2.
Good Intentions.
Fair thoughts of good, and fantasies as fair !1
Why is it your content to dwell confined2
In the dark cave of meditative mind,3
Nor show your forms and colours otherwhere ?4
Why taste ye not the beautiful free air5
Of life and action ? If the wintry wind6
Rages sometimes, must noble growth be pined,7
And fresh extravagant boughs lopt off with care ?8
Behold the budding and the flowering flowers,9
That die, and in their seed have life anew ;10
Oh ! if the promptings of our better hours11
With vegetative virtue sprung and grew,12
They would fill up the room of living Time,13
And leave the world small space to nourish weeds of crime.14