With sobbing accents, with such sad regret, Leaves his kind feather'd mate: the widow bird Wanders in lonesome shades, forgets her food, Forgets her life; or falls a speedier prey To talon'd falcons, and the crooked beak Of hawks athirst for blood.-
THUS far the Muse, in unaccustom❜d mood, And strains unpleasing to a lover's ear, Indulg'd a gloom of thought: and thus she sang Partial; for melancholy's hateful form
Stood by in a sable robe: the pensive Muse Survey'd the darksome scenes of life, and sought Some bright relieving glimpse, some cordial ray In the fair world of love: but while she gaz'd Delightful on the state of twin-born souls United, bless'd, the cruel shade applied A dark long tube, and a false tinctur'd glass Deceitful; blending love and life at once In darkness, chaos, and the common mass Of misery now Urania feels the cheat, And breaks the hated optic in disdain. Swift vanishes the sullen form, and lo!
The scene shines bright with bliss: behold the place Where mischiefs never fly, cares never come, With wrinkled brow, nor anguish, nor disease, Nor malice forky-tongued. On this dear spot, Mitio, my love would fix and plant thy station, To act thy part of life, serene and bless'd With thy fair consort fitted to thy heart.
Sure 'tis a vision of that happy grove, Where the first authors of our mournful race Liv'd in sweet partnership! one hour they liv'd, But chang'd the tasted bliss (imprudent pair!) For sin and shame, and this vast wilderness Of briars, and nine hundred years of pain. The wishing Muse new-dresses the fair garden Amid this desert world, with budding bliss, And evergreens, and balms, and flowery beauties, Without one dangerous tree; there heavenly dews, Nightly descending, shall impearl the grass And verdant herbage; drops of fragrancy
Sit trembling on the spires: the spicy vapours Rise with the dawn, and through the air diffus'd Salute your waking senses with perfume: While vital fruits, with their ambrosial juice, Renew life's purple flood and fountain, pure From vicious taint; and with your innocence Immortalize the structure of your clay. On this new paradise the cloudless skies Shall smile perpetual, while the lamp of day With flames unsullied, (as the fabled torch Of Hymen) measures out your golden hours Along his azure road. The nuptial moon In milder rays serene, should rightly rise Full orb'd (if Heaven and Nature will indulge So fair an emblem) big with silver joys, And still forget her wane. The feather'd choir, Warbling their Maker's praise on early wing, Or perch'd on evening bough, shall join your worship,
Join your sweet vespers, and the morning song.
O sacred symphony! hark, through the grove I hear the sound divine! I'm all attention,
All ear, all ecstasy; unknown delight!
And the fair Muse proclaims the Heaven below. Not the seraphic minds of high degree Disdain converse with men: again returning, I see the' ethereal host on downward wing. Lo, at the eastern gate young cherubs stand Guardians, commission'd to convey their joys To earthly lovers. Go, ye happy pair,
Go taste their banquet, learn the nobler pleasures Supernal, and from brutal dregs refin’d.
Raphael shall teach thee, friend, exalted thoughts And intellectual bliss. 'Twas Raphael taught The patriarch of our progeny the' affairs Of Heaven (so Milton sings, enlighten'd bard! Nor miss'd his eyes, when in sublimest strain The angel's great narration he repeats
To Albion's sons high favour'd) thou shalt learn Celestial lessons from his awful tongue; And with soft grace and interwoven loves (Grateful digression) all his words rehearse To thy Charissa's ear, and charm her soul. Thus with divine discourse, in shady bowers Of Eden, our first father entertained Eve, his sole auditress; and deep dispute With conjugal caresses on her lip Solv'd easy, and obstrusest thoughts reveal'd. Now the day wears apace, now Mitio comes From his bright tutor, and finds out his mate. Behold the dear associates seated low
On humble turf, with rose and myrtle strow'd; But high their conference! how self-suffic'd Lives their Eternal Maker, girt around
With glories; arm'd with thunders; and his throne Mortal access forbids, projecting far
Splendors unsufferable and radiant death.
With reverence and abasement deep they fall Before his Sovereign Majesty, to pay
Due worship: then his mercy on their souls Smiles with a gentler ray, but sovereign still; And leads their meditation and discourse Long ages backward, and across the seas To Bethlehem of Judah: there the Son, The filial Godhead, character express Of brightness inexpressible, laid by His beamy robes, and made descent to earth; Sprung from the sons of Adam he became A second father, studious to regain Lost paradise for men, and purchase Heaven. The lovers with endearment mutual thus Promiscuous talk'd, and questions intricate His manly judgment still resolv'd, and still Held her attention fix'd: she musing sat On the sweet mention of incarnate love, Till rapture wak'd her voice to softest strains:- 'She sang the infant God; (mysterious theme!) How vile his birth-place, and his cradle vile! The ox and ass his mean companions; there In habit vile the shepherds flock around, Saluting the great mother, and adore Israel's anointed king, the' appointed heir Of the creation. How debas'd he lies Beneath his regal state; for thee, my Mitio, Debas'd in servile form; but angels stood Ministering round their charge with folded wings Obsequious, though unseen; while lightsome hours Fulfill'd the day, and the grey evening rose. Then the fair guardians hovering o'er his head, Wakeful all night, drive the foul spirits far,
And with their fanning pinions purge the air From busy phantoms, from infectious damps, And impure taint; while their ambrosial plumes A dewy slumber on his senses shed.
Alternate hymns the heavenly watchers sung Melodious soothing the surrounding shades, And kept the darkness chaste and holy. Then Midnight was charm'd, and all her gazing eyes Wonder'd to see their mighty Maker sleep. Behold the glooms disperse, the rosy morn Smiles in the east with eye-lids opening fair, But not so fair as thine; O, I could fold thee, My young Almighty, my Creator-babe, For ever in these arms! for ever dwell Upon thy lovely form with gazing joy, And every pulse shall beat seraphic love! Around my seat should crowding cherubs come With swift ambition, zealous to attend
Their prince, and form a Heaven below the sky.' 'Forbear, Charissa, O forbear the thought Of female-fondness, and forgive the man That interrupts such melting harmony!' Thus Mitio; and awakes her nobler powers To pay just worship to the sacred King, Jesus, the God; nor with devotion pure Mix the caresses of her softer sex;
(Vain blandishment) Come, turn thine eyes aside From Bethlehem, and climb up the doleful steep Of bloody Calvary, where naked skulls
Pave the sad road, and fright the traveller.
Can my beloved bear to trace the feet
Of her Redeemer, panting up the hill Hard-burden'd? can thy heart attend his cross? Nail'd to the cruel wood he groans, he dies;
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