Sonnet To A Young Lady On Her Birth-Day.
By William Cowper
Deem not, sweet rose, that bloomst midst many a thorn,
Thy friend, though to a cloisters shade consignd,
Can eer forget the charms he left behind,
Or pass unheeded this auspicious morn!
In happier days to brighter prospects born,
O tell thy thoughtless sex, the virtuous mind,
Like thee, content in every state may find,
And look on Follys pageantry with scorn.
To steer with nicest art betwixt th extreme
Of idle mirth, and affectation coy;
To blend good sense with elegance and ease;
To bid Afflictions eye no longer stream;
Is thine; best gift, the unfailing source of joy,
The guide to pleasures which can never cease!