The parents now, with late remorse,
Hung o'er his dying bed,
And wearied Heav'n with fruitless pray'rs,
And fruitlefs forrows fhed.
'Tis paft, he cried, but if your fouls
Sweet mercy yet can move,
Let thefe dim eyes once more behold What they must ever love.
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
(A cruel fifter the!)
Forbade what EMMA came to fay,
My EDWIN, live for me..
Now homeward as the hopeless went,
The churchyard path along,
The blaft blew cold, the dark owl scream'd
Her lover's fun'ral fong.
Amid the falling gloom of night,
Her ftartling fancy found
In ev'ry bush his hovering shade,
His groan in ev'ry found.
Alone, appall'd thus had the pafs'd
The vifionary vale,
When lo! the death bell fmote her ear,
Sad founding in the gale.
Just 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.
'Tis fift'ning fear and dumb amazement all: When to the ftartled 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 noife aftounds; till over head a sheet 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, mingling; 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 head Defcends the fated flafh.-Young CELADON And his AMELIA were a matchlefs pair; With equal virtue form'd and equal grace; The fame, diftinguish'd by their fex alone: Her's the mild luftre of the blooming morn, And his the radiance of the rifen day.
They lov'd; but fuch their guil-lefe 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 sympathetic 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 intercourse 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 stream, 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 bofom heav'd Unwonted fighs; and ftealing oft a look Tow'rds the big gloom, on CELADON her eye Fell tearful, wetting her diforder'd cheek. In vain affuring love, and confidence
In HEAVEN, reprefs'd her fear; it grew, and shook Her frame near diffolution. He perceiv'd Th' unequal conflict, and as angels look On dying faints! his eyes compaffion fhed, With love illumin'd high. "Fear not," he said,.. "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 terrour thro' the guilty heart, "With tongues of feraphs whifpers peace to thine. " "Tis fafety to be near thee fure, and thus "To clafp perfection!" From his void embrace,
(Myfterious 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 refemblance! on the marble tomb, The well-diffembled mourner ftooping stands, For ever filent, and for ever fad.
as young reafon dawn'd in Junio's breaft, 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 infpiring 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 prefented, more nectarious deem'd. The sweetest fappadillas oft he brought; From him more sweet ripe fappadillas feem'd. Nor had long absence yet effac'd her form; Her charms still 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 tafte 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 fex adorns, Ꭰ
Adorn'd the woman. My imperfect strain Can ill defcribe the tranfports Junio felt At this discov'ry; he declar'd his love; She own'd his merit, nor refus'd his hand.
And fhall not Hymen light his brightest torch For this delighted pair! Ah, Junio knew, His fire detefted his Theana's house!- Thus duty, reverence, gratitude confpir'd To check their happy union. He refolv'd (And many a figh that refolution coft) 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.
Though learned, curious, and though 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 fleps 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 furpafs'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 reach'd 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.
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