The parents now, with late remorfe, am:
Hung o'er his dying bed,
And weary'd Heav'n with fruitlefs pray❜rs, And fruitlefs forrows fhed. “ 20
She came; his cold hand foftly touch'd, And bath'd with many a tear; Firft falling o'er the primrofe pale'
So morning dews appear.
But oh! his fifter's jealous care istr
(A cruel fifter she !)
Forbad what EMMA came to fay,
My EDWIN, live for me.
Now homeward as fhe hopeless went,
The church-yard path along,
The blaft blew cold, the dark owl scream'd Her lovers fun'ral fong.
Amid the falling gloom of night,
Her ftartling fancy found
In ev'ry bush his hovering fhade,
His groan in every found.
Alone, appall'd thus had she pass'd
The vifionary vale,
When lo! the death-bell fmote her ear,
Sad founding in the gale.
Juft then the reach'd with trembling fteps
Her aged mother's door :
He's gone, fhe cried, and I fhall fee
That angel face no more.
I feel, I feel this breaking heart
Beat high against my fide:
From her white arm down funk her head,
She fhiver'd, figh'd, and died.
CELADON AND AMELIA.
Is liftening fear and dumb amazement all: When to the startled eye the fudden glance Appears far fouth, eruptive through the cloud; And following flower, in explofion vaft, The thunder raises his tremendous voice. At first, heard folemn o'er the verge of heaven, The tempeft growls; but as it nearer comes And rolls its awful burden on the wind,
The lightnings flash a larger curve, and more The noise aftounds: till over head a fheet Of livid flame difclofes wide; then shuts, And opens wider; fhuts and opens ftill Expanfive, wrapping æther in a blaze, Follows the loofen'd aggravated roar, Enlarging, deep'ning, mangling; peal on peal Crush'd horrible, convulfing heaven and earth.
Guilt hears appall'd, with deeply troubled thought: And yet not always on the guilty headɔoring maine aa Defcends the fated flash. Young CELADON And his AMELIA were a matchlefs pair; With equal virtue form'd, and equal grace; The fame diftinguifh'd by their fex alone: Her's the mild luftre of the blooming morn,
And his the rádiance of the rifen day.
They lov'd; but fuch their guiltless paffion was, As in the dawn of time inform'd the heart Of innocence, and undiffembling truth.
'Twas friendship heighten'd by the mutual with, Th' enchanting hope, and fympathetic glow, Beam'd from the mutual eye, Devoting all To love, each was to each a dearer felf; Supremely happy in th' awaken'd power Of giving joy. Alone, amid the fhades, Still in harmonious intercourfe they liv'd The rural day, and talk'd the flowing heart, Or figh'd, and look'd unutterable things,
So pafs'd their life, a clear united ftream, By care unruffled: till, in evil hour, The tempeft caught them on the tender walk, Heedlefs how far, and where its mazes ftray'd, While, with each other bleft, creative love Still bade eternal Eden fmile around.
Heavy with inftant fate her bosom heav'd Unwonted fighs; and stealing oft a look Tow'rds the big gloom, on CELADON her eye Fell tearful, wetting her disordered cheek.. In vain affuring love, and confidence
In HEAVEN, reprefs'd her fear; it grew, and fhook Her frame near diffolution. He perceiv'd Th' unequal conflict, and as angels look On dying faints, his eyes compaffion shed, ; With love illumin'd high. Fear not, he faid, "Sweet innocence! thou ftranger to offence, "And inward ftorm! HE, who yon fkies involves "In frowns of darkness, ever fmiles on thee, "With kind regard. O'er thee the secret shaft. "That waftes at midnight, or th' undreaded hour "Of noon, flies harmless; and that very voice, "Which thunders terror thro' the guilty heart, "With tongues of feraphs whispers peace to thine. ""Tis fafety to be near thee fure, and thus "To clafp perfection!" From his void embrace, (Myfterious
(Myflerious Heaven!) that moment to the ground, A blacken'd corfe, was ftruck the beauteous maid. But who can paint the lover as he stood, Pierc'd by fevere amazement, hating life, Speechlefs, and fix'd in all the death of woe! So, faint resemblance! on the marble tomb, The well-diffembled mourner stooping stands, For ever filent, and for ever fad.
Soon as young reafon dawn'd in Junio's breast,
His father fent him from these genial ifles,
To where old Thames with confcious pride furveys Green Eton, foft abode of every Mufe.
Each claffic beauty he foon made his own; And foon fam'd Ifis faw him woo the nine, On her inspiring banks. . Love tun'd his fong; For fair Theana was his only theme,
Acafto's daughter, whom in early youth He oft diftinguifh'd; and for whom he oft Had climb'd the bending cocoa's airy height, To rob it of its nectar; which the maid, When he presented, more nectareous deem'd. The sweetest fappadillas oft he brought; From him more fweet ripe fappadillas feem'd, Nor had long absence yet effac'd her form; Her charms ftill triumph'd o'er Britannia's fair. One morn he met her in Sheen's royal walks ; Nor knew, till then, fweet Sheen contain❜d his all. His taste mature approv'd his infant choice. In colour, form, expreffion, and in grace, She fhone all perfect; while each pleafing art, And each foft virtue that the sex adorns,
Adorn'd the woman. My imperfect ftrain Can ill defcribe the tranfports Junio felt At this discovery; he declar'd his love; She own'd his merit, nor refus'd his hand.
And shall not Hymen light his brightest torch For this delighted pair! Ah, Junio knew His fire detefted his Theana's houfe !-- Thus duty, reverence, gratitude, confpir'd To check their happy union. He resolv'd (And many a figh that refolution cost) To pafs the time, till death his fire remov'd In vifiting old Europe's letter'd climes : While fhe (and many a tear that parting drew) Embark'd, reluctant, for her native ifle.
Tho' learned, curious, and tho' nobly bent, With each rare talent to adorn his mind, His native land to ferve; no joys he found." Yet fprightly Gaul; yet Belgium, Saturn's reign: Yet Greece, of old the feat of every Muse, Of freedom, courage; yet Aufonia's clime His fteps explor'd, where panting mufic's ftrains, Where arts, where laws, (philofophy's beft child) With rival beauties his attention claim'd. To his juft-judging, his inftructed eye, The all-perfect Medicean Venus feem'd A perfect femblance of his Indian fair: But when the spoke of love, her voice fur pafs'd The harmonious warblings of Italian fong.
Twice one long year elaps'd, when letters came, Which briefly told him of his father's death. Afflicted, filial, yet to Heav'n refign'd,
Soon he reached Albion, and as foon embark'd, Eager to clafp the object of his love."
Blow, profperous breezes; fwiftly fail, thou Po: Swift fail'd the Po, and happy breezes blew.
« AnteriorContinuar » |