ARISBE to MARIUS Junior.

From FONTENELLE. By the Same.

When Marius was expelled from Rome by Sylla's faction, and retired into Africa, his fon (who accompany'd him) fell into the hands of Hiempfal king of Numidia, who kept him prifoner. One of the miftreffes of that king fell in love with Marius junior, and avas fo generous to contrive and give him his liberty, tho' by that means fhe facrificed her love for ever. 'Twas after he had rejoin'd his father, that he writ him the following letter.

O

That

I.

F all I valued, all I lov'd bereft,

Say, has my heart this little comfort left?
you the mem❜ry of its truth retain,

And think with grateful pity on my pain?

II.

Tho' but with life my forrows can have end, (For death alone can join me to my friend) Yet think not I repent I fet you free,

I mourn your abfence, not your liberty.

II.

Before my Marius left Numidia's coaft,
Each day I saw him; fcarce an hour was loft:
Now months and years must pass, nay life fhall
But one long absence from the man I love.

prove

IV. Painful

IV.

Painful reflection! poyfon to my mind!
Was it but mortal too, it would be kind :
But mad with grief I fearch the palace round,
And in that madness dream you're to be found.

མ.

Would'st thou believe it? to those walls I fly
Where thou wert captive held; there frantick cry,
These fetters fure my vagrant's flight restrain'd ;
Alas! these fetters I myself unchain'd.

VI.

The live-long day I mourn, I loath the light,
And wait impatient each returning night:
What, tho' the horrid gloom augment my grief?
"Tis grateful ftill, for I difclaim relief.

VII.

That coz'ner hope intrudes not on my woe;
One only interval my forrows know;

When dreams, the kind reversers of my pain,
Bring back my charming fugitive again.

VIII.

Yet there's a grief furpaffing all the rest;
A jealous dæmon whispers in my breast,
Marius was falfe; for liberty alone
The show of love the hypocrite put on.

IX. Then

IX.

Then I reflect (ah! would I could forget!)
How much your thoughts on war and Rome were fet,
How little paffion did that conduct prove!

-Too ftrong thy reafon, but too weak thy love.

X.

Thy fword, 'tis true, a father's caufe demands;
But 'twas a mistress gave it to thy hands:
To love, and duty juft, give each their part,
His be the arm, and mine be all thy heart.

XI.

But what avail these thoughts? fond wretch, give o'er! Marius, or falfe, or true, is thine no more:

part,

Since Fate has caft the lot, and we must
Why should I wish to think I had his heart?

XII.

Yes: let me cherish that remembrance ftill;
That thought alone shall soften ev'ry ill;.
To tell my foul, his love, his truth was fuch,
All was his due, nor have I done too much.

XIII.

Deceitful comfort! let me not perfuade
My cred❜lous heart its fondness was repaid;
It makes my foul with double anguish mourn
Those joys, which never, never must return.

XIV. Per

XIV.

Perhaps ev❜n you what most I wish oppose,
And in the Roman all the lover lofe :
I'm a Numidian, and your foul disdains

To bear th' inglorious weight of foreign chains.

XV.

Can any climate then fo barb'rous prove,
To ftand excluded from the laws of Love?
His empire's univerfal, unconfin'd,

His proxy beauty, and his flaves mankind.

XVI.

Nor am I a Numidian but by name,

For I can int'reft for my love disclaim:

My virtue shows what 'twas the gods defign'd,

By chance on Africk's clay they stamp'd a Roman mind.

XVII.

Not all the heroes which your Rome can boaft,

So much for fame, as I for you have lost:
Yourself I loft: oh! grateful, then confess,
My tryal greater, tho' my glory lefs.

XVIII.

Yes, partial gods! inflicters of my care!
Be witness what I felt, what grief, what fear!
When full of ftifled woes the night he fled,
No figh I dar'd to breathe, no tear to shed.

XIX. Whilft

XIX.

Whilft men of faith approv'd, a chofen crew,
Firm to their truft, and to their mistress true,
With care too punctual my commands obey,
And in one freight my life and thee convey.

XX.

The harder task was mine; condemn'd to bear
With brow ferene, my agonizing care;
To mix in idle talk, to force a smile,
A king and jealous lover to beguile.

XXI.

Think in that dreadful interval of fate,
All I held dear, thy fafety in debate,
Think what I fuffer'd, whilft my heart afraid
Suggests a thousand times that all's betray'd.

XXII.

A thousand times revolving in my mind

The doubtful chance; oh! Love! said I, be kind :
Propitious to my fcheme, thy vo'try aid,

And be my fondness by fuccefs repaid.

XXIII.

Now bolder grown, with fanguine hopes elate,

My fancy reprefents thy fmiling fate ;

The guards deceiv'd, and ev'ry danger o'er,
The winds already waft him from the shore.

XXIV. Thefe