If you wish me to weep, you must first show grief yourself.

If you wish me to weep, you must first show grief yourself.

Let tears flow of their own accord: their flowing is not inconsistent with inward peace and harmony.

Let tears flow of their own accord: their flowing is not inconsistent with inward peace and harmony.

Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see Life read more

Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see Life with a clearer view again.

No radiant pearl, which crested Fortune wears,
No gem that twinkling hangs from Beauty's wars.
Not the read more

No radiant pearl, which crested Fortune wears,
No gem that twinkling hangs from Beauty's wars.
Not the bright stars which Night's blue arch adorn,
Nor rising suns that gild the vernal morn,
Shine with such lustre as the tear that flows
Down Virtue's manly cheek for others' woes.

Ope the sacred source of sympathetic tears.

Ope the sacred source of sympathetic tears.

And the tear that is wiped with a little address,
May be follow'd perhaps by a smile.

And the tear that is wiped with a little address,
May be follow'd perhaps by a smile.

We weep when we are born,
Not when we die!

We weep when we are born,
Not when we die!

It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

Oh! too convincing--dangerously dear--
In woman's eye the unanswerable tear!
That weapon of her weakness she can read more

Oh! too convincing--dangerously dear--
In woman's eye the unanswerable tear!
That weapon of her weakness she can wield,
To save, subdue--at once her spear and shield.