| William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Georgian Verse. 1909. | | | | The Lily and the Rose | | By William Cowper (1731–1800) |
| | | THE NYMPH must lose her female friend, | |
| If more admired than she; | |
| But where will fierce contention end, | |
| If Flowers can disagree? | |
| |
| Within the garden’s peaceful scene | 5 |
| Appeared two lovely foes, | |
| Aspiring to the rank of Queen— | |
| The Lily and the Rose. | |
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| The Rose soon reddened into rage; | |
| And, swelling with disdain, | 10 |
| Appealed to many a Poet’s Page, | |
| To prove her right to reign. | |
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| The Lily’s height bespoke command; | |
| A fair imperial flower, | |
| She seemed designed for Flora’s hand, | 15 |
| The sceptre of her power! | |
| |
| This civil bick’ring and debate | |
| The Goddess chanced to hear; | |
| And flew to save, ere yet too late, | |
| The pride of the parterre! | 20 |
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| ‘Yours is,’ she said, ‘the noblest hue; | |
| And yours, the statelier mien; | |
| And, till a third surpasses you, | |
| Let each be deemed a Queen!’ | |
| |
| Thus soothed and reconciled, each seeks | 25 |
| The fairest British Fair; | |
| The seat of empire is her cheeks, | |
| They reign united there. | | | | |
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