[Lady Caroline Lamb 'called one morning at her quondam lover's apartments. His lordship was from home; but finding Vathek on the table, the lady wrote in the first page of the volume the words, "Remember me me!" Byron immediately wrote under the ominous warning these two stanzas.' - MEDWIN, Conversations of Lord Byron, 1824, pp. 329, 330.] REMEMBER thee! remember thee! Till Lethe quench life's burning stream Remorse and Shame shall cling to thee, And haunt thee like a feverish dream! Remember thee! Aye, doubt it not. ΤΟ ΤΙΜΕ TIME! on whose arbitrary wing Hail thou! who on my birth bestow'd For now I bear the weight alone. Tis this which breaks the heart thou griev- I know the length of Love's forever, And just expected such a freak. peace we met, in peace we parted, In peace we vow'd to meet again, And though find thee fickle-hearted pang of mine shall make thee vain. No One gone 't was time to seek a second; In sooth 't were hard to blame thy haste. And whatsoe'er thy love be reckon❜d, II At least thou hast improved in taste: Though one was young, the next was younger, His love was new, mine too well known And what might make the charm still stronger, The youth was present, I was flown. Seven days and nights of single sorrow! We'll form a very pretty corps. Adieu, fair thing! without upbraiding I fain would take a decent leave; Thy beauty still survives unfading, And undeceived may long deceive. With him unto thy bosom dearer Enjoy the moments as they flee; I only wish his love sincerer Than thy young heart has been to me. 1812. TO THE HON. MRS. GEORGE LAMB THE sacred song that on mine ear Yet vibrates from that voice of thine, I heard, before, from one so dear — 'Tis strange it still appears divine. But, oh! so sweet that look and tone It seem'd as if for me alone That both had been recall'd from Heaven And though I never can redeem The vision thus endear'd to me; I scarcely can regret my dream, When realised again by thee. 1812. [First published, 1898.] 30 |