In sighs to pour his soften'd soul,

The midnight mourner stray'd.

His cheeks, where love with beauty glow'd,

A deadly pale o'ercast;

So fades the fresh rose in its prime,

Before the northern blast.

The parents now, with late remorse,
Hung o'er his dying bed,

And weary'd Heaven with fruitless pray'rs,
And fruitless sorrows shed.

'Tis past, he cry'd, but if your souls.
Sweet mercy yet can move,
Let these dim eyes once more behold
What they must ever love.

She came; his cold hand softly touch'd,
And bath'd with many a tear;
First falling o'er the primrose pale,
So morning dews appear.

But oh! his sister's jealous care

(A cruel sister she!)

For bad what EMMA came to say:

My EDWIN, live for me.

Now homeward as she hopeless went,

The church-yard path along,

The blast blew cold, the dark owl scream'd

Her lover's fun'ral song.

Amid the falling gloom of night,

Her startling fancy found

In ev'ry bush his hovering shade,
His groan in every sound.

Alone, appall'd thus had she pass'd

The visionary vale,

When lo! the death-bell smote her ear 2
Sad sounding in the gale.

Just then she reach'd, with trembling steps,
Her aged mother's door :

He's gone, she cried, and I must see

That angel face no more.

I feel,

I feel, I feel, this breaking heart
Beat high against my side:

From her white arm down sunk her head

She shiver'd, sigh'd, and died.

CHA P. XVI.

Celadon and Amelia.

MALLET.

"Tis listening fear and dumb amazement all,

When to the startled eye the sudden glance
Appears far south, eruptive through the cloud;
And following slower, in explosion vast,
The Thunder raises his tremendous voice.
At first, heard solemn o'er the verge of heaven,
The tempest growls; but as it nearer comes
And rolls its aweful burden on the wind,
The lightnings flash a larger curve, and more
The noise astounds: till over head a sheet
Of livid flame discloses wide; then shuts,
And opens wider; shuts and opens still
Expansive wrapping, æther in a blaze.
Follows the loosen'd aggravated roar
Enlarging, deep'ning, mangling; peal on peal
Crush'd horrible, convulsing heaven and earth.
Guilt hears appall'd, with deeply troubled
thought:

And yet not always on the guilty head
Descends the fated flash. Young CELADON
And his AMELIA were a matchless pair;
With equal virtue form'd, and equal grace;
The same, distinguish'd by the sex alone:
Her's the mild lustre of the blooming morn
And his the radiance of the risen day.

They lov'd; but such their guiltless passion was,
As in the dawn of time inform'd the heart
Of innocence, and undissembling truth.
'Twas 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;

C

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 hour,
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 its mazes stray'd,
While, with each other blest, creative love
Still bade eternal Eden smile around.
Heavy with instant fate her bosom heav'd
Unwonted sighs; and stealing oft a look
Tow'rds the big gloom, on CELADON her
Fell tearful, wetting her disorder'd check.
In vain assuring love, and confidence

eye

In HEAVEN, 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, Hies harmless; and that very voice, » Which thunders terror thro' the guilty heart, » With tongues of seraphs whispers peace to thine. >> 'Tis safety to be near thee sure, and thus »To clasp perfection! » From his void embrace, (Mysterious Heaven!) that moment to the ground, A blacken'd corse, was struck the beauteous maid, But who can paint the lover as he stood, Pierc'd by severe amazement, hating life, Speechless, and fix'd in all the death of woe! So, faint resemblance! on the marble tomb, The well-dissembled mourner stooping stands, For ever silent, and for ever sad. THOMSON.

C H A P. X VỚI I.

Junio and Theana.

Soox as young reason dawn'd in Junio's breast,

His father sent him from these genial isles,
To where old Thames with conscious pride survey'd
Green Eton, soft abode of every Muse.

Each classic beauty he soon made his own,
And soon fam'd Isis saw him woo the Nine
On her inspiring banks. Love tun'd his song
For fair THEANA was his only theme,
Acasto's daughter, whom in early youth
He oft distinguish'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 sapadillas oft he brought:
From him more sweet ripe sapadillas seem'd.
Nor had long absence yet effac'd her form;
Her charm still triumph'd o'er Britannia's fair.
One morn he met her in Sheen's royal walks;
Nor knew, till then, sweet Sheen contain'd his
all.

His taste mature approv'd his infant choice.
In colour, form, expression, and in grace
Sire shone all perfect; while each pleasing art,
And each soft virtue, that the sex adorns,
Adorn'd the woman. My imperfect strain
Can ill describe the transports 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 sire detested his THEANA's house!-
Thus duty, reverence, gratitude, conspir'd
To check their happy union. He resolv'd
And many a sigh that resolution cost)
To pass the time, till death his sire remov'd
In visiting old Europe's letter'd climes :

While she (and many a tear that parting drew)
Embark'd, reluctant, for her native isle.
Tho' learned, curious, and tho' nobly bent
With each rare talent to adorn his mind,
His native land to serve; no joys he found.
Yet sprightly Gaul; yet Belgium, Saturn's reign;
Yet Greece, of old the seat of every Muse,
Of freedom, courage; yet Ausonia's clime,
His steps explor'd; where painting, music's strains,
Where arts, where laws, Philosophy's best child,
With rival beauties his attention claim'd.
To his just-judging, his instructed eye
The all-perfect Medicean Venus seem'd
A perfect semblance of his Indian fair :
But when she spoke of love, her voice surpass'd
The harmonious warblings of Italian song.

Twice one long year elaps'd, when letters came,
Which briefly told him of his father's death.
Afflicted, filial, yet to Heav'n resign'd,
Soon he reach'd Albion, and as soon embark'd,
Eager to clasp the object of his love.

Blow, prosperous breezes! swiftly sail, thou Po!
Swift sail'd the Po, and happy breezes blew.
In Biscay's stormy seas an armed ship

Of force superior, from loud Charente's wave
Clapt them on board. The frighted flying crew
Their colours strike; when dauntless Junio fir'd
With noble indignation, kill'd the chief,
Who on the bloody deck dealt slaughter round.
The Gauls retreat; the Britons loud huzza;
And touch'd with shame, with emulation stung,
So plied their cannon, plied their missile fires >
That soon in air the hapless Thunderer blew.

Blow, prosperous breezes! swiftly sail, thou Po!
May no more dang'rous fights retard thy way!
Soon Porto Santo's rocky heights they spy,
Like clouds dim rising in the distant sky.
Glad Eurus whistles, laugh the sportive.crews
Each sail it set to catch the favouring gale,
While on the yard-arm the harpooner sits,
Strikes the boneta, or the shark ensnares: