John Kenyon - A Fragment lyrics

TO--- Dear H---, it was you who laid it down That up to Christmas we've no fogs in town; And then you asked me, as I well remember, What can the country offer in November? To which I answer prospects, ne'er more fair, Stream, wood and valley, seen through smokeless air; And moon, where'er she ranges, viewed at will, Or if chance-hidden, not by house—but hill; And every star, for love on one to fix; And deep, rich sunsets, between five and six, That most convenient hour, just ere we dine, And no bad prelude to wood fires and wine; And trees, some stripped and some with lingering hues, From which, at will, our moral we may choose; And fifty things beside, that joy impart To the quick fancy or the thoughtful heart. E'en now I stood by a clear river's brim, And saw red leaves like golden fishes swim—