II. This once too sensate, tender, glowing heart, III. Suspense in all its torturing forms I've known, And many a tender, many an anxious fear; And on my lip has died the stifled groan, And in mine eye has swam the silent tear. IV. And I have known sweet Friendship's soothing hour, Perhaps have felt Love's first-born pure delight; And I have worship'd Fancy's magic pow'r, And (fond enthusiast!) dared her wildest flight. v. But now! no raptur'd moment, no soft woe, Can sublimate the soul or touch the heart; No more the solemn "joys of grief" bestow, Or pensive bliss, or gracious pangs impart. VI. Stagnate each feeling, frozen every sense, Each fairy thought enrob'd in Languor's stole; No visionary joy can now dispense, Or with "an airy nothing" cheer the SOUL. THE IRISH JIG. FRAGMENT XXXV. "And send the soul upon a jig to heaven." POPE. I. OLD Scotia's jocund Highland Reel Might make an hermit play the deel! So full of gig! Famed for its Cotillions gay France is; But e'en give me the dance of dances, An Irish jig. II. The slow Pas Grave, the brisk Coupée, The Rigadoon, the light Chassée, Devoid of gig, I little prize; or Saraband Of Spain; or German Allemande: Give me a jig! 9 This trifle is given as it was written, impromptu, in the first flush of triumph, after having "simply gained renown," by tiring out two famous jig dancers, at the seat of a particular friend in TIPPERARY. There are few countries, whose inhabitants are strictly natives, that have not a national Dance, as well as a national Song: "This must have peculiarly been the case in Ireland," says Noverres, in his Essay on Dancing; "for such a natural and native taste for music as I have spoken of, is usually accompanied by, or includes in it, a similar one for dancing." III. When once the frolic jig's begun,' Then hey! for spirit, life, and fun! And with some gig, Trust me, I too can play my part, And dance with all my little heart The Irish jig. The influence which an Irish Jig holds over an Irish heart is strongly illustrated in the following singular anecdote, borrowed from the appendix of Mr. Walker's interesting Memoir of the Irish Bards. "The farce of the Half Pay Officer having been brought out at Drury-lane Theatre, the part of an old Grandmother was assigned to Mrs. Fryer, an Irish woman, who had quitted the stage in the reign of Charles the Second, and had not appeared on it for fifty years; during the representation she exerted her utmost abilities; when however she was called on to dance a jig at the age of eighty-five, she loitered, and seemed overcome; but as soon as the music struck up the Irish Trot, she footed it as nimbly as any girl of five-and-twenty." |