of that sport it never should be sore. And from the banks, amid the sylvan brake, A life of melody is rising here and there From wood-wild songsters, which their glory take To mete a measure ever sweet and fair; As though the task were for a victory, And each endeavoured to advance its notes In sweetest sounds and fairest melody. ’Tis sweetly soothing to the weary mind, Which here hath turned a little time for rest. Amid this scene the happy swains delight To dwell, and draw the vigor of their life With all the fulness nature can supply, And every morn awake to new delights Robust and hale, and of a healthy mind, And so go forth to labor, and to take The fulness of the land they labor on, And in the meadows feed their favored kine, So full and ready that they low and long The maid with pails to ease the milky load. p. 91Sweet is this scene in early hours when viewed, What time the rising sun comes proudly forth, Midway to east, between the south and north, And chases quick the lingering night away, Which, as a schoolboy, loiters on the way; Or in the tranquil of a closing day It is beheld in charms surpassing sweet, Just as the sun has done his bidden course, And goes to slumber in the favored west, Yet lingers long to take a parting look Upon the land which he shall leave behind, As seeming loth to wander from the scene, But, called of duty, moves at length away, And draws his train behind the distant hills, Till all is lost to the admiring gaze, Which feasted on the beauties to the 

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