invented wild, ten thousand frantic views of horrid rivals hanging on the charms for which he melts in fondness, eat him up with fervent anguish, and consuming rage. In vain reproaches lend their idle aid, deceitful pride, and resolution frail, giving false peace a moment. Fancy pours, afresh, her beauties on his busy thought, her first endearments twining round the soul, with all the witchcraft of ensnaring love. Straight the fierce storm involves his mind anew, flames through the nerves, and boils along the veins; while anxious doubt distracts the tortur'd heart: for ev'n the sad assurance of his fears

were ease to what he feels. Thus the warm youth, whom love deludes into his thorny wilds, through flowery-tempting paths, or leads a life of fever'd rapture, or of cruel care;

his brightest flames extinguish'd all, and all his lively moments running down to waste.

OF VIRTUOUS AND ILLICIT LOVE. Ah! happy they! the happiest of their kind! whom gentle stars unite, and in one fate their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend. 'T is not the coarser tie of human laws, unnatural oft, and foreign to the mind, that binds their peace, but harmony itself, attuning all their passions into love;

where friendship full exerts her softest power, perfect esteem enliven'd by desire

ineffable, and sympathy of soul;

thought meeting thought, and will preventing will,

with boundless confidence: for nought but love

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35

OF VIRTUOUS AND ILLICIT LOVE.

can answer love, and render bliss secure.
Let him, ungenerous, who, alone intent
to bless himself, from sordid parents buys
the loathing virgin, in eternal care,
well-merited, consume his nights and days:
let barbarous nations, whose inhuman love
is wild desire, fierce as the suns they feel;
let eastern tyrants, from the light of Heaven
seclude their bosom-slaves, meanly possess'd
of a mere lifeless, violated form;

while those whom love cements in holy faith,
and equal transport, free as nature live,
disdaining fear. What is the world to them,
it's pomp, it's pleasure, and it's nonsense all!
who in each other clasp whatever fair
high fancy forms, and lavish hearts can wish;
something than beauty dearer, should they look
or on the mind, or mind illumin'd face;
truth, goodness, honour, harmony, and love,
the richest bounty of indulgent Heaven.
Meantime a smiling offspring rises round,
and mingles both their graces. By degrees,
the human blossom blows; and ev'ry day,
soft as it rolls along, shews some new charm,
the father's lustre aud the mother's bloom.
Then infant reason grows apace, and calls
for the kind hand of an assiduous care.
Delightful task! to rear the tender thought,
to teach the young idea how to shoot,
to pour the fresh instruction o'er the mind,
to breathe th' enliv'ning spirit and to fix
the gen'rous purpose in the glowing breast.
Oh speak the joy! ye whom the sudden tear
surprises often, while you look around,

and nothing strikes your eye but sights of bliss, all various Nature pressing on the heart; an elegant sufficiency, content, retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books, ease and alternate labour, useful life, progressive virtue, and approving Heaven: these are the matchless joys of virtuous love; and thus their moments fly. The Seasons thus, as ceaseless round a jarring world they roll, still find them happy; and consenting Spring sheds her own rosy garland on their heads: till evening comes at last serene and mild; when after the long vernal day of life, enamour'd more, as more remembrance swells with many a proof of recollected love, together down they sink in social sleep; together freed, their gentle spirits fly to scenes where love and bliss immortal reign.

SUMMER.

EARLY RISING.

Falsely luxurious, will not Man awake; and, springing from the bed of sloth, enjoy the cool, the fragrant, and the silent hour, to meditation due and sacred song?

for is there aught in sleep can charm the wise? to lie in dead oblivion, losing half

the fleeting moments of too short a life; total extinction of th' enlighten'd soul!

or else to feverish vanity alive,

wildered, and tossing through distemper'd dreams? who would in such a gloomy state remain longer than Nature craves; when every Muse and every blooming pleasure wait without, to bless the wildy-devious morning-walk?

HAY-MAKING.

Now swarms the village o'er the jovial mead: the rustic youth, brown with meridian toil, healthful and strong; full as the summer-rose blown by prevailing suns, the ruddy maid, half naked, swelling on the sight, and all her kindled graces burning o'er her cheek. Even stooping age is here; and infant-hands trail the long rake, or, with the fragrant load o'ercharg'd, amid the kind oppression roll. Wide flies the tedded grain; all in a row advancing broad, or wheeling round the field, they spread the breathing harvest to the sun, that throws refreshful round a rural smell; or as they rake the green-appearing ground, and drive the dusky wave along the mead, the russet hay-cock rises thick behind, in order gay. While heard from dale to dale, waking the breeze, resounds the blended voice of happy labour, love and social glee.

CELADON AND AMELIA,

Young CELADON

and his AMELIA were a matchless pair; with equal virtue form'd, and equal grace, the same, distinguish'd by their sex alone: her's the mild lustre of the blooming morn, and his the radiance of the risen day.

No. 81.

They lov'd: but such their guileless passion was, as in the dawn of time inform'd the heart of innocence and undissembling truth.

"T was friendship heighten'd by the mutual wish, th' enchanting hope, and sympathetic glow, beam'd from the mutual eye. Devoting all to love, each was to each a dearer self; supremely happy in th' awaken'd power of giving joy. Alone, amid the shades, still in harmonious intercourse they liv'd the rural day, and talk'd the flowing heart, or sigh'd and look'd unutterable things.

So pass'd their life, a clear united stream, by care unruffled; till, in evil hour, the tempest caught them on the tender walk, heedless how far, and where it's mazes stray'd; while, with each other blest, creative love still bade eternal Eden smile around. Presaging instant fate, her bosom heav'd unwonted sighs; and stealing oft a look of the big gloom on CELADON, her eye fell tearful, wetting her disorder'd cheek. In vain assuring love, and confidence

in Heav'n, repress'd her fear; it grew and shook her frame near dissolution. He perceiv'd th' unequal conflict, and as angels look on dying saints, his eyes compassion shed, with love illumin'd high. "Fear not," he said, "sweet innocence! thou stranger to offence, and inward storm! He, who yon skies involves in frowns of darkness, ever smiles on thee with kind regard. O'er thee the secret shaft that wastes at midnight, or th' undreaded hour of noon, flies harmless: and that very voice,