on seeing my wife and two children

sleeping in the same chamber.?

and has the earth lost its so spacious round,

the sky its blue circumference above,

that in this little chamber there is found

both earth and heaven — my universe of love!

all that my god can give me, or remove,

here sleeping, save myself, in mimic death.

sweet that in this small compass i behove

to live their living and to breathe their breath!

almost i wish that, with one common sigh,

we might resign all mundane care and strife,

and seek together that transcendent sky,

where father, mother, children, husband, wife,

together pant in everlasting life!