XXIV.

Thefe pleafing images anew impart
Life to my eyes, and gladness to my heart;
Difpel the gloomy fears that cloud my face,
And charm the little flutterer to peace.

weary

XXV.

But now the king, or tafteless to my charms,
Or
of an absent mistress' arms,
His own apartment seeks, and grateful rest;
That courted ftranger to the careful breast.

XXVI.

Whilft I, by hopes and fears alternate sway'd,

Impatient ask the flaves if I'm obey'd.

"Tis done, they cry'd, and ftruck me with despair; For what I long'd to know, I dy'd to hear.

XXVII.

Fantastick turn of a distracted mind;

I blam'd the gods for having been too kind;
Curs'd the fuccefs they granted to my vows,
And this affiftant hand that fill'd my woes.

XXVIII.

Such was my frenzy in that hour of care,
And fuch th' injuftice of my bold despair;
That even those, ungrateful I upbraid,
Whofe fatal diligence my will obey'd.

XXIX. Scarce,

XXIX.

Scarce, Marius, did thyfelf escape my rage;

(Moft lov'd of men!) when fears of black prefage Defcribe thy heart fo fond of liberty,

It never gave one parting throb for me.

XXX.

At every step you should have turn'd your eye,
Dropt a regretful tear, and heav'd a figh;
The nature of the grace I fhew'd was fuch,
You not deferv'd it, if it pleas'd too much.

XXXI.

A lover would have linger'd as he fled,
And oft in anguish to himself have said,
Farewel for ever! Ah! yet more he'd done,

A lover never would have fled alone.

XXXII.

To force me from a hated rival's bed,
Why comes not Marius at an army's head ?
Oh! did thy heart but wish to see that day,
'Twould all my past, and future woes o'erpay.

XXXIII.

But vain are all these hopes: preserve thy breast

From falfhood only, I forgive the reft:
Too happy, if no envy'd rival boast
Those joys Arifbe for her Marius loft.

VOL. IV.

G

ROXANA

Roxana, one of Ufbeck's wives, was found (whilst he was in Europe) in bed with her lover, whom she had privately let into the feraglio. The guardian eunuch who discovered them, had the man murdered on the Spot, and her clofe guarded till he received inftructions from his mafter how to difpofe of her. During that interval she swallowed poyfon, and is fuppofed to write the following letter whilst fhe is dying.

T

HINK not I write my innocence to prove,
To fue for pity, or awake thy love:

No mean defence expect, or abject pray'rs ;
Thou know'st no mercy, and I know no tears:
I laugh at all thy vengeance has decreed,

Avow the fact, and glory in the deed.

Yes, tyrant! I deceiv'd thy spies and thee:
Pleas'd in oppreffion, and in bondage free :
The rigid agents of thy cruel laws
By gold I won to aid my jufter caufe:
With dextrous skill eluded all thy care,

And acted more than jealousy could fear:
To wanton bow'rs this prison-house I turn'd,

And blefs'd that abfence which you thought I mourn'd.

But

But fhort thofe joys allow'd by niggard Fate,
Yet fo refin'd, fo exquifitely great,

That their excefs compenfated their date.
I die already in each burning vein

I feel the poys'nous draught, and bless the pain:
For what is life unless its joys we prove ?
And where is joy, depriv'd of what we love
Yet, ere I die, this juftice I have paid
Το my dear murder'd lover's injur'd fhade:
Thofe facrilegious inftruments of power,
Who wrought that ruin these fad eyes deplore,
Already with their blood their crimes attone,
And for his life have facrific'd their own.

:

Thee, tho' reftraint and absence may defend
From my revenge, my curfes ftill attend
Defpair like mine, barbarian! be thy part,
Remorfe afflict, and forrow fting thy heart.

Nor think this hate commencing in my breast,
Tho' prudence long its latent force fupprefs'd;
1 knew thofe wrongs that I was forc'd to bear,
And curs'd those chains Injustice made me wear.

For could't thou hope Roxana to deceive
With idle tales, which only fools believe?
Poor abject fouls in fuperftition bred,
In ign'rance train'd, by prejudice misled;
Whom hireling dervises by proxy teach
From thofe whofe falfe prerogative they preach,

G 2

}

Didit

Didft thou imagine me fo weak of mind, Because I murmur'd not, I ne'er repin'd,

3

But hugg'd my chain, and thought my jaylor kind ?
That willingly those laws I e'er obey'd,

Which Pride invented, and Oppreffion made?

And whilst felf-licens'd through the world you rove,

To quicken appetite by change in love;
Each paflion fated, and each with poffefs'd,
That Luft can urge, or Fancy can fuggeft:
That I should mourn thy loss with fond regret,
Weep the misfortune, and the wrong forget?

Could I believe that heav'n this beauty gave, (Thy tranfient pleasure, and thy lasting slave ;) Indu'd with reason, only to fulfil

The harsh commands of thy capricious will?
No, Ufbeck, no, my foul difdain'd those laws;
And tho' I wanted pow'r t' affert my cause,

My right I knew; and fill those pleasures fought,
Which Juftice warranted, and Nature taught:
On Cuftom's fenfeless precepts I refin'd,

I weigh'd what heav'n, I knew what man defign'd,
And form'd by her own rules my free-born mind.

Thus whilft this wretched body own'd thy pow'r,
Doom'd, unredrefs'd, its hardships to deplore;
My foul fubfervient to herself alone,

And Reason independent on her throne,
Contemn'd thy dictates, and obey'd their own.

}

}

}

Yet