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diff --git a/old/11054.txt b/old/11054.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..70aac05 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/11054.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6308 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Poems (1786), Volume I., by Helen Maria Williams + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Poems (1786), Volume I. + +Author: Helen Maria Williams + +Release Date: February 12, 2004 [EBook #11054] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POEMS (1786), VOLUME I. *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Carol David and PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + +[Illustration] + +POEMS, + +BY HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS. + +IN TWO VOLUMES. + +VOL. I. + + +MDCCLXXXVI. + + + +TO HER MAJESTY. + + +MADAM, + +I am too sensible of the distinguished honour conferred upon me, in your +Majesty's gracious protection of these Poems, to abuse it by adopting +the common strain of dedication. + +That praise corresponds best to your Majesty's generous feelings, which +is poured without restraint from the heart, and is repeated where you +cannot hear. + +I suppress therefore, in delicacy to those feelings, the warmth of my +own, and subscribe myself, + +MADAM, + +With profound respect, + +Your MAJESTY'S + +Devoted servant, + +HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS. + + + +PREFACE. + +The apprehension which it becomes me to feel, in submitting these Poems +to the judgment of the Public, may perhaps plead my excuse, for +detaining the reader to relate, that they were written under the +disadvantages of a confined education, and at an age too young for the +attainment of an accurate taste. My first production, the Legendary Tale +of Edwin and Eltruda, was composed to amuse some solitary hours, and +without any view to publication. Being shewn to Dr. Kippis, he declared +that it deserved to be committed to the press, and offered to take upon +himself the task of introducing it to the world. I could not hesitate to +publish a composition which had received the sanction of his +approbation. By the favourable reception this little poem met with, I +was encouraged still farther to meet the public eye, in the "Ode on the +Peace," and the poem which has the title of "Peru." These poems are +inserted in the present collection, but not exactly in their original +form. I have felt it my duty to exert my endeavours in such a revision +and improvement of them, as may render them somewhat more worthy of +perusal. It will, I am afraid, still be found, that there are several +things in them which would shrink at the approach of severe criticism. +The other poems that now for the first time appear in print, are offered +with a degree of humility rather increased than diminished, by the +powerful patronage with which they have been honoured, in consequence of +the character given of them by partial friends. Knowing how strongly +affection can influence opinion, the kindness which excites my warmest +gratitude has not inspired me with confidence. + + * * * * * + +When I survey such an evidence of the zeal of my friends to serve me, as +the following honourable and extensive list affords, I have cause for +exultation in having published this work by subscription. They who know +my disposition, will readily believe that the tear which fills my eye, +while I thank them for their generous exertions, flows not from the +consideration of the benefits that have arisen from their friendship. It +is to that friendship itself, that my heart pays a tribute of affection +which I will not attempt to express--for my pen is unfaithful to my +purpose.--While I am employed in testifying my thankfulness for the +favours I have received, it is impossible that I should forget how much +I owe to one Gentleman in particular, whose exertions in my behalf, +though I was a stranger to him, have been so marked, so generous, and +indeed so unexampled, that it is a very painful task which his delicacy +has imposed upon me, in not permitting me to mention his name. But such +goodness cannot be concealed. The gratitude of my own heart has +proclaimed it to my private friends; and the noble and honourable +subscribers his zeal has procured, cannot avoid being sensible to whom I +am indebted for so illustrious a patronage. + + + +LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. + + +His Royal Highness the PRINCE of WALES. + + +A. + +Her Grace the Dutchess of Ancaster. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Abingdon. +The Right Hon. the Dowager Countess of Albemarle. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Aylesford, Captain of the Yeomen of the + Guards. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Ashburnham. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Aylesbury, Lord Chamberlain of her Majesty's + Houshold. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of St. Asaph. +The Right Hon. Lord Amherst, a General in the Army, Colonel of the + Second Troop of Horse Guards, and Governor of the Isle of + Guernsey. +The Right Hon. Lady Amherst. +The Right Hon. Lord Apsley, a Lord of the Admiralty. +The Right Hon. Lord Arden, a Lord of the Admiralty. +Sir Edmund Anderson, Bart. +Sir Edmund Affleck, Bart. Rear-Admiral of the Blue. +Lady Affleck. +The Hon. Richard Pepper Arden, Esq. his Majesty's Attorney-General, and + Chief Justice of Chester. +Charles Ambler, Esq. King's Counsel, and her Majesty's Attorney-General. +William Adair, Esq. Barrister at Law. +William Adam, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mrs. Adam. +---- Adair, Esq. +Thomas Adams, Esq. Alnwick. +Robert Adair, Esq. +Mrs. A. Affleck. +Miss Affleck, Bury. +Rev. Mr. James Aitchison, Berwick. +Mrs. Alder, Horncliffe. +William Alexander, Esq. +Alexander Alison, Esq. +Miss Allin, Berwick. +Robert Allan, Esq. Edinburgh. +Mrs. Allen. +The Rev. Nathaniel Andrews, Warminster, Wilts. +Miss Anderson. +Francis Annesley, Esq. +John Anstruther, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mrs. J. Anstruther. +James Arbouin, Esq. +Robert Arbuthnot, Esq. Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Arden. +The Rev. Mr. Arden, Vicar of Tarpoly in Cheshire. +H.G. Armery, Esq. +The Rev. Mr. Armstrong, Bath. +George Arnold, Esq. +Mrs. Arnold. +Miss Artaud. +Late Mrs. Ashurst, St. Julian's. +John Askew, Esq. Pallinsburn. +Mrs. Askew, ditto. +Miss E.A. Askew, ditto. +Mr. G.A. Askew, Eton. +Mrs. Askew, Redheugh, Durham. +Miss Askew. +Francis Austen, Esq. +Mrs. Austen. +The Rev. Mr. S. Austen. +Mrs. Sackville Austen. +Mrs. Axford. +Theodore Aylward, Esq. Musical Professor at Gresham College. + +B. + +Her Grace the Dutchess of Bolton. +His Grace the Duke of Buccleugh, Governor of the Royal Bank of Scotland. +Her Grace the Dutchess of Buccleugh. +The Right Hon. the Marquis of Buckingham, Lord Lieutenant of the County + of Bucks, and one of his Majesty's Privy Council. +The Right Hon. the Marchioness of Buckingham. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Buckinghamshire, one of his Majesty's Privy + Council. +The Right Hon. the Countess of Buckinghamshire. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Beaulieu. +The Right Hon. Lady Diana Beauclerk. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Bath and Wells. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Bangor. +The Right Hon. Lord Boston, a Lord of the Bedchamber. +The Right Hon. Lord Brownlow. +The Right Hon. Lady Brownlow. +The Right Hon. Lord Brudenell, Master of the Robes. +The Right Hon. Lady Caroline Bruce. +The Right Hon. Lady Frances Bruce. +The Hon. Mrs. Baillie, Edinburgh. +The Hon. Henry Burton. +The Hon. Mrs. Boscawen. +The Hon. Miss Boscawen, Maid of Honour to the Queen. +Sir Edward Bacon, Premier Baronet of England. +Lady Bacon. +Lady Blake. +Sir Harry Burrard, Bart. +Lady Blount. +The Rev. Nicholas Bacon, Coddenham. +Robert Baillie, Esq. Carphin, Fife. +Matthew Baillie, Esq. +Miss Baillie. +Miss J. Baillie. +Mrs. Balcanqual, Cupar, Fife. +James Balmain, Esq. Commissioner of Excise, Edinburgh. +Miss Caroline Balmain. +Mr. James Banfield. +Dugald Bannatine, Esq. +William Barkley, Esq. +Captain Barkley, Play Hatch, Berks. +Mrs. Barkley. +Edward Barnard, Esq. +Mrs. Barnouin. +Miss Barnouin, Southampton. +The Rev. William Barrow, L.L.D. +Miss Caroline Barlow, Winton. +Miss Barry. +Miss Barton. +---- Barton, Esq. +Mrs. Barwell. +The Rev. Dr. Bates. +Mrs. Bates. +Joah Bates, Esq. Commissioner of the Customs. +Mrs. J. Bates. +Miss Batten, Yeovil, Somersetshire. +John Bax, Esq. +Fowill Baxton, Esq. +William Baynes, Esq. +Mrs. Baynes. +Dr. Bayly, Chichester. +Miss Bayly, Colchester. +Matthew Beachcroft, Esq. +Mrs. Beachwell. +Edward Bearcroft, Esq. +Miss Bearcroft. +Mrs. Beasley. +Henry Beaufoy, Esq. +Mrs. Beaufoy. +Mr. Beaumont. +Mr. Robert Beggar, jun. Sheens, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Bell. +Mrs. Belson. +John Bicknell, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mrs. Bicknell. +Charles Bicknell, Esq. +Mrs. Bicknell. +Mrs. Billingsley, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Billingsley, of Ashwick Grove, Somersetshire. +Miss Billingsley. +John Bill, Esq. Totteridge. +The Rev. Mr. Birch. +Thomas Birch, Esq. +---- Bird, Esq. +Mrs. Bisson. +Miss Bisson. +Mr. Blackbourn. +Mrs. Blagny. +Miss Blake, Crewkerne, Somersetshire. +John Bonar, Esq. Excise-Office, Edinburgh. +Alexander Bonar, Esq. Edinburgh. +Andrew Bonar, Esq. Ditto. +Mr. Charles Bond, St. John's College, Cambridge, +Phineas Bond, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Book Society, St. Alban's. +Frederick Booth, Esq. +Wilbraham Bootle, Esq. +Mrs. Bootle. +Miss Borthwick, Colchester. +Jacob Bosanquet, Esq. +William Bosanquet, Esq. +Henry Bosanquet, Esq. +Mrs. Bosanquet. +Miss Bosanquet. +William Boscawen, Esq. Barrister at Law, and a Commissioner of the + Victualling-Office. +James Bosquet, Esq. +Mrs. Bosquet. +Captain Boteler, Henley. +Mrs. Bott. +The Rev. Jonathan Boucher, Epsom. +Miss Boucher, Yeovil, Somersetshire. +The Rev. Mr. Bouts. +John Bowdler, Esq. +Charles Bowler, Esq. Lymington, Hants. +The Rev. Mr. Bowness. +Joseph Boyce, Esq. +---- Boyer, Esq. +Miss Boys, Sherborne, Dorset. +Miss Brackenbury. +Miss Bradford, Frenchhay, Glocestershire. +Barrington Bradshaw, Esq. +Mrs. Bradshaw. +Mr. Bradstreet, St. John's College, Cambridge. +Daniel Braithwaite, Esq. +Mr. Brand. +Mrs. Brand. +Miss Bray. +Mrs. Brewse, Ipswich. +---- Bridger, Esq. +Miss Bridger. +Mrs. Britt. +Thomas H. Broadhead, Esq. +Mrs. Brockhurst +Mrs. Brome, Ipswich. +William Bromfield, Esq. +James Bromfield, Esq. +Stamp Brooksbanks, Esq. Commissioner of Excise. +Mrs. Brooksbanks. +W.C. Brough, Esq. +Job C. Brough, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Bryan Broughton, Esq. +George Brown, Esq. +Charles Brown, Esq. Edinburgh. +Isaac Hawkins Brown, Esq. +William Brown, Esq. +Alexander Brown, Esq. Librarian to the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh. +Miss Brown, Stockton, Durham. +Miss Brunette. +Edward Bruce, Esq. Edinburgh. +Mr. James Bruce, Ditto. +Mr. John Bruce, Professor of Logic, Edinburgh. +Frederick Bruce, Esq. Edinburgh. +---- Bryant, Esq. +Mrs. Bryern. +John Buchan, Esq. Writer to the Signet, Edinburgh. +Charles Buerchier, Esq. +Mr. Bugg, Belford. +Mrs. Bull. +---- Bull, Esq. Wilton. +---- Buller, Esq. ditto. +Mr. Joseph Bullen. +Mrs. Buncombe, Bishop's Hall, Somerset. +Miss Buncombe, Hornby, Somerset. +Mr. J. S. Burford. +Miss Burford, Chigwell. +Thomas Burgh, Esq. +J. C. Burgh, Esq. +George Burne, Esq. +Harry Burrard, Esq. Lymington. +Mrs. Butler, Yeovil, Somerset. +Edward Butler, Esq. jun. Warminster. +Mrs. De Butts. + +C. + +His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. +The Right Hon. Lord Camden, President of the Council. +The Right Hon. the Marquis of Carmarthen, one of his Majesty's Principal + Secretaries of State. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Corke. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Clarendon, Chancellor of the Dutchy of + Lancaster. +The Dowager Countess of Cavan. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Carlisle. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Chester. +The Right Hon. Lord Cadogan. +The Right Hon. Lord Camelford. +The Right Hon. Lady Camelford. +The Right Hon. Lord Chedworth. +The Hon. Mrs. Cornwallis. +Sir James Campbell, Bart. +Lady Campbell, Madras. +Sir George Cornwall, Bart. +Lady Cornwall. +Sir Thomas Clavering, Bart. +Ilay Campbell, Esq. Lord Advocate of Scotland. +---- Cabonet, Esq. +Philip Cade, Esq. +Mrs. P. Cade. +Miss Cadogan. +Mrs. Caillaud. +Colonel Campbell, Monzie. +Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, Madras. +Mrs. Campbell. +Mr. Archibald Campbell. +Miss Campbell. +William Campbell, Esq. Fairfield. +John Campbell, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss Campbell. +Capt. R. N. Campbell. +Miss Campbell, Edinburgh. +Miss Campion, Colchester. +Mrs. Capadoce. +---- Carbonell, Esq. +Mrs. Carbonell. +Peter Caralet, jun. Esq. +Mrs. Reginald P. Carew. +Mrs. Carke. +Mr. James Carmichael, Eymouth. +John Carr, Esq. Ryshope. +Mrs. Carter. +Edward Castance, Esq. +Mrs. Castance. +Mr. John Chadwick. +A.H. Chambers, Esq. +Miss Chapman. +Miss Chapman, South Petherton, Somerset. +Edward Charlton, Esq. Reeds Mouth. +Mr. William Charlton, Alnwick. +Miss Chartres, Ednam House. +Robert Chester, Esq. +Mrs. Chester. +Miss Chester. +Miss Cheveley. +Joseph Chew, Esq. +Miss Child. +---- Chowne, Esq. +Mrs. Chowne. +Miss Chowne. +Alexander Christie, Esq. Grueldikes. +James Christie, Esq. +Mrs. Christie. +Miss Christie. +James Christie, jun. Esq. +Mrs. Clark, Ord-House, Berwick. +Richard Clarke, Esq. +Thomas Clarke, Esq. +Mrs. Clarke. +Richard Clarke, Esq. +Miss Clarke. +Miss Clark of Exeter. +The Rev. Mr. Clarkson, Kirkharle. +Charles Clavering, Esq. +Miss Clavering, Berrington. +William Clay, Esq. +Mrs. Margaret Clayton. +Miss Clayton. +Miss K. Clavering, ditto. +Miss Cleaver. +The late Mrs. Clive. +Miss E. Clutterbuck, Clonmel, Ireland. +John Clunie, Esq. Berwick. +William Coates, Esq. Bristol. +Thomas Coates, Esq. ditto. +Richard Cockran, Esq. +Miss Coles. +---- Collet, Esq. +The Rev. S. Collinson, Oxford. +College Library, Edinburgh. +Miss Colquoun, Edinburgh. +Henry Compton, Esq. +Robert Comyns, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Lancelot Conyngham, Esq. Winchester. +William Cooper, Esq. +John Coore, Esq. +Mrs. Coore. +The Rev. Dr. Cooper, Prebendary of Durham. +Mrs. Cooper. +Mrs. Cosser. +Miss Cosser. +Richard Cosway, Esq. +Mrs. Cosway. +Mr. Cotton. +Robert Cotton, Esq. +Thomas Tryon Cotton, Esq. +Mr. J. Cotton, Chigwell, Essex. +Miss Cotton. +John Cotton, Esq. Richmond. +John Cottrell, Esq. +John Cornwall, Esq. +Mrs. Cornwall. +Miss Corbet, St. Alban's. +Thomas Coutts, Esq. +---- Couper, Esq. +Thomas Cowper, Esq. King's Counsel. +Mrs. T. Cowper. +Mr. Cowper, Norwich. +The Rev. Mr. Cowper. +Mrs. Cox. +Lieutenant Colonel Craig. +---- Craig, Esq. +John Cranford, Esq. +Miss Crawford, Chiswick. +Charles Alexander Crickett, Esq. +Thomas Croft, Esq. +Mrs. Croftes. +George Crow, Esq. Netherbyres. +Mr. Thomas Cruikshank. +Mrs. Cumberland. +Alexander Cunningham, Esq. +Colonel Cunningham, Berwick. +Miss Curre. +William Curteis, Esq. + +D. + +His Grace the Duke of Devonshire. +Her Grace the Dutchess of Devonshire. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Dumfries. +The Right Hon. Lady Viscountess Duncannon. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of St. David's. +The late Lord Dacre. +The Dowager Lady Dacre. +The Right Hon. Lady Harriot Dom. +The Right Hon. Lady Helen Douglas. +Lord Dunsinan, one of the Senators of the College of Justice. +The Hon. George Damer. +The Hon. Mrs. Davy. +Lady Don. +Sir John D'Oyley, Bart. +Mrs. Dalgliesh, Edinburgh. +Robert Dallas, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mr. Dalzell, Professor of Greek, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Daniel, Yeovil, Somerset. +Harry Darby, Esq. Grange-hill, Essex. +Miss Darby, Walhampton, Hants. +Mr. John Darby, Hatfield, Herts. +Mr. Edmund Darby. +Lionell Darell, Esq. a Director of the East-India Company. +Robert Darell, Esq. +The Rev. Dr. Davis, Upper-Master of Eton School. +---- Davison, Esq. +Miss Davison, Berwick. +Eleazer Davy, Esq. +James Dawkins, Esq. +George Dawkins, Esq. +Mrs. Dawkins. +John Dawson, Esq. +William Day, Esq. +Anthony Deane, jun. Esq. +Mrs. Deane. +Miss Dealtry, Lonridge. +Joseph Debaufre, Esq. +Richard Debaufre, Esq. +Miss Maria De Burgh, Southampton. +Miss Deering, Ripon. +John Degruchy, Esq. +John Delamain, Esq. +Mrs. Demham, Chigwell, Essex. +George Dempster, Esq. Secretary to the Order of the Thistle. +Mrs. Dempster. +John Hamilton Dempster, a Captain in the Naval Service of the East-India + Company. +Mrs. J.H. Dempster. +Major Dennis. +Mrs. Ann Dennis. +Mrs. Derbie, Bridgewater, Somersetshire. +Edward Desborough, Esq. +Miss Des Champs. +William Devaynes, Esq. Chairman of the East-India Company. +Court D'ewes, Esq. Wellsburn, Warwickshire. +Barnard D'ewes, Esq. Hagley, Worcestershire. +Mrs. Dickson, Ednam House. +Mrs. Dickson. +Miss Dickson, Taunton, Somerset. +Miss Dickson. +Miss Dickson. +Capt. Mark Dickens. +Rev. Dr. Dickens, Archdeacon of Durham. +Mr. William Dick, Dunse. +The Rev. Dr. Digby, Dean of Durham. +Mrs. Digby. +The Rev. Dr. Disney, Chelsea. +Michael Dobson, Esq. +Miss Dobson, Hackney. +Mr. George Dominicus. +Silvester Douglas, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss Douglas, Springwood Park. +Mrs. Douglas. +Mrs. Douglas. +Miss Douglas. +Archibald Douglas, Esq. Cavers. +Miss M. Douglas. +Captain Douglas, Berwick. +Mrs. Douglas, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Douglas, Cavers. +Mrs. D'Oyley, St. Alban's. +George Drake, Esq. +Mrs. Drake. +Charles Druce, Esq. +---- Drury, jun. Esq. +Col. Drummond, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. +Captain Duddingston. +The Rev. Dr. Dumaresque, Yeovilton, Somerset. +William Dunbar, Esq. +Miss Dunn. +Alexander Duncan, South Port. +Francis Duroure, Esq. +Colonel Duroure. +Miss Dutens. +Miss Dutton. +The Rev. Dr. Duval, Canon of Windsor, Treasurer and Secretary to his + Royal Highness the Duke of Glocester. + +E. + +The Right Hon. the Earl of Effingham, Master of the Mint. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Egremont. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Ely. +The Hon. Thomas Erskine, King's Counsel, and Attorney-General to the + Prince of Wales. +The Hon. Mrs. T. Erskine. +The Hon. Andrew Erskine. +Mrs. Eade. +Henry Earle, Esq. +Mrs. K. Edgar, Ipswich. +Mrs. Edmeston, Berwick. +Miss Elizabeth Edmeston, Berwick. +---- Edmonds, Esq. +Mrs. Edmunds. +The Rev. Mr. Archdeacon Edwards. +The Rev. Mr. Archdeacon Egerton. +The Rev. Mr. Charles Egerton. +Frederick Ekins, Esq. Winchester. +John Ellill, Esq. Totteridge. +Luther Elliott, Esq. Colchester. +Miss Elliott, ditto. +The Rev. Dr. Ellisten, Master of Sydney College, Cambridge. +Mrs. Elliston. +William Emes, Esq. +Miss Emes. +Mrs. Emlyn. +Mrs. Emmott. +Mrs. Erington. +George Ernest, Esq. +Miss Ernest. +James Esdaile, Esq. +Mrs. Estlin, Bristol. +Samuel Estwicke, Esq. Deputy Paymaster of the Forces. +Colonel Etherington, Jamaica. +Major Etherington. +Rev. Caleb Evans, Bristol. +Miss Evans, ditto. +Mrs. Evans, ditto. +Miss Evans. +Miss Evans. +Miss M. Evans. +John Everth, Esq. +Thomas Evens, Esq. +---- Evens, Esq. +John Ewer, Esq. +Miss Ewer. +Mrs. A. Eyres. + +F. + +The Right Hon. Earl Fitzwilliam. +The Right Hon. Lord Fortescue. +The Right Hon. Lady Charlotte Finch. +The Hon. John Fitzwilliam, a General in the Army, and Colonel of the + Second Regiment of Horse. +The Hon. Mr. Fitzwilliam. +George Fairholm, Esq. +Colin Falconer, Esq. Woodleat Park. +Miss M. C. Fanshawe. +The Rev. Hugh Farmer, Walthamstow. +The Rev. Dr. Farmer. +William Farquarson, Esq. Edinburgh. +Mr. Farquhar. +Miss Charlotte Faulkner. +William Fawkener, Esq. Clerk of the Council. +Mrs. Fawkener. +James Fergusson, Esq. of Balfour. +James Fergusson, Esq. of Edinburgh. +Neil Fergusson, Esq. Edinburgh. +Mrs. Fergusson, ditto. +Miss Fergusson, ditto. +Miss Ferrers, Chigwell, Essex. +Thomas Ferrers, Esq. +The Rev. Edmund Ferrers. +The Rev. J. Bromfield Ferrers. +Henry Festing, Esq. +Miss Fielding. +Miss Figg, Berwick. +Miss Finch. +John Fiott, Esq. Totteridge. +Mrs. Fiott. +Captain Edward Fiott, Jersey. +Miss Firmin, Ipswich. +John Fisher, Esq. +Mrs. Fisher. +Thomas Fitzhugh, Esq. +John Floud, Esq. +Mrs. H. Fonnereau, Colchester. +John Foot, Esq. +Jessey Foot, Esq. +John Foote, Esq. +---- Forsteen, Esq. +The Rev. Dr. Forster, Colchester. +The Rev. Mr. Foster, Liverpool. +Mrs. R. Forester, Berwick. +Miss M. W. Forster, Berwick. +Miss Ford. +Mrs. Frankland, Chichester. +Clement Francis, Esq. +John Frere, Esq. F. R. S. and F. A. S. +William French, Esq. +Mrs. Frogatt. +Miss Froud, Matcomb, Dorset. +Mrs. Furie. + +G. + +Her Grace the Dutchess of Grafton. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Guildford. +The Right Hon. Lord Grantham. +The Hon. Mrs. L. Gower. +The Hon. Baron Gordon. +Sir Thomas Gooch, Bart. +Lady Gooch. +Sir Charles Grey. +Lady Grey. +Mrs. Gairdner. +Henry Gally, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss Galdie. +Mrs. Gardiner. +Mrs. Gardiner. +Major Gardner. +Mrs. Gardiner. +Mrs. Garrick. +The Rev. R. E. Garnham, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. +Miss Henrietta Gavillar. +Philip Gavey, Esq. +---- Gauder, Esq. Sherborne, Dorsetshire, +Samuel Gaussen, Esq. +Mrs. Gaussen. +Miss Gaussen. +Mrs. Gell, Hopton, Derbyshire. +Captain Gell, of the Navy. +G. Chapman George, Esq. +Miss Gibson, Hackney. +Mrs. M. Girardoles, Putney. +Robert Glynn, Esq. M. D. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and + of King's College, Cambridge. +Stephen Peter Godin, Esq. Cullards Grove, Middlesex. +Mrs. Godin, Hampton, Middlesex. +Mrs. Goddard. +William Godfrey, Esq. +---- Godfrey, Esq. +The Rev. Mr. John Gooch. +Mrs. Hester Goodere. +Mrs. Goodfellow. +Mrs. Goodford, Yeovil, Somerset. +Mrs. Gosset. +Miss Gough. +Colonel Gould. +Mrs. Gould, of Colchester. +Robert Graham, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss Graham, Berwick. +The Rev. Mr. John Granville, Calwich, Staffordshire. +---- Graystock, Esq. +Mrs. Gray, Colchester. +Miss Gray, Edinburgh. +Thomas Gray, Esq. of the 14th Regiment. +Augustine Greenland, Esq. +Mrs. Greenland. +Miss Greenland. +General Green. +Mrs. Grey, Fallsdon. +Miss Grey, ditto. +Francis Gregg, jun. Esq. +Anthony Gregson, Esq. Lanlin. +Mrs. Gregson, Prekton. +Mrs. Greive, Berwick. +Mark Gregory, Esq. +Thomas Gregory, Esq. +The Rev. George Gregory. +Mrs. Grene. +Philip Gretton, Esq. Colchester. +The Rev. B. Grisdale. +Mrs. Groote. +William Grove, Esq. +William Grove, Esq. of Lichfield. +Miss Gurdon, Colchester. +Miss Guy. +William Guy, Esq. Colchester. +Mrs. Gwathim. + +H. + +His Grace the Duke of Hamilton. +Her Grace the Dutchess of Hamilton. +The Right Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun, one of the Sixteen Peers of + Scotland. +The Right Hon. the Countess of Hopetoun. +The Right Hon. Lord Howard de Walden, a General of his Majesty's Forces, + and Colonel of the First Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards. +The Right Hon. Lady Howard de Walden. +The Right Hon. Lord Harrowby. +The Right Hon. Lady Harrowby. +The Hon. Miss Hamilton. +The Hon. Mrs. Hanbury. +Sir John Henderson, Bart. +Sir James Hall, Bart. +Sir Andrew Snape Hammond, Bart. +Lady Haggerston. +George Hardinge, Esq. F. A. S. King's Counsel, and Solicitor-General to + the Queen. +Mrs. G. Hardinge. +Mrs. Haden. +Mrs. Haggerston, Ellingham. +Miss Haggerston. +Thomas Haggeston, Esq. Sandac. +Mrs. E. Haistwell. +The Rev. Mr. Halters, Wimbledon. +Miss Halkerston. +Mrs. Hall. +Miss Hall, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Hall. +Rev. Mr. Halls, Colchester. +William Hall, Esq. +Mrs. Halliday, Taunton, Somerset. +Miss Halliday, ditto. +Mr. Halliwell. +John James Hamilton, Esq. +Colonel Hamilton, Dabriel. +William Hamilton, Esq. +Mrs. W. Hamilton. +Miss Hamilton. +Rev. Dr. Hamilton, Archdeacon of Colchester, and Vicar of St. Martin's + in the Fields, F.R.S. and F.A.S. +Miss Hanbury. +Miss F. Hanbury. +Miss E. Hankle. +Miss M. Hannay, +Mrs. Hardinge. +Miss Hardinge. +Miss Julia Hardinge. +George Hardinge, jun. Esq. +The Rev. Mr. Hardinge, Vicar of Kingston upon Thames. +Richard Hardinge, Esq. Captain of the Kent East-Indiaman. +Miss Harford. +Francis Hargrave, jun. Esq. +Mrs. Hargrave. +Robert Harper, Esq. +The Rev. Mr. Harper. +Thomas Harris, Esq. Knightsbridge. +The Rev. A. Harris, Maidstone, Kent. +R. Harris, Esq. ditto. +John Harrison, Esq. +Miss Harrison. +Mr. William Harrison, Devon. +The Rev. George Harvey, Sherborne, Dorset. +Warren Hastings, Esq. +Mrs. Hastings. +Miss N. Hastings, Sussex. +Miss Hawes. +Miss Maria Hawes. +Mrs. Hawksworth, Bromley. +Miss Haward, Shidlane. +William Hayley, Esq. Eartham, Sussex. +Mrs. Hayley. +Mrs. Heartcup. +Dr. Heberden, M.D. +Mr. Heclas. +The late Rev. Mr. Hemmings, Minister of the Chapel at Twickenham. +Mrs. Hemmings. +Robert Henderson, Esq. Edinburgh. +Robert Henderson, Esq. +Colonel David Hepburn. +Miss Herbert. +Mrs. Hewitt, Colchester. +---- Higden, Esq. +Mr. Hill, Professor of Humanity, Edinburgh. +Miss Hill. +Mrs. Hill. +The Rev. Mr. Hill. +Miss Hill. +R. M. Hills, Esq. Colchester. +Mrs. Hodgson. +Miss Hoffman. +Mr. G. Hoggarth, Lennelhill, +James Hogbin, Esq. +Mrs. Holden. +Robert Holder, Esq. +John Holiday, Esq. +Mrs. Holman. +---- Holman, Esq. +Mrs. Hood. +John Hoole, Esq. +Mrs. Hoole. +The Rev. Mr. J. Hoole. +B. Bond Hopkins, Esq. Wimbledon. +Dr. John Hope, Professor of Botany, Edinburgh. +T. Hopkins, Esq. +William Hornbey, Esq. +Mrs. Hornbey. +Mrs. Houblon. +Dr. Houlston, Liverpool. +Mr. Houlston. +Miss Howel, of Yeovil, Somerset. +Miss Hughes, Berwick. +Henry Hughes, Esq. +---- Hume, Esq. +David Hume, Esq. Edinburgh. +Mrs. Hume. +Mrs. Hunter. +Mrs. John Hunter. +Joseph Hurlock, Esq. +The Rev. Mr. Hutcheson, Suffolk. +Miss Hutcheson, Putney. +The Rev. Mr. Hutson. +E. H. + +J. + +Sir William Jerningham, Bart. +Miss Jackson, Nicholas-Field, Kelso. +Henry Jackson, Esq. +Thomas Scott Jackson, Esq. +Mrs. T. S. Jackson. +Charles Jackson, jun. Esq. +Miss Jackson. +William Jameson, Esq. +Mrs. Jameson. +Mr. Jameson, Haggerston. +Gilbert James, Esq. Stowe. +Miss James, East Harptry, Somerset. +Mrs. Mary Jeffries. +Miss M. Jeffries. +John Jeffreys, Esq. +John Jeffreys, Esq. Berwick. +William Jeffreys, Esq. ditto. +Edward Jeffries, Esq. Treasurer of St. Thomas's Hospital. +---- Jeffries, Esq. Sherborne, Dorset. +Joseph Jekyll, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Robert Jenner, Esq. +Mrs. Jenner. +Edward Jerningham, Esq. +Jervoise Clark Jervoise, Esq. +The Rev. T. Jerwis. +Mrs. Jesser, Hackney. +Miss Jillard, Bishop Hall, Somerset. +Hugh Inglis, Esq. +Mrs. Inglis. +Hugh Inglis, Esq. +Mr. Robert Ingram, Sidney College, Cambridge. +Mrs. Ingram, +Mrs. Ingram. +William Innes, Esq. +Miss Johnsone. +Mifs Johnson, Bromley. +Mrs. Johnson. +Mrs. Jones. +William Jones, Esq. +Mrs. Jones. +Mr. Jones. +Daniel Jones, Esq. +Mrs. D. Jones. +Valentine Jones, Esq. +Miss Jones. +John Jonson, Esq. +T. Jordan, Esq. +---- Jordan, Esq. +Mrs. Jordan, Oakhill, Somerset. +Miss Julliott. +Mrs. Jupp. + +K. + +Lady Kent. +George Keate, Esq. +Miss Keene. +Edmund Kelly, Esq. +Kelso Library. +John Kemble, Esq. +Miss Kemble. +J. W. Kendall, Esq. +Miss Kenniesley. +Cranmer Kenrick, Esq. Southgate, Middlesex. +Mrs. Kerr. +Mr. William Kerr, Cornhill. +The Rev. Mr. Kesterman, Christ's College, Cambridge. +Miss Kesterman, Colchester. +Miss Mary Kesterman, ditto. +William Keymer, Esq. +Miss Kidney, Knuston Hall, Northampton. +James King, Esq. +Mrs. E. King. +Shaw King, Esq. Colchester. +Miss Kinlock, Gilmerton. +John Kingsman, Esq. +The Rev. Dr. Kippis. +Mrs. Kippis. +John Kirkpatrick, Esq. +Mrs. Knapp. +E. Knight, Esq. +Samuel Knight, Esq. +Mrs. Knight. +John Knill, Esq. + +L. + +The Right Hon. the Earl of Leicester, Captain of the Band of Pensioners, + President of the Antiquarian Society, and F.R.S. +The Right Hon. the Countess of Leicester. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Llandaff. +The Right Hon. Lady Charlotte Legge. +Sir William Loraine, Bart. +Lady Loraine. +Mrs. Labarte, Clonmel, Ireland. +A Lady. +Multon Lambard, Esq. +The Rev. Thomas Lambard, Vicar of Ash in Kent. +Mrs. F. Lambard. +Mrs. Lambert. +Mrs. Landels, Etal. +Thomas Langley, Esq. +---- Landseer, Esq. +John Lane, Esq. +Mrs. Lane. +Miss E. Lane. +The Rev. Mr. Lane. +Miss Larpent. +Miss F. Larpent. +The Rev. Mr. Law, Preb. of Carlisle. +Mrs. Laws, Poulton-House, Wilts. +Mrs. Allan Lawrence. +French Lawrence, Esq. +---- Lawrence, Esq. +Herbert Lawrence, Esq. +The Rev. C. P. Layard, F.R.S. F.A.S. +Mrs. Layard. +Mrs. Layton, Weymouth. +Mrs. Leather. +Mrs. Lee, of Totteridge Park. +Miss Lee. +Miss Louisa Lee. +Harman Leece, Esq. +William N. Leeves, Esq. Tonton, Sussex. +Hugh Leicester, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Rev. John Lettice, Pearsemarsh, Sussex. +Robert Lewin, Esq. +S. Lewin, Esq. Hackney. +C. Lewis, Esq. +T. Lewis, Esq. +Mrs. Lewis. +Miss Lewis. +R. Lewis, Esq; Colchester. +Rev. Mr. Linsey. +Mr. James Lind, Gosport. +---- Livingstone, Esq. +Colonel Livingstone, Edinburgh. +Mr. F. Lloyd. +---- Lloyd, Esq. +William Locke, Esq. +Mrs. Locke. +Mrs. Lockwood. +George Logan, Esq. Ednom. +---- Lomax, Esq. +Mr. William Long. +Mrs. Robert Long. +Thomas Longlands, Esq. +Mrs. Losack. +Miss Losack. +Capt. George Losack, of the Navy. +Mrs. Love. +Mr. John Lowdell. +J. D. Lucadon, Esq. +Miss Lucas. +Mrs. Ludbey. +Rev. Dr. Lullerton. +Rev. William Lush, Warminster, Wilts. +---- Luttley, Esq. +Henry Lyell, Esq. +Mrs. Lyell. +Rev. Mr. Daniel Lysons. +Samuel Lysons, Esq. +Miss G. L. + +M. + +His Grace the Duke of Montagu, Master of the Horse to the King. +The Right Hon. Lord Milton. +The Right Hon. Lord Viscount Maitland. +The Right Hon. Lady Viscountess Maitland. +The Right Hon. Lady Louisa Macdonald. +The Right Hon. Lady Augusta Murray. +The Right Hon. Lady Hay Macdougal. +Major General Lord McLeod. +The Hon. Mrs. Mackay. +The Hon. Miss Murray. +The Hon. Miss ---- Murray. +The Hon. Archibald Macdonald, Solicitor General to the King, and a Welch + Judge. +The Hon. Capt. William Maitland. +The Hon. Frederick Montague. +Sir Hector Munro, Knight of the Bath. +Mrs. Montagu. +Miss Maclean. +E. L. Mackurds, Esq. +George Macauley, Esq. +Capt. Macbride. +Archibald Macdonald, Esq. Edinburgh. +Mr. T. McDonald, Writer to the Signet, Edinburgh. +General Macnab, ditto. +Capt. Hector Mac Neal, Hugdale. +H. Macneil, Esq. Stirling. +James Macpherson, Esq. +Mrs. Madan. +John Madocks, Esq. King's Counsel. +John Madocks, jun. Esq. +Mrs. J. Madocks. +John Madelison, Esq. +Capt. Alex. Charles Maitland. +Mrs. Majorebanks, Lees. +John Malliet, Esq. +Mrs. Malliet. +Miss Malliet. +Edward Mason, Esq. +James Mansfield, Esq. +Rev. W. L. Mansel, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. +Mrs. Manson, Berwick. +Mrs. Manster. +Mrs. Mathias. +Miss Albinia Mathias. +Miss C. Mathias. +Thomas James Mathias, Esq. +Charles Matthew, Esq. Colchester. +Mrs. Maty. +John Marton, Esq. +Mrs. Marsh, Ford. +Mrs. Marshall, St. Alban's. +Joseph Marshal, Esq. Edrington. +---- Maud, Esq. +Miss Maud. +John Maughen, Esq. +---- Maurice, Esq. Bristol. +Miss Mayaffre. +Mrs. Maynard. +Mrs. Meech, Dorchester. +Francis Menet, Esq. +Mrs. Menet. +C. Metcalfe, Esq. +Mrs. Meynell. +Miss Harriot Meynell. +William Middleton, Esq. +Mrs. Middleton, Stockald. +Charles Mills, Esq. +T. Mills, Esq. Colchester. +Mrs. Miller, Glenlee. +Mrs. Mingay. +Isaac Minors, Esq. +T. Minors, jun. Esq. +Mrs. Mitchell, Kinghand, Norfolk. +John Mitford, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mrs. Mitchell. +Miss Moffat. +T. Monk, Esq. +Mrs. Monoux. +James Montague, Esq. +Mrs. Moncaster, Wallsend. +Mrs. Moore, Lambeth House. +Dr. Moore, M. D. +Mrs. Moore. +Miss Moore. +Major Moore. +James Moore, Esq. +Graham Moore, Esq. +Francis Moore, Esq. +Mr. Charles Moore. +---- Moore, Esq. +Mrs. Hannah More. +Rev. Mr. Morrison. +T. Hooper Morrison, Esq. Winchester. +Mrs. Morgan, Enfield. +Rev. Thomas Morgan. +Thomas Morgan, Esq. Chigwell, Essex. +James Morley, Esq. +Mrs. Morris, St. Neots. +Mrs. Caroline Morris. +John Morthland, Esq. Advocate, Edinburgh. +Lieutenant Colonel Morse. +Mrs. R. Morse. +Thomas Morton, Esq. +Mrs. Motto. +Rev. Mr. Mountain, Colchester. +F.R.C. Mundy, Esq. Marton, Derbyshire. +Mrs. Mundy. +Mrs. Munn, Greenwich. +Mrs. M. Munn, Bromley. +Mrs. Munster. +Miss Murray, Edinburgh. +Hutcheson Mure, Esq. +Daniel Mussenden, Esq. + +N. + +Hon. Miss North. +Lady Norcliffe. +Major Nesbit. +John Nesham, Esq. +Francis Newberry, Esq. +Mrs. Newell, Oxon. +G. L. Newnham, Esq. King's Counsel. +Andrew Newton, Esq. Lichfield. +Nicholas Nicholas, Esq. +William Nicholl, Esq. +Dr. John Nicholl, LL.D. +The Rev. Norton Nicholls, Vicar of Blandestone, Suffolk. +Mrs. Nicholls. +George Nicol, Esq. +Monsieur Nichea, Docteur en Medecine, & Maitre en Chirurgie, au Service + de S.A.R. Monseigneur Archiduc Ferdinand d'Autriche, &c. a + Milan. +Miss Noake, Bristol. +Miss Noble. +Miss Norton, Ipswich. + +O. + +Mrs. Oliphant. +Mrs. Ord, Lonridge. +Mr. Ord. +Robert Orme, Esq. +Robert Orme, Esq. +Rev. Mr. Orme. +Robert Osborne, Esq. +William Osgood, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss Aurca Ottway. +Robert Ouchterteny, jun. Esq. Montrose. +Rev. Mr. Owen. + +P. + +The Right Hon. Lady Catharine Powlett. +The Hon. John J. Pratt, a Lord of the Admiralty. +The Hon. Mrs. Pratt. +The Hon. Miss Pratt. +The Hon. Miss Pitt. +Sir James Pringle, Bart. +Lady Pringle. +Sir Ralph Payne, Knight of the Bath. +Lady Phillips. +Sir T. B. Proctor, Bart. +Lady B. Proctor. +Sir William Pepperell, Bart. +Lady Peyton. +The Hon. ---- Pelham. +The Hon. Mr. Baron Perryn. +The Hon. Spencer Perceval. +Arthur Piggott, Esq. King's Counsel, and Solicitor General to the Prince + of Wales. +Thomas Palmer, Esq. +William Palmer, Esq. +John Palmer, Esq. +Astley Palmer, Essq. +Miss Palmer. +The Rev. Mr. Panton. +Mrs. Parker. +Robert Parker, jun. Esq. Hallifax. +Mrs. Parminster, Koninster, Somerset. +Mrs. Parsons, Blagden, Somerset. +Mrs. Parkhurst, Epsom. +Mrs. T. Pare, Salisbury. +The Rev. Mr. Pashwood. +Mrs. Patrick. +Mrs. Pattinson. +Miss Paul. +The Rev. Mr. Peach, Minister of East Shene in Surrey. +Miss Pearce. +Miss Ann Peareth, Ryton. +Mrs. Peck. +Miss Pedley. +Mrs. Pegg, Beachcliff, Derbyshire. +Rev. T. B. Peirson, Lichfield. +Henry Pelham, Esq. a Commissioner of the Customs. +Mrs. Pelham. +Thomas Penrose, Esq. Winchester. +Miss Pepperell. +Mrs. Pepys. +Mrs. Perkins, Oakhill, Somerset. +Mr. Perkins. +Miss Perrott. +Miss Perryn. +James Perryn, Esq. +Mrs. Phiby, Edinburgh. +Miss Phillips. +Miss C. Phillips. +Miss Joyce Phillips. +Miss L. Phillips. +Mrs. Pickard, Enfield. +Miss Pickard, Colchester. +Rev. Mr. Pickbourne. +Mrs. Pierce. +Miss Pigott. +Dr. Pitcairne, M.D. +Lieutenant S. Pleydell, Edinburgh. +Hall Plumer, Esq. +Mrs. Plumer. +Thomas Plumer, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss Pole. +Miss E. Pole. +Miss Poole, Hooke, Sussex. +Miss Poole, Hull. +Mrs. Pope. +Miss Pope. +Miss Porter. +James Potts, Esq. Kelso. +Thomas Potts, Esq. ditto. +Mrs. Povoleri. +---- Powell, Esq. Clare Hall. +James Powell, Esq. +Mrs. Powell. +Miss Powell. +Colonel Pownall. +Mrs. Pownall. +Thomas Powys, Esq. Berwick. +Mrs. Powys. +John Pratt, Esq. Bayham Abbey. +Mrs. E. Pratt. +S. J. Pratt, Esq. +Miss Pratt, Haibledown, Canterbury. +W. M. Praed, jun. Esq. +Miss Martha Preton, Sherborne, Dorset. +Jacob Presten, Esq. +Mrs. Presten. +Rev. Richard Price, D.D. and F.R.S. +Nicholas Price, Esq. +Samuel Price, Esq. +Miss Price. +Lacey Primatt, Esq. +Miss Pringle. +Mark Pringle, Esq. +Mrs. Pringle, Torwoodlee. +Mrs. Pringle, Bowland. +Capt. John Pringle, Georgefield. +Mr. Samuel Pritchard. +Miss Proctor. +G. B. Proctor, Esq. +William Pulteney, Esq. +Miss Pye. +Anthony Pyne, Esq. Winchester. + +R. + +His Grace the Duke of Roxburgh. +The Right Hon. the Dowager Marchioness of Rockingham. +The Right Hon. the Countess of Rothes. +Hon. Baron Rutherford. +Lady Rich. +Lady Robinson. +Sir Joshua Reynolds. +E. Radcliffe, Esq. +Abraham Ragueneau, Esq. +Rev. Mr. Raikes, Measden. +Mrs. Rich. Raikes, Measden. +Charles Raikes, Esq. +William Raikes, Esq. +William Matthew Raikes, Esq. +Mrs. Thomas Raikes. +William Ramsey, Esq. Edinburgh. +William Ramsey, jun. Esq. +William Ramus, Esq. +Miss Ramus. +W. C. Ranspack, Esq. +Miss Randall, Southgate, Middlesex. +Rev. A. Randolph, Wimbledon, Surrey. +John Ranby, Esq. +Miss Ruth Raper. +Peter Rashleigh, Esq. +T. Rashleigh, Esq. +Miss Rashleigh. +Rev. Mr. Ratheram, Houghton le Spring. +Mrs. Ravaud. +Rev. Mr. Rauth. +Capt. Raymond, Gloucester. +Richard Raynsford, Esq. +---- Ready, Esq. Gloucester. +Mr. Redpath. +Miss Reeves. +Isaac Reed, Esq. +The Rev. Dr. Rees. +Mrs. Reid. +Mr. James Renton, Berwick. +Mr. R. Renton, Aymouth. +Miss Reynells. +Dr. Reynolds, M.D. +Richard Richards, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Rev. David Richards, South Petherton, Somerset. +Miss Richardson. +Miss Richardson, Stratford. +R. Richardson, Esq. +Samuel Richardson, Esq. +Miss Riddock. +Mrs. Ridout, Moortown, Devon. +Mr. William Riddle, Berwick, +Miss Riddle, ditto. +Captain Rigg. +---- Ringstead, Esq. +Horatio Ripley, Esq. +John Roberts, Esq. +Mrs. Roberts. +Miss Roberts. +Thomas Robber, Esq. +William Robinson, Esq. Edinburgh. +Rev. Mr. Robertson, Vicar of Horncastle. +Mrs. Robertson. +Mrs. Robertson, Prenderguest. +Dr. Rodbert. +Henry Rodbart, Esq. Merriott, Somerset. +Miss Rogers. +Miss C. Rogers, Frenchay, Glocestershire. +Edward Rogers, Esq. +Thomas Rogers, Esq. +George Romney, Esq. +J. Roope, Esq. +James Tyrell Ross, Esq. +Mrs. W. Ross. +Miss Ross. +Miss Charlotte Ross. +George Rofe, Esq. Winchester. +T. Round, Esq. Colchester. +Mr. James Round, St. John's College, Cambridge. +John Rowe, Esq. +J. Royal, Esq. +John Royds, Esq. Knapton. +---- Royere, Esq. Liverpool. +Edward Rudge, Esq. jun. +Mrs. Henry Russell. +Mrs. Russell. +---- Russell, Esq. +Miss Rushbrook. +Major Rutherford, Edgerstone. +Miss Ryves. +Mrs. R----, St. Alban's. + +S. + +The Right Hon. the Countess Dowager Spencer. +The Right Hon. Lord Robert Spencer. +The Right Hon. Lady Sheffield. +Lord Chief Baron Skynner. +Lady Skynner. +Sir John Sheffield, Bart. +Sir Joseph Senhouse. +Sir Edward Smythe. +Thomas Steele, Esq. Secretary of the Treasury, +Miss A. C. Saddell, Edinburgh. +James Sager, Esq. +Samuel Salte, Esq. +Mr. Samwell. +Dr. Sander, M.D. Chichester. +Miss Sands. +Miss Harriot Sands. +Mrs. Sandys, Lexden. +Rev. Dr. Sandford. +John Sargent, Esq, +Mrs. Sargent. +John Sargent, jun. Esq. Lavington, Sussex. +Mrs. Saunderson. +William Scafe, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mrs. Schroder, Enfield. +Mrs. Scot. +Miss Scot, Hull. +Rev. Russell Scot, Milbourne Port, Somerset. +Miss Scot, ditto. +John Scot, Esq. King's Counsel. +Mrs. Scot, Sherborne, Dorset. +Miss Scot, Chigwell. +William Scullard, Esq. +F. N. Searanche, Esq. Hatfield, Herts. +Humphrey Senhause, Esq. Netherhall. +Mrs. Senhause. +Miss Seward, Lichfield. +William Seward, Esq. +Mrs. Sharp, Bamborough Castle, +Rev. Dr. Sharp, Archdeacon of Northumberland. +Mr. Richard Sharp. +Miss Shadwell. +Robert Shafto, Esq. +Mrs. Shafto. +R. Shaw, Esq. +Samuel Shepherd, Esq. +Mrs. Shepherd. +Miss Shells. +Mrs. Shelly, Bath. +Samuel Shore, jun. Esq. +Mrs. Short. +Henry Shrine, Esq. +R. Shute, Esq. +James Sibbald, Esq. +Mrs. Sibbald. +Mrs. A. Sibbet, Shoreswood. +William Siddons, Esq. +Mrs. Siddons. +George Silvertop, Esq. Stella. +Mrs. Silvertop. +John Simson, Esq. +William Simpson, Esq. +Rev. Mr. Simpson. +Miss Simpson, Bradley. +Miss Simmons. +Lieutenant General Skene. +Mrs. Slater, Hasselbury, Somerset. +Mrs. Smail, Mains. +Alexander Small, Esq. +Mrs. Smith, Whittlebury Forest. +Mrs. Smith. +Mr. John Smith, Dunse. +Miss Smith. +Mr. Edward Smith, Cornhill. +Mrs. Smith. +Miss J. Smith. +Robert Orme Smith, Esq. +William Smiekshanks, Esq. +Nathaniel Smythe, Esq. Deputy-Chairman of the East-India Company. +Mrs. Smythe. +Rev. Mr. Y. Smythies, Colchester. +Charles Snell, Esq. Snetisham, Norfolk. +Society at the Academy, Soho. +Robert Sparrow, Esq. +Mrs. Sperling, Colchester. +John Spranger, Esq. Barrister at Law. +George Stainforth, Esq. +Mrs. Stainforth. +John Stanley, Esq. Barrister at Law. +William Star, jun. Esq. +Mrs. Starke, Epsom. +Miss Starke, ditto. +Mrs. Staward, Berwick. +Col. Stehelin, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. +R. Sterling, Esq. Colchester. +Miss Stephens, Lawell House, Devon. +Robert Stephenson, Esq. +Dr. Stevenson, Berwick. +Miss Stevenson. +David Stevenson, Esq. +David Stewart, Esq. Edinburgh. +Mrs. Stewart, Stewart Hall. +Mr. Stewart, Professor of Moral Philosophy, Edinburgh. +Thomas Stewart, Esq. +David Stewart, Esq. +Francis Stevens, Esq. +Mrs. F. Steele. +Miss Steele, Broughton, Hants. +Andrew Stirling, Esq. Drumpeller. +John Stirling, Esq. +James Stirling, Esq. +Miss Stiell. +Thomas Stillingfleet, Esq. +Miss Stisted, Ipswich. +John Hurford Stone, Esq. Hackney. +Hardinge Stracey, Esq. +Mrs. Stracey. +Miss Strangeways, Chiswick. +Mrs. Strachey. +Mrs. Stride. +---- Sturch, Esq. +Miss Summer. +A. H. Sutherland, Esq. +A. M. Sutton, Esq. Barrister at Law. +John Swale, Esq. +Mrs. J. Swale. +Henry Swan, Esq. Kelso. +Rev. Mr. Swedley. +Miss Sykes, Westella, Yorkshire. +Mrs. Symes, Weymouth. + +T. + +The Right Hon. Lord Viscount Tracey. +The Right Hon. Lady Viscountess Tracey. +The Right Hon. Lady Elizabeth Tufton. +The Right Hon. Lady Charlotte Tufton. +The Hon. Mrs. Tracey, Bedchamber Woman to the Queen. +Mrs. Talbot, Fulham. +Rev. Richard Taprell, Milborne Port, Somerset. +Mrs. Tasburgh. +George Taswell, Esq. +John Taylor, Esq. Birmingham. +The Rev. John Taylor. +Miss Taylor. +Henry Templer, Esq. +Capt. Terrot, Berwick. +Miss Terrot, ditto. +Peter Thellusson, Esq. +Mrs. Thellusson. +James Theobald, Esq. +Mrs. Theobald. +Thomas Thomas, Esq. +Miss Thomas. +David Thomas. +Miss Thornton. +Miss Thompson. +Alexander Thompson, Esq. +Richard Thompson, Esq. +Mr. Robert Thompson, Ayton. +George Thompson, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mr. James Thompson, Boyend. +Edward Thorley, Esq. Colchester. +Mrs. G. Thornton. +---- Tilsen, Esq. Watlington Park. +Mr. Tilsen. +John Tod, Esq. Kirklands. +Rev. Mr. Toller, Islington. +Mrs. Toller, South Petherton, Somerset. +James Toogood, Esq. Sherborne, Dorset. +Mrs. Toogood, Ilton, Somerset. +Matthew Toogood, Esq. +John Toogood, Esq. +Dr. Topping, M.D. +The Rev. Joshua Toulmin, Taunton, Somerset. +Samuel Toulmin, Esq. +Miss Toulmin, Hackney. +John Touchett, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss Touchett. +The Rev. Dr. Towers. +Miss Townsend. +Mrs. D. Trotman, Ipswich. +Mrs. R. Trotman. +The Rev. Mr. Troxoide. +Henry Tucker, Esq. Bermuda. +Dr. Tucker, M.D. Hull. +John Turnbull, Esq. +Miss Turnbull, Berwick. +Miss Turner, Uxbridge. +Miss Margaret Turner, +William Turner, Esq. Lexden. +F. Twiss, Esq. + +V. + +Hon. Miss Verney. +William Vachell, Esq. +Mrs. Vachell. +Miss Vachell. +Miss. F. Valliant. +William Vanbrugh, Esq. +Mrs. Vanbrugh. +Arthur Vansittart, Esq. +Miss Vansittart. +Edward Vansittart, Esq. Winchester. +Edward Van Harthalls, Esq. +William Varey, Esq. +Benjamin Vaughan, Esq. +Miss Vickery. +---- Vowel, Esq. Sherborn, Dorset. +Rev. Mr. Uredale, Suffolk. +Rev. Mr. Urquart. +The Rev. Dr. Vyse, Lambeth. + +W. + +The Right Rev. the Bishop of Winchester. +The Right Hon. Lord Willoughby de Broke, a Lord of the Bedchamber. +The Right Hon. Lord Walsmgham, one of the five Commissioners for the + Management of the Affairs of the East Indies. +The Hon. Horace Walpole. +The late Lady Whitworth. +The Rev. Mr. Wakefield, Minister of Richmond in Surrey. +Mrs. T. Wakefield. +Rev. Mr. G. Wakefield, Nottingham. +Mrs. Wakefield. +Miss Walker. +Dr. Wall, L.L.D. of Christ-Church in the University of Oxford. +Capell Wall, Esq. +William Waller, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Mrs. Walker, Southgate. +---- Walker, Esq. jun. ditto. +Rev. William Walker, Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. +William Walker, Esq. +Mr. Wanostrocht, Kensington. +Mrs. Wansey, jun. Warminster, Wilts. +George Wansey, Esq. ditto. +Dr. Warren, M.D. +Miss Warren. +Miss Ward. +Miss Ward, Marlborough. +Mr. Thomas Ward, ditto. +John Watherston, Esq. of the Navy. +Miss Watson, Bridgewater, Somerset. +Henry Watson, Esq. F.R.S. +Mrs. Webster. +Miss Webster. +Miss F. Webster. +Mr. James Webber, Chichester. +Mrs. Wegg, Colchester. +Miss S. Wegg. +Miss Welby. +R. E. Welby, Esq. +Mrs. Welman, Poundsford Park, Somerset. +Simon Welman, Esq. Taunton, Somerset. +William Welbank, Esq. +Miss Weston, Ludlow. +Mrs. West, +Rev. Dr. Wharton, Winchester College. +Rev. Mr. Tho. Wharton, Trinity College, Oxford. +Rev. Thomas Sed. Whalley, A.M. Longford Court, Somerset. +Mrs. Whatley. +Mrs. Whatman. +Miss Whatman. +Mrs. White. +Rev. Henry White, Lichfield. +J. White, Esq. Barrister at Law. +Miss White. +Mrs. T. White. +Mrs. White. +Miss Whitworth. +Miss Whitworth. +Mrs. W. Wightman, Eymouth. +---- Wiggin, Esq. +Rev. Thomas William Wighte, A.M. Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge. +Capt. Wilkie, Ladythorn. +Mrs. Wilkie, Foulden. +Miss Wilkie, ditto. +Miss Wilberforce, Hull. +Dr. Willan, M.D. +Thomas Willerter, Esq. +Miss Willis. +Miss M. B. Williams. +Mrs. Ann Haylings Williams. +Alexander Wills, Esq. +Edward Wilmot, Esq. +Henry Wilmot, Esq. +Mrs. Wilmot. +Mr. Wilson. +Miss Wilson. +Mrs. Wilson, Coldstream. +Rev. F. Wilson, Sulhamstead. +Henry Wilkinson, Esq. Newbottle. +William Winter, Esq. +Colonel Windus. +Miss Wishaw. +Rev. Dr. George Wollaston. +Miss Wollaston. +Thomas Woodthorp, Esq. Bilesden, Ongar, Essex. +Mr. Wood, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Wood, Berwick. +Miss Wood, ditto. +Capt. Wood, of the 29th Regiment. +Lieutenant Edward Wood, Royal Regiment of Artillery. +James Wood, jun. Esq. Berwick. +John Wood, Esq. Beadnell. +Mrs. Wood, Bamborough. +Mr. Wood, Preston. +Dr. Wood, M.D. Colchester. +Mrs. Wood, Putney. +Miss Wood, ditto. +Mrs. Wray. +William Wright, Esq. +James Wyatt, Esq. +Mrs. Wyatt. + +Y. + +His Grace the Archbishop of York, +The Hon. John Yorke. +Richard Yates, Esq. +John Yeoman, Esq. Murice. +Mrs. Yorke. +Charles Yorke, Esq. +Mr. Robert Young, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Young. +Miss Young. +Mrs. Younghusband, Elwick. +T. P. Yvounet, Esq. + +The following names have been received since the List was printed. + +The Right Hon. the Countess of Uxbridge. +The Right Hon. Lord Viscount Duncannon. +Mrs. Alves, Edinburgh. +Mrs. Buckley. +Mr. Drury, Shields. +Mrs. Haswell, Tinmouth. +Mrs. Huddleston, Shields. +Mrs. Hudson, Whitby. +Robert Trotman, Esq. + + + +CONTENTS + +OF THE + +FIRST VOLUME. + +An American Tale. +Sonnet to Mrs. Bates. +Sonnet to Twilight. +To Sensibility. +A Song. +An Ode on the Peace. +Edwin and Eltruda, a Legendary Tale. +A Hymn. +Paraphrases from Scripture. + + + +AN +AMERICAN TALE. + +"Ah! pity all the pangs I feel, + If pity e'er ye knew;-- +An aged father's wounds to heal, + Thro' scenes of death I flew. + +Perhaps my hast'ning steps are vain, + Perhaps the warrior dies!-- +Yet let me sooth each parting pain-- + Yet lead me where he lies." + +Thus to the list'ning band she calls, + Nor fruitless her desire, +They lead her, panting, to the walls + That hold her captive sire. + +"And is a daughter come to bless + These aged eyes once more? +Thy father's pains will now be less-- + His pains will now be o'er!" + +"My father! by this waining lamp + Thy form I faintly trace:-- +Yet sure thy brow is cold, and damp, + And pale thy honour'd face. + +In vain thy wretched child is come, + She comes too late to save! +And only now can share thy doom, + And share thy peaceful grave!" + +Soft, as amid the lunar beams, + The falling shadows bend, +Upon the bosom of the streams, + So soft her tears descend, + +"Those tears a father ill can bear, + He lives, my child, for thee! +A gentle youth, with pitying care, + Has lent his aid to me. + +Born in the western world, his hand + Maintains its hostile cause, +And fierce against Britannia's band + His erring sword he draws; + +Yet feels the captive Briton's woe; + For his ennobled mind, +Forgets the name of Britain's foe, + In love of human kind. + +Yet know, my child, a dearer tie + Has link'd his heart to mine; +He mourns with Friendship's holy sigh, + The youth belov'd of thine! + +But hark! his welcome feet are near-- + Thy rising grief suppress-- +By darkness veil'd, he hastens here + To comfort, and to bless."-- + +"Stranger! for that dear father's sake + She cry'd, in accents mild, +Who lives by thy kind pity, take + The blessings of his child! + +Oh, if in heaven, my Edward's breast + This deed of mercy knew, +That gives my tortur'd bosom rest, + He sure would bless thee too! + +Oh tell me where my lover fell! + The fatal scene recall, +His last, dear accents, stranger, tell, + Oh haste and tell me all! + +Say, if he gave to love the sigh, + That set his spirit free; +Say, did he raise his closing eye, + As if it sought for me." + +"Ask not, her father cry'd, to know + What known were added pain; +Nor think, my child, the tale of woe + Thy softness can sustain." + +"Tho' every joy with Edward fled, + When Edward's friend is near, +It sooths my breaking heart, she said, + To tell those joys were dear. + +The western ocean roll'd in vain + Its parting waves between, +My Edward brav'd the dang'rous main, + And bless'd our native scene. + +Soft Isis heard his artless tale, + Ah, stream for ever dear! +Whose waters, as they pass'd the vale, + Receiv'd a lover's tear. + +How could a heart, that virtue lov'd, + (And sure that heart is mine) +Lamented youth! behold unmov'd, + The virtues that were thine? + +Calm, as the surface of the lake, + When all the winds are still, +Mild, as the beams of morning break, + When first they light the hill; + +So calm was his unruffled soul, + Where no rude passion strove; +So mild his soothing accents stole, + Upon the ear of love. + +Where are the dear illusions fled + Which sooth'd my former hours? +Where is the path that fancy spread, + Ah, vainly spread with flowers! + +I heard the battle's fearful sounds, + They seem'd my lover's knell-- +I heard, that pierc'd with ghastly wounds, + My vent'rous lover fell!-- + +My sorrows shall with life endure, + For he I lov'd is gone; +But something tells my heart, that sure + My life will not be long."-- + +"My panting soul can bear no more, + The youth, impatient cried, +'Tis Edward bids thy griefs be o'er, + My love! my destin'd bride! + +The life which heav'n preserv'd, how blest, + How fondly priz'd by me, +Since dear to my Amelia's breast, + Since valued still by thee! + +My father saw my constant pain, + When thee I left behind, +Nor longer will his power restrain, + The ties my soul would bind. + +And soon thy honor'd sire shall cease + The captive's lot to bear, +And we, my love, will soothe to peace + His griefs, with filial care. + +Then come for ever to my soul! + Amelia come, and prove! +How calm our blissful years will roll, + Along a life of love!-- + + + +SONNET, + +To MRS. BATES. + + +Oh, thou whose melody the heart obeys, +Thou who can'st all its subject passions move, +Whose notes to heav'n the list'ning soul can raise, +Can thrill with pity, or can melt with love! +Happy! whom nature lent this native charm; +Whose melting tones can shed with magic power, +A sweeter pleasure o'er the social hour, +The breast to softness sooth, to virtue warm--But +yet more happy! that thy life as clear +From discord, as thy perfect cadence flows; +That tun'd to sympathy, thy faithful tear, +In mild accordance falls for others woes; +That all the tender, pure affections bind +In chains of harmony, thy willing mind! + + + +SONNET + +To TWILIGHT. + + +Meek Twilight! soften the declining day, + And bring the hour my pensive spirit loves; +When, o'er the mountain flow descends the ray + That gives to silence the deserted groves. +Ah, let the happy court the morning still, + When, in her blooming loveliness array'd, +She bids fresh beauty light the vale, or hill, + And rapture warble in the vocal shade. +Sweet is the odour of the morning's flower, + And rich in melody her accents rise; +Yet dearer to my soul the shadowy hour, + At which her blossoms close, her music dies-- +For then, while languid nature droops her head, +She wakes the tear 'tis luxury to shed. + + + +TO +SENSIBILITY. + + +In _Sensibility's_ lov'd praise + I tune my trembling reed; +And seek to deck her shrine with bays, + On which my heart must bleed! + +No cold exemption from her pain + I ever wish'd to know; +Cheer'd with her transport, I sustain + Without complaint her woe. + +Above whate'er content can give, + Above the charm of ease, +The restless hopes, and fears that live + With her, have power to please. + +Where but for her, were Friendship's power + To heal the wounded heart, +To shorten sorrow's ling'ring hour, + And bid its gloom depart? + +'Tis she that lights the melting eye + With looks to anguish dear; +She knows the price of ev'ry sigh, + The value of a tear. + +She prompts the tender marks of love + Which words can scarce express; +The heart alone their force can prove, + And feel how much they bless. + +Of every finer bliss the source! + 'Tis she on love bestows +The softer grace, the boundless force + Confiding passion knows; + +When to another, the fond breast + Each thought for ever gives; +When on another, leans for rest. + And in another lives! + +Quick, as the trembling metal flies, + When heat or cold impels, +Her anxious heart to joy can rise, + Or sink where anguish dwells! + +Yet tho' her soul must griefs sustain + Which she alone, can know; +And feel that keener sense of pain + Which sharpens every woe; + +Tho' she the mourner's grief to calm, + Still shares each pang they feel, +And, like the tree distilling balm, + Bleeds, others wounds to heal; + +While she, whose bosom fondly true, + Has never wish'd to range; +One alter'd look will trembling view, + And scarce can bear the change; + +Tho' she, if death the bands should tear, + She vainly thought secure; +Thro' life must languish in despair + That never hopes a cure; + +Tho' wounded by some vulgar mind, + Unconscious of the deed, +Who never seeks those wounds to bind + But wonders why they bleed;-- + +She oft will heave a secret sigh, + Will shed a lonely tear, +O'er feelings nature wrought so high, + And gave on terms so dear; + +Yet who would hard INDIFFERENCE choose, + Whose breast no tears can steep? +Who, for her apathy, would lose + The sacred power to weep? + +Tho' in a thousand objects, pain, + And pleasure tremble nigh, +Those objects strive to reach, in vain, + The circle of her eye. + +Cold, as the fabled god appears + To the poor suppliant's grief, +Who bathes the marble form in tears, + And vainly hopes relief. + +Ah _Greville!_ why the gifts refuse + To souls like thine allied? +No more thy nature seem to lose + No more thy softness hide. + +No more invoke the playful sprite + To chill, with magic spell, +The tender feelings of delight, + And anguish sung so well; + +That envied ease thy heart would prove + Were sure too dearly bought +With friendship, sympathy, and love, + And every finer thought. + + + +A SONG. + + +I. + +No riches from his scanty store + My lover could impart; +He gave a boon I valued more-- + He gave me all his heart! + + +II. + +His soul sincere, his gen'rous worth, + Might well this bosom move; +And when I ask'd for bliss on earth, + I only meant his love. + + +III. + +But now for me, in search of gain + From shore to shore he flies: +Why wander riches to obtain, + When love is all I prize? + + +IV. + +The frugal meal, the lowly cot + If blest my love with thee! +That simple fare, that humble lot, + Were more than wealth to me. + + +V. + +While he the dang'rous ocean braves, + My tears but vainly flow: +Is pity in the faithless waves + To which I pour my woe? + + +VI. + +The night is dark, the waters deep, + Yet soft the billows roll; +Alas! at every breeze I weep-- + The storm is in my soul. + + + +AN +ODE +ON THE +PEACE. + + +I. + + As wand'ring late on Albion's shore + That chains the rude tempestuous deep, + I heard the hollow surges roar + And vainly beat her guardian steep; +I heard the rising sounds of woe + Loud on the storm's wild pinion flow; +And still they vibrate on the mournful lyre, +That tunes to grief its sympathetic wire. + + +II. + + From shores the wide Atlantic laves, + The spirit of the ocean bears + In moans, along his western waves, + Afflicted nature's hopeless cares: + Enchanting scenes of young delight, + How chang'd since first ye rose to sight; +Since first ye rose in infant glories drest +Fresh from the wave, and rear'd your ample breast. + + +III. + + Her crested serpents, discord throws + O'er scenes which love with roses grac'd; + The flow'ry chain his hands compose, + She wildly scatters o'er the waste: + Her glance his playful smile deforms, + Her frantic voice awakes the storms, +From land to land, her torches spread their fires, +While love's pure flame in streams of blood expires. + + +IV. + + Now burns the savage soul of war, + While terror flashes from his eyes, + Lo! waving o'er his fiery car + Aloft his bloody banner flies: +The battle wakes--with awful sound + He thunders o'er the echoing ground, +He grasps his reeking blade, while streams of blood +Tinge the vast plain, and swell the purple flood. + + +V. + + But softer sounds of sorrow flow; + On drooping wing the murm'ring gales + Have borne the deep complaints of woe + That rose along the lonely vales-- + Those breezes waft the orphan's cries, + They tremble to parental sighs, +And drink a tear for keener anguish shed, +The tear of faithful love when hope is fled. + + +VI. + + The object of her anxious fear + Lies pale on earth, expiring, cold, + Ere, wing'd by happy love, one year + Too rapid in its course, has roll'd; + In vain the dying hand she grasps, + Hangs on the quiv'ring lip, and clasps +The fainting form, that slowly sinks in death, +To catch the parting glance, the fleeting breath. + + +VII. + + Pale as the livid corse her cheek, + Her tresses torn, her glances wild,-- + How fearful was her frantic shriek! + She wept--and then in horrors smil'd: +She gazes now with wild affright, + Lo! bleeding phantoms rush in sight-- +Hark! on yon mangled form the mourner calls, +Then on the earth a senseless weight she falls. + + +VIII. + + And see! o'er gentle Andre's tomb, + The victim of his own despair, + Who fell in life's exulting bloom, + Nor deem'd that life deserv'd a care; + O'er the cold earth his relicks prest, + Lo! Britain's drooping legions rest; +For him the swords they sternly grasp, appear +Dim with a sigh, and sullied with a tear. + + +IX. + + While Seward sweeps her plaintive strings, + While pensive round his sable shrine, + A radiant zone she graceful flings, + Where full emblaz'd his virtues shine; + The mournful loves that tremble nigh + Shall catch her warm melodious sigh; +The mournful loves shall drink the tears that flow +From Pity's hov'ring soul, dissolv'd in woe. + + +X. + + And hark, in Albion's flow'ry vale + A parent's deep complaint I hear! + A sister calls the western gale + To waft her soul-expressive tear; +'Tis Asgill claims that piercing sigh, + That drop which dims the beauteous eye, +While on the rack of Doubt Affection proves +How strong the force which binds the ties she loves. + + +XI. + + How oft in every dawning grace + That blossom'd in his early hours, + Her soul some comfort lov'd to trace, + And deck'd futurity in flowers! + But lo! in Fancy's troubled sight + The dear illusions sink in night; +She views the murder'd form--the quiv'ring breath, +The rising virtues chill'd in shades of death. + + +XII. + + Cease, cease ye throbs of hopeless woe; + He lives the future hours to bless, + He lives, the purest joy to know, + Parental transports fond excess; + His sight a father's eye shall chear, + A sister's drooping charms endear:-- +The private pang was Albion's gen'rous care, +For him she breath'd a warm accepted prayer. + + +XIII. + + And lo! a radiant stream of light + Defending, gilds the murky cloud, + Where Desolation's gloomy night + Retiring, folds her sable shroud; + It flashes o'er the bright'ning deep, + It softens Britain's frowning steep-- +'Tis mild benignant Peace, enchanting form! +That gilds the black abyss, that lulls the storm. + + +XIV. + + So thro' the dark, impending sky, + Where clouds, and fallen vapours roll'd, + Their curling wreaths dissolving fly + As the faint hues of light unfold-- + The air with spreading azure streams, + The sun now darts his orient beams-- +And now the mountains glow--the woods are bright-- +While nature hails the season of delight. + + +XV. + + Mild Peace! from Albion's fairest bowers + Pure spirit! cull with snowy hands, + The buds that drink the morning showers, + And bind the realms in flow'ry bands: + Thy smiles the angry passions chase, + Thy glance is pleasure's native grace; +Around thy form th' exulting virtues move, +And thy soft call awakes the strain of love. + + +XVI. + + Bless, all ye powers! the patriot name + That courts fair Peace, thy gentle stay; + Ah! gild with glory's light, his fame, + And glad his life with pleasure's ray! +While, like th' affrighted dove, thy form + Still shrinks, and fears some latent storm, +His cares shall sooth thy panting soul to rest, +And spread thy vernal couch on Albion's breast. + + +XVII. + + Ye, who have mourn'd the parting hour, + Which love in darker horrors drew, + Ye, who have vainly tried to pour + With falt'ring voice the last adieu! + When the pale cheek, the bursting sigh, + The soul that hov'ring in the eye, +Express'd the pains it felt, the pains it fear'd-- +Ah! paint the youth's return, by grief endear'd. + + +XVIII. + + Yon hoary form, with aspect mild, + Deserted kneels by anguish prest, + And seeks from Heav'n his long-lost child, + To smooth the path that leads to rest!-- + He comes!--to close the sinking eye, + To catch the faint, expiring sigh; +A moment's transport stays the fleeting breath, +And sooths the soul on the pale verge of death. + + +XIX. + + No more the sanguine wreath shall twine + On the lost hero's early tomb, + But hung around thy simple shrine + Fair Peace! shall milder glories bloom. +Lo! commerce lifts her drooping head + Triumphal, Thames! from thy deep bed; +And bears to Albion, on her sail sublime, +The riches Nature gives each happier clime. + + +XX. + + She fearless prints the polar snows, + Mid' horrors that reject the day; + Along the burning line she glows, + Nor shrinks beneath the torrid ray: + She opens India's glitt'ring mine, + Where streams of light reflected shine; +Wafts the bright gems to Britain's temp'rate vale, +And breathes her odours on the northern gale. + + +XXI. + + While from the far-divided shore + Where liberty unconquer'd roves, + Her ardent glance shall oft' explore + The parent isle her spirit loves; + Shall spread upon the western main + --Harmonious concord's golden chain, +While stern on Gallia's ever hostile strand +From Albion's cliff she pours her daring band. + + +XXII. + + Yet hide the sabre's hideous glare + Whose edge is bath'd in streams of blood, + The lance that quivers high in air, + And falling drinks a purple flood; +For Britain! fear shall seize thy foes, + While freedom in thy senate glows, +While peace shall smile upon thy cultur'd plain, +With grace and beauty her attendant train. + + +XXIII. + + Enchanting visions sooth my sight-- + The finer arts no more oppress'd, + Benignant source of pure delight! + On her soft bosom love to rest. + While each discordant sound expires, + Strike harmony! strike all thy wires; +The fine vibrations of the spirit move +And touch the springs of rapture and of love. + + +XXIV. + + Bright painting's living forms shall rise; + And wrapt in Ugolino's woe[A], + Shall Reynolds wake unbidden sighs; + And Romney's graceful pencil flow, + That Nature's look benign pourtrays[B], + When to her infant Shakspeare's gaze +The partial nymph "unveil'd her awful face," +And bade his "colours clear" her features trace. + +[A] "Ugolino's woe"--a celebrated picture by Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS, taken + from DANTE. +[B] "Nature's look benign pourtrays"--a subject Mr. ROMNEY has taken + from GRAY'S Progress of Poesy. + + +XXV. + + And poesy! thy deep-ton'd shell + The heart shall sooth, the spirit fire, + And all the passion sink, or swell, + In true accordance to the lyre. + Oh! ever wake its heav'nly sound, + Oh! call thy lovely visions round; +Strew the soft path of peace with fancy's flowers, +With raptures bless the soul that feels thy powers. + + +XXVI. + + While Hayley wakes thy magic string, + His shades shall no rude sound profane, + But stillness on her folded wing, + Enamour'd catch his soothing strain: + Tho' genius breathe its purest flame + --Around his lyre's enchanting frame; +Tho' music there in every period roll, +More warm his friendship, and more pure his soul. + + +XXVII. + + While taste refines a polish'd age, + While her own _Hurd_ shall bid us trace + The lustre of the finish'd page + Where symmetry sheds perfect grace; + With sober and collected ray + To fancy, judgment shall display +The faultless model, where accomplish'd art +From nature draws a charm that leads the heart. + + +XXVIII. + + Th' historic Muse illumes the maze + For ages veil'd in gloomy night, + Where empire with meridian blaze + Once trod ambition's giddy height: + Tho' headlong from the dang'rous steep + Its pageants roll'd with wasteful sweep, +Her tablet still records the deeds of fame +And wakes the patriot's, and the hero's flame. + + +XXIX. + + While meek philosophy explores + Creation's vast stupendous round; + Sublime her piercing vision soars, + And bursts the system's distant bound. + Lo! mid' the dark deep void of space + A rushing world[A] her eye can trace!-- +It moves majestic in its ample sphere, +Sheds its long light, and rolls its ling'ring year. + +[A] Alluding to Mr. Herschel's wonderful discoveries, and particularly + to his discovery of a new planet called the Georgium Sidus. + + +XXX. + + Ah! still diffuse thy genial ray, + Fair Science, on my Albion's plain! + And still thy grateful homage pay + Where Montagu has rear'd her fane; + Where eloquence and wit entwine + Their attic wreath around her shrine; +And still, while Learning shall unfold her store, +With their bright signet stamp the classic ore. + + +XXXI. + + Enlight'ning Peace! for thine the hours + That wisdom decks in moral grace, + And thine invention's fairy powers, + The charm improv'd of nature's face; + Propitious come! in silence laid + Beneath thy olive's grateful shade, +Pour the mild bliss that sooths the tuneful mind, +And in thy zone the hostile spirit bind. + + +XXXII. + + While Albion on her parent deep + Shall rest, may glory light her shore, + May honour there his vigils keep + Till time shall wing its course no more; +Till angels wrap the spheres in fire, + Till earth and yon fair orbs expire, +While chaos mounted on the wasting flame, +Shall spread eternal shade o'er nature's frame. + + + +EDWIN AND ELTRUDA, + +A LEGENDARY TALE. + + + _Mark it, Cesario, it is old and plain; + The spinsters and the knitters in the sun, + And the free maids, that weave their thread with bones + Do use to chant it. It is silly, sooth, + And dallies with the innocence of love, + Like the old age._ +SHAKSPEARE'S TWELFTH NIGHT. + + + +EDWIN AND ELTRUDA + +A LEGENDARY TALE. + + +Where the pure Derwent's waters glide + Along their mossy bed, +Close by the river's verdant side, + A castle rear'd its head. + +The ancient pile by time is raz'd, + Where Gothic trophies frown'd; +Where once the gilded armour blaz'd, + And banners wav'd around. + +There liv'd a chief, well known to fame, + A bold advent'rous knight; +Renown'd for victory; his name + In glory's annals bright. + +What time in martial pomp he led + His gallant, chosen train; +The foe, who oft had conquer'd, fled, + Indignant fled, the plain. + +Yet milder virtues he possest, + And gentler passions felt; +For in his calm and yielding breast + The soft affections dwelt. + +No rugged toils the heart could steel, + By nature form'd to prove +Whate'er the tender mind can feel, + In friendship, or in love. + +He lost the partner of his breast, + Who sooth'd each rising care; +And ever charm'd the pains to rest + She ever lov'd to share. + +From solitude he hop'd relief. + And this lone mansion sought, +To cherish there his faithful grief, + To nurse the tender thought. + +There, to his bosom fondly dear, + An infant daughter smil'd, +And oft the mourner's falling tear + Bedew'd his Emma's child. + +The tear, as o'er the babe he hung, + Would tremble in his eye; +While blessings, falt'ring on his tongue, + Were breath'd but in a sigh. + +Tho' time could never heal the wound, + It sooth'd the hopeless pain; +And in his child he thought he found + His Emma liv'd again. + +Soft, as the dews of morn arise, + And on the pale flower gleam; +So soft Eltruda's melting eyes + With love and pity beam. + +As drest in charms, the lonely flower + Smiles in the desert vale; +With beauty gilds the morning hour, + And scents the evening gale; + +So liv'd in solitude, unseen, + This lovely, peerless maid; +So grac'd the wild, sequester'd scene, + And blossom'd in the shade. + +Yet love could pierce the lone recess, + For there he likes to dwell; +To leave the noisy crowd, and bless + With happiness the cell. + +To wing his sure resistless dart, + Where all its force is known; +And rule the undivided heart + Despotic, and alone. + +Young Edwin charm'd her gentle breast, + Tho' scanty all his store; +No hoarded treasures he possest, + Yet he could boast of more. + +For he could boast the lib'ral heart; + And honour, sense, and truth, +Unwarp'd by vanity or art, + Adorn'd the gen'rous youth. + +The maxims of a servile age, + The mean, the selfish care, +The sordid views, that now engage + The mercenary pair; + +Whom riches can unite, or part, + To them were still unknown; +For then the sympathetic heart + Was join'd by love alone. + +They little knew, that wealth had power + To make the constant rove; +They little knew the weighty dower + Could add one bliss to love. + +Her virtues every charm improv'd, + Or made those charms more dear; +For surely virtue to be lov'd + Has only to appear. + +Domestic bliss, unvex'd by strife, + Beguil'd the circling hours; +She, who on every path of life + Can shed perennial flowers. + +Eltruda, o'er the distant mead, + Would haste, at closing day, +And to the bleating mother lead + The lamb, that chanc'd to stray. + +For the bruis'd insect on the waste, + A sigh would heave her breast; +And oft her careful hand replac'd + The linnet's falling nest. + +To her, sensations calm as these + Could sweet delight impart; +These simple pleasures most can please + The uncorrupted heart. + +Full oft with eager step she flies + To cheer the roofless cot, +Where the lone widow breathes her sighs, + And wails her desp'rate lot. + +Their weeping mother's trembling knees, + Her lisping infants clasp; +Their meek, imploring look she sees, + She feels their tender grasp. + +Wild throbs her aching bosom swell-- + They mark the bursting sigh, +(Nature has form'd the soul to feel) + They weep, unknowing why. + +Her hands the lib'ral boon impart, + And much her tear avails +To raise the mourner's drooping heart, + Where feeble utterance fails. + +On the pale cheek, where hung the tear + Of agonizing woe, +She bids the cheerful bloom appear, + The tear of rapture flow. + +Thus on soft wing the moments flew, + (Tho' love implor'd their stay) +While some new virtue rose to view, + And mark'd each fleeting day. + +The youthful poet's soothing dream + Of golden ages past; +The muse's fond, ideal theme, + Was realiz'd at last. + +But vainly here we hope, that bliss + Unchanging will endure; +Ah, in a world so vain as this, + What heart can rest secure! + +For now arose the fatal day + For civil discord fam'd; +When _York_, from _Lancaster's_ proud sway, + The regal sceptre claim'd. + +Each moment now the horrors brought + Of desolating rage; +The fam'd atchievements now were wrought, + That swell th' historic page. + +The good old Albert pants, again + To dare the hostile field, +The cause of Henry to maintain, + For him, the launce to wield. + +But oh, a thousand gen'rous ties, + That bind the hero's soul; +A thousand tender claims arise, + And Edwin's breast controul. + +Tho' passion pleads in Henry's cause, + And Edwin's heart would sway; +Yet honour's stern, imperious laws, + The brave will still obey. + +Oppress'd with many an anxious care, + Full oft Eltruda sigh'd; +Complaining that relentless war + Should those she lov'd--divide. + +At length the parting morn arose, + In gloomy vapours drest; +The pensive maiden's sorrow flows, + And terror heaves her breast. + +A thousand pangs the father feels, + A thousand rising fears, +While clinging at his feet she kneels, + And bathes them with her tears. + +A pitying tear bedew'd his cheek,-- + From his lov'd child he flew; +O'erwhelm'd; the father could not speak, + He could not say--"adieu!" + +Arm'd for the field, her lover + He saw her pallid look, +And trembling seize her drooping frame, + While fault'ring, thus he spoke: + +"This cruel tenderness but wounds + "The heart it means to bless; +"Those falling tears, those mournful sounds + "Increase the vain distress."-- + +"If fate, she answer'd, has decreed + "That on the hostile plain, +"My Edwin's faithful heart must bleed, + "And swell the heap of slain; + +"Trust me, my love, I'll not complain, + "I'll shed no fruitless tear; +"Not one weak drop my cheek shall stain, + "Or tell what passes here! + +"Oh, let thy fate of others claim + "A tear, a mournful sigh; +"I'll only murmur thy dear name-- + Call on my love--and die!" + +But ah! how vain for words to tell + The pang their bosoms prov'd; +They only will conceive it well, + They only, who have lov'd. + +The timid muse forbears to say + What laurels Edwin gain'd; +How Albert long renown'd, that day + His ancient fame maintain'd. + +The bard, who feels congenial fire, + May sing of martial strife; +And with heroic sounds, inspire + The gen'rous scorn of life; + +But ill the theme would suit her reed, + Who, wand'ring thro' the grove, +Forgets the conq'ring hero's meed, + And gives a tear to love. + +Tho' long the closing day was fled, + The fight they still maintain; +While night a deeper horror shed + Along the darken'd plain. + +To Albert's breast an arrow flew, + He felt a mortal wound; +The drops that warm'd his heart, bedew + The cold, and flinty ground. + +The foe, who aim'd the fatal dart, + Now heard his dying sighs; +Compassion touch'd his yielding heart, + To Albert's aid he flies. + +While round the chief his arms he cast, + While oft he deeply sigh'd, +And seem'd, as if he mourn'd the past, + Old Albert faintly cried; + +"Tho' nature heaves these parting groans, + "Without complaint I die; +"Yet one dear care my heart still owns, + "Still feels one tender tie, + +"For York, a warriour known to fame, + "Uplifts the hostile spear; +"Edwin the blooming hero's name, + "To Albert's bosom dear. + +"Oh, tell him my expiring sigh, + "Say my last words implor'd +"To my despairing child to fly, + "To her he once ador'd"-- + +He spoke! but oh, what mournful strain, + Whose force the soul can melt, +What moving numbers shall explain + The pang that Edwin felt? + +The pang that Edwin now reveal'd-- + For he the warriour prest, +(Whom the dark shades of night conceal'd) + Close to his throbbing breast. + +"Fly, fly he cried, my touch profane-- + "Oh, how the rest impart? +"Rever'd old man!--could Edwin stain + "With Albert's blood the dart!" + +His languid eyes he meekly rais'd, + Which seem'd for ever clos'd; +On the pale youth with pity gaz'd, + And then in death repos'd. + +"I'll go, the hapless Edwin said, + "And breathe a last adieu! +"And with the drops despair will shed, + "My mournful love bedew. + +"I'll go to her for ever dear, + "To catch her melting sigh, +"To wipe from her pale cheek the tear, + "And at her feet to die."-- + +And as to her for ever dear + The frantic mourner flew, +To wipe from her pale cheek the tear, + And breathe a last adieu; + +Appall'd his troubled fancy sees + Eltruda's anguish flow; +And hears in every passing breeze, + The plaintive sound of woe. + +Meanwhile the anxious maid, whose tears + In vain would heav'n implore; +Of Albert's fate despairing hears, + But yet had heard no more. + +She saw her much-lov'd Edwin near, + She saw, and deeply sigh'd; +Her cheek was bath'd in many a tear; + At length she faintly cried; + +"Unceasing grief this heart must prove, + "Its dearest ties are broke;-- +"Oh, say, what ruthless arm, my love, + "Could aim the fatal stroke? + +"Could not thy hand, my Edwin, thine, + "Have warded off the blow? +"For oh, he was not only mine, + "He was _thy_ father too!" + +No more the youth could pangs endure + His lips could never tell; +From death he vainly hop'd a cure, + As cold, on earth he fell. + +She flew, she gave her sorrows vent, + A thousand tears she pour'd; +Her mournful voice, her moving plaint, + The youth to life restor'd. + +"Why does thy bosom throb with pain + "She cried, my Edwin, speak; +"Or sure, unable to sustain + "This grief, my heart will break. + +"Yes, it will break--he fault'ring cried, + "For me will life resign-- +"Then trembling know thy father died-- + "And know the guilt was mine!" + +"It is enough," with short, quick breath, + Exclaim'd the fainting maid; +She spoke no more, but seem'd from death + To look for instant aid. + +In plaintive accents, Edwin cries, + "And have I murder'd thee? +"To other worlds thy spirit flies, + "And mine this stroke shall free." + +His hand the lifted weapon grasp'd, + The steel he firmly prest: +When wildly she arose, and clasp'd + Her lover to her breast. + +"Methought, she cried with panting breath, + "My Edwin talk'd of peace; +"I knew 'twas only found in death, + "And fear'd that sad release. + +"I clasp him still! 'twas but a dream-- + "Help yon wide wound to close, +"From which a father's spirits stream, + "A father's life-blood flows. + +"But see, from thee he shrinks, nor would + "Be blasted by thy touch;-- +"Ah, tho' my Edwin spilt thy blood, + "Yet once he lov'd thee much. + +"My father, yet in pity stay!-- + "I see his white beard wave; +"A spirit beckons him away, + "And points to yonder grave. + +"Alas, my love, I trembling hear + "A father's last adieu; +"I see, I see, the falling tear + "His wrinkled cheek bedew. + +"He's gone, and here his ashes sleep-- + "I do not heave a sigh, +"His child a father does not weep-- + "For, ah, my brain is dry! + +"But come, together let us rove, + "At the pale hour of night; +"When the moon wand'ring thro' the grove, + "Shall pour her faintest light. + +"We'll gather from the rosy bow'r + "The fairest wreaths that bloom: +"We'll cull, my love, each op'ning flower, + "To deck his hallow'd tomb. + +"We'll thither, from the distant dale, + "A weeping willow bear; +"And plant a lily of the vale, + "A drooping lily there. + +"We'll shun the face of glaring day, + "Eternal silence keep; +"Thro' the dark wood together stray, + "And only live to weep. + +"But hark, 'tis come--the fatal time + "When, Edwin, we must part; +"Some angel tells me 'tis a crime + "To hold thee to my heart. + +"My father's spirit hovers near-- + "Alas, he comes to chide; +"Is there no means, my Edwin dear, + "The fatal deed to hide? + +"Yet, Edwin, if th' offence be thine, + "Too soon I can forgive; +"But, oh, the guilt would all be mine, + "Could I endure to live. + +"Farewel, my love, for, oh, I faint, + "Of pale despair I die; +"And see, that hoary, murder'd saint + "Descends from yon blue sky. + +"Poor, weak old man! he comes my love, + "To lead to heav'n the way; +"He knows not heaven will joyless prove, + "If Edwin here must stay!"-- + +"Oh, who can bear this pang!" he cry'd, + Then to his bosom prest +The dying maid, who piteous sigh'd, + And sunk to endless rest. + +He saw her eyes for ever close, + He heard her latest sigh, +And yet no tear of anguish flows + From his distracted eye. + +He feels within his shiv'ring veins, + A mortal chillness rise; +Her pallid corse he feebly strains-- + And on her bosom dies. + + * * * * * + +No longer may their hapless lot + The mournful muse engage; +She wipes away the tears, that blot + The melancholy page. + +For heav'n in love, dissolves the ties + That chain the spirit here; +And distant far for ever flies + The blessing held most dear; + +To bid the suff'ring soul aspire + A higher bliss to prove; +To wake the pure, refin'd desire, + The hope that rests above!-- + + + +A +HYMN. + + +While thee I seek, protecting Power! + Be my vain wishes still'd; +And may this consecrated hour + With better hopes be fill'd. + +Thy love the powers of thought bestow'd, + To thee my thoughts would soar; +Thy mercy o'er my life has flow'd-- + That mercy I adore. + +In each event of life, how clear, + Thy ruling hand I see; +Each blessing to my soul more dear, + Because conferr'd by thee. + +In every joy that crowns my days, + In every pain I bear, +My heart shall find delight in praise, + Or seek relief in prayer. + +When gladness wings my favour'd hour, + Thy love my thoughts shall fill: +Resign'd, when storms of sorrow lower, + My soul shall meet thy will. + +My lifted eye without a tear + The lowring storm shall see; +My stedfast heart shall know no fear-- + That heart will rest on Thee! + + + +PARAPHRASES +FROM +SCRIPTURE. + + + _The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the + light and the sun_. + + _Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; thou hast made summer and + winter._ + +PSALM lxxiv. 16, 17. + +My God! all nature owns thy sway, +Thou giv'st the night, and thou the day! +When all thy lov'd creation wakes, +When morning, rich in lustre breaks, +And bathes in dew the op'ning flower, +To thee we owe her fragrant hour; +And when she pours her choral song, +Her melodies to thee belong! + +Or when, in paler tints array'd, +The evening slowly spreads her shade; +That soothing shade, that grateful gloom, +Can more than day's enliv'ning bloom +Still every fond, and vain desire, +And calmer, purer, thoughts inspire; +From earth the pensive spirit free, +And lead the soften'd heart to Thee. + + In every scene thy hands have drest, +In every form by thee imprest, +Upon the mountain's awful head, +Or where the shelt'ring woods are spread; +In every note that swells the gale, +Or tuneful stream that cheers the vale, +The cavern's depth, or echoing grove, +A voice is heard of praise, and love. + +As o'er thy work the seasons roll, +And sooth with change of bliss, the soul, +Oh never may their smiling train +Pass o'er the human scene in vain! +But oft as on the charm we gaze, +Attune the wond'ring soul to praise; +And be the joys that most we prize, +The joys that from thy favour rise! + + + +_Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should +not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, +they may forget, yet will I not forget thee._ + + + +ISAIAH xlix. 15. + +Heaven speaks! Oh Nature listen and rejoice! +Oh spread from pole to pole this gracious voice! +"Say every breast of human frame, that proves +"The boundless force with which a parent loves; +"Say, can a mother from her yearning heart +"Bid the soft image of her child depart? +"She! whom strong instinct arms with strength to bear +"All forms of ill, to shield that dearest care; +"She! who with anguish stung, with madness wild, +"Will rush on death to save her threaten'd child; +"All selfish feelings banish'd from her breast, +"Her life one aim to make another's blest. +"When her vex'd infant to her bosom clings, +"When round her neck his eager arms he flings; +"Breathes to her list'ning soul his melting sigh, +"And lifts suffus'd with tears his asking eye! +"Will she for all ambition can attain, +"The charms of pleasure, or the lures of gain, +"Betray strong Nature's feelings, will she prove +"Cold to the claims of duty, and of love? +"But should the mother from her yearning heart +"Bid the soft image of her child depart; +"When the vex'd infant to her bosom clings +"When round her neck his eager arms he flings; +"Should she unpitying hear his melting sigh, +"And view unmov'd the tear that fills his eye; +"Should she for all ambition can attain, +"The charms of pleasure, or the lures of gain, +"Betray strong Nature's feelings--should she prove +"Cold to the claims of duty, and of love! +"Yet never will the God, whose word gave birth +"To yon illumin'd orbs, and this fair earth; +"Who thro' the boundless depths of trackless space +"Bade new-wak'd beauty spread each perfect grace; +"Yet when he form'd the vast stupendous whole, +"Shed his best bounties on the human soul; +"Which reason's light illumes, which friendship warms, +"Which pity softens, and which virtue charms; +"Which feels the pure affections gen'rous glow, +"Shares others joy, and bleeds for others woe-- +"Oh never will the gen'ral Father prove +"Of man forgetful, man the child of love!" +When all those planets in their ample spheres +Have wing'd their course, and roll'd their destin'd years; +When the vast sun shall veil his golden light +Deep in the gloom of everlasting night; +When wild, destructive flames shall wrap the skies, +When Chaos triumphs, and when Nature dies; +Man shall alone the wreck of worlds survive, +Midst falling spheres, immortal man shall live! +The voice which bade the last dread thunders roll, +Shall whisper to the good, and cheer their soul. +God shall himself his favour'd creature guide +Where living waters pour their blissful tide, +Where the enlarg'd, exulting, wond'ring mind +Shall soar, from weakness and from guilt refin'd; +Where perfect knowledge, bright with cloudless rays, +Shall gild eternity's unmeasur'd days; +Where friendship, unembitter'd by distrust, +Shall in immortal bands unite the just; +Devotion rais'd to rapture breathe her strain, +And love in his eternal triumph reign! + + + +_Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them._ + +MATT. vii. 12. + +Precept divine! to earth in mercy given, +O sacred rule of action, worthy heaven! +Whose pitying love ordain'd the bless'd command +To bind our nature in a firmer band; +Enforce each human suff'rer's strong appeal, +And teach the selfish breast what others feel; +Wert thou the guide of life, mankind might know +A soft exemption from the worst of woe; +No more the powerful would the weak oppress, +But tyrants learn the luxury to bless; +No more would slav'ry bind a hopeless train, +Of human victims, in her galling chain; +Mercy the hard, the cruel heart would move +To soften mis'ry by the deeds of Jove; +And av'rice from his hoarded treasures give +Unask'd, the liberal boon, that want might live! +The impious tongue of falshood then would cease +To blast, with dark suggestions, virtue's peace; +No more would spleen, or passion banish rest +And plant a pang in fond affection's breast; +By one harsh word, one alter'd look, destroy +Her peace, and wither every op'ning joy; +Scarce can her tongue the captious wrong explain, +The slight offence which gives so deep a pain! +Th' affected ease that slights her starting tear, +The words whose coldness kills from lips so dear; +The hand she loves, alone can point the dart, +Whose hidden sting could wound no other heart-- +These, of all pains the sharpest we endure, +The breast which now inflicts, would spring to cure.-- +No more deserted genius then, would fly +To breathe in solitude his hopeless sigh; +No more would Fortune's partial smile debase +The spirit, rich in intellectual grace; +Who views unmov'd from scenes where pleasures bloom, +The flame of genius sunk in mis'ry's gloom; +The soul heav'n form'd to soar, by want deprest, +Nor heeds the wrongs that pierce a kindred breast.-- +Thou righteous Law! whose clear and useful light +Sheds on the mind a ray divinely bright; +Condensing in one rule whate'er the sage +Has proudly taught, in many a labour'd page; +Bid every heart thy hallow'd voice revere, +To justice sacred, and to nature dear! + + + +END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. + + + +POEMS, + +BY + +HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS. + +IN TWO VOLUMES. + +VOL. II. + + + +CONTENTS + +OF THE + +SECOND VOLUME. + + +An Epistle to Dr. Moore, Author of a View of Society and Manners in +France, Switzerland, and Germany. + +Part of an irregular Fragment, found in a Dark Passage of the Tower. + +Peru. + +Sonnet to Mrs. Siddons. + +Queen Mary's Complaint. + +Euphelia, an Elegy. + +Sonnet to Expression. + + + + +AN +EPISTLE +TO +DR. MOORE. + + + Whether dispensing hope, and ease + To the pale victim of disease, + Or in the social crowd you sit, + And charm the group with sense and wit, + Moore's partial ear will not disdain + Attention to my artless strain. + + +AN +EPISTLE +TO +DR. MOORE, + +AUTHOR OF + +A VIEW OF SOCIETY AND MANNERS +IN +FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, AND GERMANY. + +I mean no giddy heights to climb, +And vainly toil to be sublime; +While every line with labour wrought, +Is swell'd with tropes for want of thought: +Nor shall I call the Muse to shed +Castalian drops upon my head; +Or send me from Parnassian bowers +A chaplet wove of fancy's flowers. +At present all such aid I slight-- +My heart instructs me how to write. + + That softer glide my hours along, +That still my griefs are sooth'd by song, +That still my careless numbers flow +To your successful skill I owe; +You, who when sickness o'er me hung, +And languor had my lyre unstrung, +With treasures of the healing art, +With friendship's ardor at your heart, +From sickness snatch'd her early prey +And bade fair health--the goddess gay, +With sprightly air, and winning grace, +With laughing eye, and rosy face, +Accustom'd when you call to hear, +On her light pinion hasten near, +And swift restore with influence kind, +My weaken'd frame, my drooping mind. + + With like benignity, and zeal, +The mental malady to heal, +To stop the fruitless, hopeless tear, +The life you lengthen'd, render dear, +To charm by fancy's powerful vein, +"The written troubles of the brain," +From gayer scenes, compassion led +Your frequent footsteps to my shed: +And knowing that the Muses' art +Has power to ease an aching heart, +You sooth'd that heart with partial praise, +And I before too fond of lays, +While others pant for solid gain, +Grasp at a laurel sprig--in vain-- +You could not chill with frown severe +The madness to my soul so dear; +For when Apollo came to store +Your mind with salutary lore, +The god I ween, was pleas'd to dart +A ray from Pindus on your heart; +Your willing bosom caught the fire, +And still is partial to the lyre. + + But now from you at distance plac'd +Where _Epping_ spreads a woody waste; +Tho' unrestrain'd my fancy flies, +And views in air her fabrics rise, +And paints with brighter bloom the flowers, +Bids Dryads people all the bowers, +And Echoes speak from every hill, +And Naiads pour each little rill, +And bands of Sylphs with pride unfold +Their azure plumage mix'd with gold, +My heart remembers with a sigh +That you are now no longer nigh. +The magic scenes no more engage, +I quit them for your various page; +Where, with delight I traverse o'er +The foreign paths you trod before: +Ah not in vain those paths you trac'd, +With heart to feel, with powers to taste! + + Amid the ever-jocund train +Who sport upon the banks of Seine, +In your light Frenchman pleas'd I see +His nation's gay epitome; +Whose careless hours glide smooth along, +Who charms MISFORTUNE with a song. +She comes not as on Albion's plain, +With death, and madness in her train; +For here, her keenest sharpest dart +May raze, but cannot pierce the heart. +Yet he whose spirit light as air +Calls life a jest, and laughs at care, +Feels the strong force of pity's voice, +And bids afflicted love rejoice; +Love, such as fills the poet's page +Love, such as form'd the golden age-- +FANCHON, thy grateful look I see-- +I share thy joys--I weep with thee-- +What eye has read without a tear +A tale to nature's heart so dear! + +There, dress'd in each sublimer grace +Geneva's happy scene I trace; +Her lake, from whose broad bosom thrown +Rushes the loud impetuous Rhone, +And bears his waves with mazy sweep +In rapid torrents to the deep-- +Oh for a Muse less weak of wing, +High on yon Alpine steeps to spring, +And tell in verse what they disclose +As well as you have told in prose; +How wrapt in snows and icy showers, +Eternal winter, horrid lowers +Upon the mountain's awful brow, +While purple summer blooms below; +How icy structures rear their forms +Pale products of ten thousand storms; +Where the full sun-beam powerless falls +On crystal arches, columns, walls, +Yet paints the proud fantastic height +With all the various hues of light. +Why is no poet call'd to birth +In such a favour'd spot of earth? +How high his vent'rous Muse might rise, +And proudly scorn to ask supplies +From the Parnassian hill, the fire +Of verse, _Mont Blanc_ might well inspire. +O SWITZERLAND! how oft these eyes +Desire to view thy mountains rise; +How fancy loves thy steeps to climb, +So wild, so solemn, so sublime; +And o'er thy happy vales to roam, +Where freedom rears her humble home. +Ah, how unlike each social grace +Which binds in love thy manly race, +The HOLLANDERS phlegmatic ease +Too cold to love, too dull to please; +Who feel no sympathetic woe, +Nor sympathetic joy bestow, +But fancy words are only made +To serve the purposes of trade, +And when they neither buy, nor sell, +Think silence answers quite as well. + + Now in his happiest light is seen +VOLTAIRE, when evening chas'd his spleen, +And plac'd at supper with his friends, +The playful flash of wit descends-- +Of names renown'd you clearly shew +The finer traits we wish to know-- +To Prussia's martial clime I stray +And see how FREDERIC spends the day; +Behold him rise at dawning light +To form his troops for future fight; +Thro' the firm ranks his glances pierce, +Where discipline, with aspect fierce, +And unrelenting breast, is seen +Degrading man to a machine; +My female heart delights to turn +Where GREATNESS seems not quite so stern: +Mild on th' IMPERIAL BROW she glows, +And lives to soften human woes. + +But lo! on ocean's stormy breast +I see majestic VENICE rest; +While round her spires the billows rave, +Inverted splendours gild the wave. +Fair liberty has rear'd with toil, +Her fabric on this marshy soil. +She fled those banks with scornful pride, +Where classic Po devolves her tide: +Yet here her unrelenting laws +Are deaf to nature's, freedom's cause. +Unjust! they seal'd FOSCARI'S doom, +An exile in his early bloom. +And he, who bore the rack unmov'd, +Divided far from those he lov'd, +From all the social hour can give, +From all that make it bliss to live, +These worst of ills refus'd to bear, +And died, the victim of despair. + + An eye of wonder let me raise, +While on imperial ROME I gaze. +But oh! no more in glory bright +She fills with awe th' astonish'd sight: +Her mould'ring fanes in ruin trac'd, +Lie scatter'd on _Campania's_ waste. +Nor only these--alas! we find +The wreck involves the human mind: +The lords of earth now drag a chain +Beneath a pontiff's feeble reign; +The soil that gave a _Cato_ birth +No longer yields heroic worth, +Whose image lives but on the bust, +Or consecrates the medal's rust: +Yet if no heart of modern frame +Glows with the antient hero's flame, +The dire _Arena's_ horrid stage +Is banish'd from this milder age; +Those savage virtues too are fled +At which the human feelings bled. + + While now at _Virgil's_ tomb you bend, +O let me on your steps attend! +Kneel on the turf that blossoms round, +And kiss, with lips devout, the ground. +I feel how oft his magic powers +Shed pleasure on my lonely hours. +Tho' hid from me the classic tongue, +In which his heav'nly strain was sung, +In _Dryden's_ tuneful lines, I pierce +The shaded beauties of his verse. + + Bright be the rip'ning beam, that shines +Fair FLORENCE, on thy purple vines! +And ever pure the fanning gale +That pants in Arno's myrtle vale! +Here, when the barb'rous northern race, +Dire foes to every muse, and grace, +Had doom'd the banish'd arts to roam +The lovely wand'rers found a home; +And shed round _Leo's_ triple crown +Unfading rays of bright renown. +Who e'er has felt his bosom glow +With knowledge, or the wish to know; +Has e'er from books with transport caught +The rich accession of a thought; +Perceiv'd with conscious pride, he feels +The sentiment which taste reveals; +Let all who joys like these possess, +Thy vale, enchanting FLORENCE bless-- +O had the arts benignant light +No more reviv'd from Gothic night, +Earth had been one vast scene of strife, +Or one drear void had sadden'd life; +Lost had been all the sage has taught, +The painter's sketch, the poet's thought, +The force of sense, the charm of wit, +Nor ever had your page been writ; +That soothing page, which care beguiles, +And dresses truth in fancy's smiles: +For not with hostile step you prest +Each foreign soil, a thankless guest! +While travellers who want the skill +To mark the shapes of good and ill, +With vacant stare thro' Europe range, +And deem all bad, because 'tis strange; +Thro' varying modes of life, you trace +The finer trait, the latent grace, +And where thro' every vain disguise +You view the human follies rise, +The stroke of irony you dart +With force to mend, not wound the heart. +While intellectual objects share +Your mind's extensive view, you bear, +Quite free from spleen's incumb'ring load, +The little evils on the road-- +So, while the path of life I tread, +A path to me with briers spread; +Let me its tangled mazes spy +Like you, with gay, good-humour'd eye; +Nor at those thorny tracts repine, +The treasure of your friendship, mine. + +Grange Hill, Essex. + + + +PART +OF AN +IRREGULAR [Transcriber's note: Original "IRREGULAL"] FRAGMENT, +FOUND IN A +DARK PASSAGE OF THE TOWER. + + +ADVERTISEMENT. + +The following Poem is formed on a very singular and sublime idea. A +young gentleman, possessed of an uncommon genius for drawing, on +visiting the Tower of London, passing one door of a singular +construction, asked what apartment it led to, and expressed a desire to +have it opened. The person who shewed the place shook his head, and +answered, "Heaven knows what is within that door--it has been shut for +ages."--This answer made small impression on the other hearers; but a +very deep one on the imagination of this youth. Gracious Heaven! an +apartment shut up for ages--and in the Tower! + + "Ye Towers of Julius! London's lasting shame, + By many a foul and midnight murder fed." + +Genius builds on a slight foundation, and rears beautiful structures on +"the baseless fabric of a vision." The above transient hint dwelt on the +young man's fancy, and conjured into his memory all the murders which +history records to have been committed in the Tower; Henry the Sixth, +the Duke of Clarence, the two young princes, sons of Edward the Fourth, +Sir Thomas Overbury, &c. He supposes all their ghosts assembled in this +unexplored apartment, and to these his fertile imagination has added +several others. One of the spectres raises an immense pall of black +velvet, and discovers the remains of a murdered royal family, whose +story is lost in the lapse of time.--The gloomy wildness of these +images struck my imagination so forcibly, that endeavouring to catch the +fire of the youth's pencil, this Fragment was produced. + + + +PART +OF AN +IRREGULAR FRAGMENT, +FOUND IN A +DARK PASSAGE OF THE TOWER. + + +I. + + Rise, winds of night! relentless tempests rise! + Rush from the troubled clouds, and o'er me roll; + In this chill pause a deeper horror lies, + A wilder fear appals my shudd'ring soul.-- + 'Twas on this day[A], this hour accurst, + That Nature starting from repose + Heard the dire shrieks of murder burst-- + From infant innocence they rose, + And shook these solemn towers!-- + I shudd'ring pass that fatal room + For ages wrapt in central gloom;-- + I shudd'ring pass that iron door + Which Fate perchance unlocks no more; +Death, smear'd with blood, o'er the dark portal lowers. + +[A] The anniversary of the murder of Edward the Fifth, and his brother + Richard, Duke of York. + + +II. + + How fearfully my step resounds + Along these lonely bounds:-- +Spare, savage blast! the taper's quiv'ring fires, + Deep in these gath'ring shades its flame expires. + Ye host of heaven! the door recedes-- + It mocks my grasp--what unseen hands + Have burst its iron bands? + No mortal force this gate unbarr'd + Where danger lives, which terrors guard-- + Dread powers! its screaming hinges close + On this dire scene of impious deeds-- + My feet are fix'd!--Dismay has bound + My step on this polluted ground-- + But lo! the pitying moon, a line of light + Athwart the horrid darkness dimly throws, +And from yon grated window chases night.-- + + +III. + + Ye visions that before me roll, + That freeze my blood, that shake my soul! + Are ye the phantoms of a dream? + Pale spectres! are ye what ye seem? + They glide more near-- + Their forms unfold! + Fix'd are their eyes, on me they bend-- + Their glaring look is cold! + And hark!--I hear +Sounds that the throbbing pulse of life suspend. + + +IV. + + "No wild illusion cheats thy sight + "With shapes that only live in night-- + "Mark the native glories spread + "Around my bleeding brow! + "The crown of Albion wreath'd my head, + "And Gallia's lilies[A] twin'd below-- + "When my father shook his spear, + "When his banner sought the skies, + "Her baffled host recoil'd with fear, + "Nor turn'd their shrinking eyes:-- + "Soon as the daring eagle springs + "To bask in heav'n's empyreal light, + "The vultures ply their baleful wings, + "A cloud of deep'ning colour marks their flight, + "Staining the golden day:-- + "But see! amid the rav'nous brood + "A bird of fiercer aspect soar-- + "The spirits of a rival race[B], + "Hang on the noxious blast, and trace, + "With gloomy joy his destin'd prey; + "Inflame th' ambitious with that thirsts for blood, +"And plunge his talons deep in kindred gore. + +[A] Henry the Sixth, crowned when an infant, at Paris. +[B] Richard the Third, by murdering so many near relations, seemed to + revenge the sufferings of Henry the Sixth, and his family, on the + House of York. + + +V. + + "View the stern form that hovers nigh, + "Fierce rolls his dauntless eye + "In scorn of hideous death; +"Till starting at a brother's[A] name, + "Horror shrinks his glowing frame, + "Locks the half-utter'd groan, + "And chills the parting breath:-- + "Astonish'd Nature heav'd a moan! +"When her affrighted eye beheld the hands +"She form'd to cherish, rend her holy bands. + +[A] Richard the Third, who murdered his brother the Duke of Clarence. + + +VI. + +"Look where a royal infant[A] kneels, + "Shrieking, and agoniz'd with fear, + "He sees the dagger pointed near + "A much-lov'd brother's[B] breast, +"And tells an absent mother all he feels:-- + "His eager eye he casts around; + "Where shall her guardian form be found, + "On which his eager eye would rest! + "On her he calls in accents wild, + "And wonders why her step is slow + "To save her suff'ring child!-- +"Rob'd in the regal garb, his brother stands + "In more majestic woe-- + "And meets the impious stroke with bosom bare; +"Then fearless grasps the murd'rer's hands, + "And asks the minister of hell to spare + "The child whose feeble arms sustain + "His bleeding form from cruel Death.-- + "In vain fraternal fondness pleads + "For cold is now his livid cheek, + "And cold his last, expiring breath: + "And now with aspect meek, + "The infant lifts his mournful eye, + "And asks with trembling voice, to die, +"If death will cure his heaving heart of pain-- + "His heaving heart now bleeds-- + "Foul tyrant! o'er the gilded hour + "That beams with all the blaze of power, + "Remorse shall spread her thickest shroud; + "The furies in thy tortur'd ear + "Shall howl, with curses deep, and loud, + "And wake distracting fear! + "I see the ghastly spectre rise, + "Whose blood is cold, whose hollow eyes + "Seem from his head to start-- + "With upright hair, and shiv'ring heart, + Dark o'er thy midnight couch he bends, +And clasps thy shrinking frame, thy impious spirit rends." + +[A] Richard Duke of York. +[B] Edward the Fifth. + + +VII. + + Now his thrilling accents die-- + His shape eludes my searching eye-- + But who is he[A], convuls'd with pain, + That writhes in every swelling vein? + Yet in so deep, so wild a groan, + A sharper anguish seems to live + Than life's expiring pang can give:-- + He dies deserted, and alone-- + If pity can allay thy woes + Sad spirit they shall find repose-- +Thy friend, thy long-lov'd friend is near! +He comes to pour the parting tear, + He comes to catch the parting breath-- +Ah heaven! no melting look he wears, +His alter'd eye with vengeance glares; +Each frantic passion at his soul, +'Tis he has dash'd that venom'd bowl + With agony, and death. + +[A] Sir Thomas Overbury, poisoned in the Tower by Somerset. + + +VIII. + +But whence arose that solemn call? + Yon bloody phantom waves his hand, + And beckons me to deeper gloom-- + Rest, troubled form! I come-- + Some unknown power my step impels + To horror's secret cells-- + "For thee I raise this sable pall, + "It shrouds a ghastly band: + "Stretch'd beneath, thy eye shall trace + "A mangled regal race: + "A thousand suns have roll'd, since light + "Rush'd on their solid night-- +"See, o'er that tender frame grim famine hangs, + "And mocks a mother's pangs! +"The last, last drop which warm'd her veins + "That meagre infant drains-- + "Then gnaws her fond, sustaining breast-- + "Stretch'd on her feeble knees, behold + "Another victim sinks to lasting rest-- + "Another, yet her matron arms would fold +"Who strives to reach her matron arms in vain-- + "Too weak her wasted form to raise, + "On him she bends her eager gaze; + "She sees the soft imploring eye +"That asks her dear embrace, the cure of pain-- + "She sees her child at distance die-- + "But now her stedfast heart can bear + "Unmov'd, the pressure of despair-- +"When first the winds of winter urge their course +"O'er the pure stream, whose current smoothly glides, +"The heaving river swells its troubled tides; +"But when the bitter blast with keener force, + "O'er the high wave an icy fetter throws, +"The harden'd wave is fix'd in dead repose."-- + + +IX. + +"Say who that hoary form? alone he stands, +"And meekly lifts his wither'd hands-- + "His white beard streams with blood-- +"I see him with a smile, deride +"The wounds that pierce his shrivel'd side, + "Whence flows a purple flood-- + "But sudden pangs his bosom tear-- + "On one big drop, of deeper dye, + "I see him fix his haggard eye + "In dark, and wild despair! +"That sanguine drop which wakes his woe-- + "Say, spirit! whence its source."-- +"Ask no more its source to know-- + "Ne'er shall mortal eye explore + "Whence flow'd that drop of human gore, + "Till the starting dead shall rise, + "Unchain'd from earth, and mount the skies, +"And time shall end his fated course."-- + "Now th' unfathom'd depth behold-- + "Look but once! a second glance + "Wraps a heart of human mold + "In death's eternal trance." + + +X. + +"That shapeless phantom sinking slow +"Deep down the vast abyss below, +"Darts, thro' the mists that shroud his frame, +"A horror, nature hates to name!"-- +"Mortal, could thine eyes behold +"All those sullen mists enfold, +"Thy sinews at the sight accurst +"Would wither, and thy heart-strings burst; +"Death would grasp with icy hand +"And drag thee to our grizly band-- +"Away! the sable pall I spread, +"And give to rest th' unquiet dead-- +"Haste! ere its horrid shroud enclose + "Thy form, benumb'd with wild affright, +"And plunge thee far thro' wastes of night, + "In yon black gulph's abhorr'd repose!"-- + As starting at each step, I fly, + Why backward turns my frantic eye, + That closing portal past?-- +Two sullen shades half-seen, advance!-- + On me, a blasting look they cast, + And fix my view with dang'rous spells, + Where burning frenzy dwells!-- +Again! their vengeful look--and now a speechless-- + + + +PERU. +A +POEM, +IN SIX CANTOS. + +TO +MRS. MONTAGU. + + +While, bending at thy honour'd shrine, the Muse + Pours, MONTAGU, to thee her votive strain, +Thy heart will not her simple notes refuse, + Or chill her timid soul with cold disdain. + +O might a transient spark of genius fire + The fond effusions of her fearful youth; +Then should thy virtues live upon her lyre, + And give to harmony the charm of truth. + +Vain wish! they ask not the imperfect lay, + The weak applause her trembling accents breathe; +With whose pure radiance glory blends her ray, + Whom fame has circled with her fairest wreathe. + +Thou, who while seen with graceful step to tread + Grandeur's enchanted round, can'st meekly pause +To rend the veil obscurity had spread + Where his lone sigh deserted Genius draws; + +To lead his drooping spirit to thy fane, + Where attic joy the social circle warms; +Where science loves to pour her hallow'd strain, + Where wit, and wisdom, blend their sep'rate charms. + +And lure to cherish intellectual powers, + To bid the vig'rous tides of genius roll, +Unfold, in fair expansion, fancy's flowers, + And wake the latent energies of soul; + +Far other homage claims than flatt'ry brings + The little triumphs of the proud to grace: +For deeds like these a purer incense springs, + Warm from the swelling heart its source we trace! + +Yet not to foster the rich gifts of mind + Alone can all thy lib'ral cares employ; +Not to the few those gifts adorn, confin'd, + They spread an ampler sphere of genuine joy. + +While pleasure's lucid star illumes thy bower, + Thy pity views the distant storm that bends +Where want unshelter'd wastes the ling'ring hour;-- + And meets the blessing that to heav'n ascends! + +For this, while fame thro' each successive age + On her exulting lip thy name shall breathe; +While woman, pointing to thy finish'd page, + Claims from imperious man the critic wreathe; + +Truth on her spotless record shall enroll + Each moral beauty to her spirit dear; +Paint in bright characters each grace of soul-- + While admiration pours a gen'rous tear. + +HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS. + +London, April the 24th, 1784. + + +ADVERTISEMENT. + + +That no readers of the following work may entertain expectations +respecting it which it would ill satisfy, it is necessary to acquaint +them, that the author has not had the presumption even to attempt a +full, historical narration of the fall of the Peruvian empire. To +describe that important event with accuracy, and to display with +clearness and force the various causes which combined to produce it, +would require all the energy of genius, and the most glowing colours of +imagination. Conscious of her utter inability to execute such a design, +she has only aimed at a simple detail of some few incidents that make a +part of that romantic story; where the unparalleled sufferings of an +innocent and amiable people, form the most affecting subjects of true +pathos, while their climate, totally unlike our own, furnishes new and +ample materials for poetic description. + + + +THE ARGUMENT. + +_General description of the country of Peru, and of its animal, and +vegetable productions--the virtues of the people--character of_ Ataliba, +_their Monarch--his love for_ Alzira--_their nuptials celebrated-- +character of_ Zorai, _her father--descent of the genius of Peru-- +prediction of the fate of that empire._ + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE FIRST. + +Where the pacific deep in silence laves +The western shore, with slow and languid waves, +There, lost Peruvia, rose thy cultur'd scene, +The wave an emblem of thy joy serene: +There nature ever in luxuriant showers 5 +Pours from her treasures, the perennial flowers; +In its dark foliage plum'd, the tow'ring pine +Ascends the mountain, at her call divine; +The palm's wide leaf its brighter verdure spreads, +And the proud cedars bow their lofty heads; 10 +The citron, and the glowing orange spring, +And on the gale a thousand odours fling; +The guava, and the soft ananas bloom, +The balsam ever drops a rich perfume: +The bark, reviving shrub! Oh not in vain 15 +Thy rosy blossoms tinge Peruvia's plain; +Ye fost'ring gales, around those blossoms blow, +Ye balmy dew-drops, o'er the tendrils flow. +Lo, as the health-diffusing plant aspires, +Disease, and pain, and hov'ring death retires; 20 +Affection sees new lustre light the eye, +And feels her vanish'd joys again are nigh. +The Pacos[A], and Vicunnas[B] sport around, +And the meek Lamas[C], burden'd, press the ground. +Amid the vocal groves, the feather'd throng 25 +Pour to the list'ning breeze their native song; +The mocking-bird her varying note essays, +The vain macaw his glitt'ring plume displays. +While spring's warm ray the mild suffusion sheds, +The plaintive humming-bird his pinion spreads; 30 +His wings their colours to the sun unfold, +The vivid scarlet, and the blazing gold; +He sees the flower which morning tears bedew, +Sinks on its breast, and drinks th' ambrosial dew: +Then seeks with fond delight the social nest 35 +Parental care has rear'd, and love has blest: +The drops that on the blossom's light leaf hung, +He bears exulting to his tender young; +The grateful joy his happy accents prove, +Is nature, smiling on her works of love. 40 + + Nor less, Peruvia, for thy favour'd clime +The virtues rose, unsullied, and sublime: +There melting charity, with ardor warm, +Spread her wide mantle o'er th' unshelter'd form; +Cheer'd with the festal song, her lib'ral toils, 45 +While in the lap of age[D] she pour'd the spoils. +Simplicity in every vale was found, +The meek nymph smil'd, with reeds, and rushes crown'd; +And innocence in light, transparent vest, +Mild visitant! the gentle region blest: 50 +As from her lip enchanting accents part, +They thrill with pleasure the reponsive heart; +And o'er the ever-blooming vales around, +Soft echoes waft each undulating sound. + + This happy region _Ataliba_ sway'd, 55 +Whose mild behest the willing heart obey'd; +Descendant of a scepter'd, sacred race, +Whose origin from glowing suns they trace; +And as o'er nature's form, the solar light +Diffuses beauty, and inspires delight; 60 +So, o'er Peruvia flow'd the lib'ral ray +Of mercy, lovelier than the smile of day! +In Ataliba's pure and gen'rous heart +The virtues bloom'd without the aid of art. +His gentle spirit, love's soft power possest, 65 +And stamp'd Alzira's image on his breast; +Alzira, form'd each tenderness to prove, +That sooths in friendship, and that charms in love. +But, ah! in vain the drooping muse would paint +(Her accents languid, and her colours faint,) 70 +How dear the joys love's early wishes sought, +How mild his spirit, and how pure his thought, +Ere wealth in sullen pomp was seen to rise, +And break the artless bosom's holy ties; +Blast with his touch affection's op'ning flower, 75 +And chill the hand that rear'd her blissful bower. +Fortune, light nymph! still bless the sordid heart, +Still to thy venal slave thy gifts impart; +Bright in his view may all thy meteors shine, +And lost Peruvia open every mine; 80 +For him the robe of eastern pomp display, +The gems that ripen in the torrid ray; +Collected may their guilty lustre stream +Full on the eye that courts the partial beam: +But Love, oh Love! should haply this late hour, 85 +One softer mind avow thy genuine power; +Breathe at thy altar nature's simple strain, +And strew the heart's pure incense on thy fane; +Give to that bosom scorning fortune's toys, +Thy sweet enchantments, and thy virtuous joys; 90 +Bid pleasure bloom thro' many a circling year, +Which love shall wing, and constancy endear; +Far from this happy clime avert the woes, +The heart from alienated fondness knows; +And from that agony the spirit save, 95 +When unrelenting yawns the op'ning grave; +When death dissolves the ties for ever dear; +When frantic passion pours her parting tear; +With all the cherish'd pains affection feels, +Hangs on the quiv'ring lip, that silence seals; 100 +Views fondness struggling in the closing eye, +And marks it mingling in the falt'ring sigh; +As the lov'd form, while folded to her breast, +On earth's cold bosom seeks more lasting rest! +Leave her fond soul in hopeless griefs to mourn, 105 +Clasp the pale corse, and bathe th' unconscious urn;-- +Mild, to the wounds that pierce her bleeding heart, +Nature's expiring pang, and death's keen dart. + + Pure was the lustre of the orient ray, +That joyful wak'd Alzira's nuptial day: 110 +Her auburn hair, spread loosely to the wind, +The virgin train, with rosy chaplets bind; +The scented flowers that form her bridal wreathe, +A deeper hue, a richer fragrance breathe. +The gentle tribe now sought the hallow'd fane, 115 +Where warbling vestals pour'd the choral strain: +There aged Zorai, his Alzira prest +With love parental, to his anxious breast: +Priest of the sun, within the sacred shrine +His fervent spirit breath'd the strain divine; 120 +With glowing hand, the guiltless off'ring spread, +With pious zeal the pure libation shed; +Nor vain the incense of erroneous praise +When meek devotion's soul the tribute pays; +On wings of purity behold it rise, 125 +While bending mercy wafts it to the skies! + + Peruvia! oh delightful land; in vain +The virtues flourish'd on thy beauteous plain; +In vain sweet pleasure there was seen to move, +And wore the smile of peace, the bloom of love; 130 +For soon shall burst the unrelenting storm, +Rend her soft robe, and crush her tender form: +Peruvia! soon the fatal hour shall rise, +The hour despair shall waste in tears and sighs; +Fame shall record the horrors of thy fate, 135 +And distant ages weep for ills so great. + + Now o'er the deep chill night her mantle flung, +Dim on the wave the moon's faint crescent hung; +Peruvia's Genius sought the liquid plain, +Sooth'd by the languid murmurs of the main; 140 +When sudden clamour the illusion broke, +Wild on the surface of the deep it spoke; +A rising breeze expands her flowing veil, +Aghast with fear, she spy'd a flying sail-- +The lofty mast impends, the banner waves, 145 +The ruffled surge th' incumbent vessel laves; +With eager eye he views her destin'd foe +Lead to her peaceful shores th' advent'rous prow; +Trembling she knelt, with wild disorder'd air, +And pour'd with frantic energy her pray'r-- 150 +"Oh, ye avenging spirits of the deep! +"Mount the blue lightning's wing, o'er ocean sweep; +"Loud from your central caves the shell resound, +"That summons death to your abyss profound; +"Call the pale spectre from his dark abode, 155 +"To print the billow, swell the black'ning flood, +"Rush o'er the waves, the rough'ning deep deform, +"Howl in the blast, and animate the storm-- +"Relentless powers! for not one quiv'ring breeze +"Has ruffled yet the surface of the seas-- 160 +"Swift from your rocky steeps, ye condors[E] stray, +"Wave your black plumes, and cleave th' aerial way; +"Proud in terrific force, your wings expand, +"Press the firm earth, and darken all the strand; +"Bid the stern foe retire with wild affright, 170[F] +"And shun the region veil'd in partial night. +"Vain hope, devoted land! I read thy doom, +"My sad prophetic soul can pierce the gloom; +"I see, I see my lov'd, my favour'd clime, +"Consum'd, and fading in its early prime. 175 +"But not in vain the beauteous realm shall bleed, +"Too late shall Europe's race deplore the deed. +"Region abhorr'd! be gold the tempting bane, +"The curse that desolates thy hostile plain; +"May pleasure tinge with venom'd drops the bowl, 180 +"And luxury unnerve the sick'ning soul."-- +Ah, not in vain she pour'd th' impassion'd tear! +Ah, not in vain she call'd the powers to hear! +When borne from lost Peruvia's bleeding land, +The guilty treasures beam'd on Europe's strand; 185 +Each sweet affection fled the tainted shore, +And virtue wander'd, to return no more. + +[A] The pacos is a domestic animal of Peru. Its wool resembles the + colour of dried roses. +[B] The vicunnas are a species of wild pacos. +[C] The lamas are employed as mules, in carrying burdens. +[D] The people cheerfully assisted in reaping those fields, whose + produce was given to old persons, past their labour. +[E] The condor is an inhabitant of the Andes. Its wings, when expanded, + are said to be eighteen feet wide. +[F Transcriber's note: Misnumbered in original.] + + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE SECOND. + +THE ARGUMENT. + +Pizarro, _a Spanish Captain, lands with his forces--his meeting with_ +Ataliba--_its unhappy consequences_--Zorai _dies_--Ataliba _imprisoned, +and strangled_--Alzira's _despair, and madness._ + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE SECOND. + +Flush'd with impatient hope, the martial band +By stern Pizarro led, approach the land: +No terrors arm the hostile brow, for guile +Charms to betray, in Candour's open smile. +Too artless for distrust, the monarch springs 5 +To meet his latent foe on friendship's wings: +On as he moves, with glitt'ring splendours crown'd, +His feather'd chiefs the golden throne surround; +The waving canopy its plume displays, +Whose varied hues reflect the morning rays; 10 +With native grace he hails the warrior train, +Who stood majestic on Peruvia's plain, +In all the savage pomp of armour drest, +The radiant helmet, and the nodding crest. +Yet themes of joy Pizarro's lips impart, 15 +And charm with eloquence the simple heart; +Unfolding to the monarch's wond'ring thought, +All that inventive arts the rude have taught: +And now he bids the purer spirit rise +Above the circle of surrounding skies; 20 +Presents the page that shed religion's light +O'er the dark mist of intellectual night; +While thrill'd with awe the monarch trembling stands, +He dropp'd the hallow'd volume from his hands. + + [A]Sudden, while frantic zeal each breast inspires, 25 +And shudd'ring demons fan the impious fires, +The bloody signal waves, the banners play, +The naked sabres flash their streaming ray; +The martial trumpet's animating sound, +And thund'ring cannon, rend the vault around; 30 +While fierce in sanguine rage the sons of Spain +Rush on Peru's unarm'd, devoted train; +The fiends of slaughter urg'd their dire career, +And virtue's guardian spirits dropp'd a tear.-- +Mild Zorai fell, deploring human strife, 35 +And clos'd with prayer his consecrated life. +In vain Peruvia's chiefs undaunted stood, +Shield their lov'd prince, and bathe his robes in blood; +Touch'd with heroic ardor, rush around, +And high of soul, receive each fatal wound: 40 +Dragg'd from his throne, and hurry'd o'er the plain, +The wretched monarch swells the captive train; +With iron grasp, the frantic prince they bear, +And bless the omen of his wild despair. + + Deep in the gloomy dungeon's lone domain, 45 +Lost Ataliba wore the galling chain; +The earth's cold bed refus'd oblivious rest, +While throb'd the pains of thousands at his breast; +Alzira's desolating moan he hears, +And with the monarch's, blends the lover's tears-- 50 +Soon had Alzira felt affliction's dart +Pierce her soft soul, and rend her bleeding heart; +Its quick pulsations paus'd, and, chill'd with dread, +A livid hue her fading cheek o'erspread; +No tear she gave to love, she breath'd no sigh, 55 +Her lips were mute, and clos'd her languid eye; +Fainter, and slower heav'd her shiv'ring breast, +And her calm'd passions seem'd in death to rest!-- +At length reviv'd, mid rising heaps of slain +She prest with trembling step, the crimson plain; 60 +The dungeon's gloomy depth she fearless sought, +For love, with scorn of danger arm'd her thought: +The cell that holds her captive lord she gains, +Her tears fall quiv'ring on a lover's chains! +Too tender spirit, check the filial tear, 65 +A sympathy more soft, a tie more dear +Shall claim the drops that frantic passion sheds, +When the rude storm its darkest pinion spreads. +Lo! bursting the deep cell where mis'ry lay, +The human vultures seize the dove-like prey! 70 +In vain her treasur'd wealth Peruvia gave, +This dearer treasure from their grasp to save: +Alzira! lo, the ruthless murd'rers come, +This moment seals thy Ataliba's doom. +Ah, what avails the shriek that anguish pours! 75 +The look, that mercy's lenient aid implores! +Torn from thy clinging arms, thy throbbing breast, +The fatal cord his agony supprest: +In vain the livid corse she fondly clasps, +And pours her sorrows o'er the form she grasps-- 80 +The murd'rers now their struggling victim tear +From the lost object of her keen despair: +The swelling pang unable to sustain, +Distraction throbb'd in every beating vein: +Its sudden tumults seize her yielding soul, 85 +And in her eye distemper'd glances roll-- +"They come! (the mourner cried, with panting breath,) +"To give the lost Alzira rest in death! +"One moment more, ye bloody forms, bestow, +"One moment more for ever cures my woe-- 90 +"Lo where the purple evening sheds her light +"On blest remains! oh hide them, pitying night! +"Slow in the breeze I see the verdure wave +"That shrouds with tufted grass, my lover's grave: +"There, on its wand'ring wing in mildness blows 95 +"The mournful gale, nor wakes his deep repose-- +"And see, yon hoary form still lingers there! +"Dishevell'd by rude winds his silver hair; +"O'er his chill'd bosom falls the winter's rain, +"I feel the big drops on my wither'd brain: 100 +"Not for himself that tear his bosom steeps, +"For his lost child it flows, for me he weeps! +"No more the dagger's point shall pierce thy breast, +"For calm and lovely is thy silent rest; +"Yet still in dust these eyes shall see thee roll, 105 +"Still the sad thought shall waste Alzira's soul-- +"What bleeding phantom moves along the storm? +"It is--it is my lover's well-known form! +"Tho' the dim moon is veil'd, his robes of light +"Tinge the dark clouds, and gild the mist of night: 110 +"Approach! Alzira's breast no terrors move, +"Her fears are all for ever lost in love! +"Safe on the hanging cliff I now can rest, +"And press its pointed pillow to my breast-- +"He weeps! in heav'n he weeps! I feel his tear-- 115 +"It chills my trembling heart, yet still 'tis dear-- +"To him all joyless are the realms above, +"That pale look speaks of pity, and of love! +"My love ascends! he soars in azure light; +"Stay tender spirit--cruel! stay thy flight-- 120 +"Again descend in yonder rolling cloud, +"And veil Alzira in thy misty shroud-- +"He comes! my love has plac'd the dagger near, +"And on its hallow'd point has dropp'd a tear"-- +As roll'd her wand'ring glances wide around 125 +She snatch'd a reeking sabre from the ground; +Firmly her lifted hand the weapon press'd, +And deep she plung'd it in her panting breast: +"'Tis but a few short moments that divide +"Alzira from her love!"--she said--and died. 130 + +[A] "Sudden, while frantic zeal, &c." PIZARRO, who during a long + conference, had with difficulty restrained his soldiers, eager to + seize the rich spoils of which they had now so near a view, + immediately gave the signal of assault. At once the martial music + struck up, the cannon and muskets began to fire, the horse sallied + out fiercely to the charge, the infantry rushed on sword in hand. + The Peruvians, astonished at the suddenness of an attack which they + did not expect, and dismayed with the destructive effects of the + fire-arms, fled with universal consternation on every side. PIZARRO, + at the head of his chosen band, advanced directly towards the Inca; + and though his Nobles crowded around him with officious zeal, and + fell in numbers at his feet, while they vied one with another in + sacrificing their own lives, that they might cover the sacred person + of their Sovereign, the Spaniards soon penetrated to the royal seat; + and PIZARRO seizing the Inca by the arm, dragged him to the ground, + and carried him a prisoner to his quarters.--_Robertson's History + of America_. + + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE THIRD. + +THE ARGUMENT. + +Pizarro _takes possession of Cuzco--the fanaticism of_ Valverde, _a +Spanish priest--its dreadful effects--A Peruvian priest put to the +torture--his daughter's distress--he is rescued by_ Las Casas, _an +amiable Spanish ecclesiastic, and led to a place of safety, where he +dies--his daughter's narration of her sufferings--her death._ + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE THIRD. + +Now stern Pizarro seeks the distant plains, +Where beauteous Cusco lifts her golden fanes: +The meek Peruvians gaz'd in pale dismay, +Nor barr'd the dark oppressor's sanguine way: +And soon on Cusco, where the dawning light 5 +Of glory shone, foretelling day more bright, +Where the young arts had shed unfolding flowers, +A scene of spreading desolation lowers; +While buried deep in everlasting shade, +Those lustres sicken, and those blossoms fade. 10 +And yet, devoted land, not gold alone, +Or wild ambition wak'd thy parting groan; +For, lo! a fiercer fiend, with joy elate, +Feasts on thy suff'rings, and impels thy fate. +Fanatic fury rears her sullen shrine, 15 +Where vultures prey, where venom'd adders twine; +Her savage arm with purple torrents stains +Thy rocking temples, and thy falling fanes; +Her blazing torches flash the mounting fire, +She grasps the sabre, and she lights the pyre; 20 +Her voice is thunder, rending the still air, +Her glance the livid light'ning's fatal glare; +Her lips unhallow'd breathe their impious strain, +And pure religion's sacred voice profane; +Whose precepts, pity's mildest deeds approve, 25 +Whose law is mercy, and whose soul is love. +Fanatic fury wakes the rising storm-- +She wears the stern Valverda's hideous form; +His bosom never felt another's woes, +No shriek of anguish breaks its dark repose. 30 +The temple nods--an aged form appears-- +He beats his breast--he rends his silver hairs-- +Valverda drags him from the blest abode +Where his meek spirit humbly sought its God: +See, to his aid his child, soft Zilia, springs, 35 +And steeps in tears the robe to which she clings, +Till bursting from Peruvia's frighted throng, +Two warlike youths impetuous rush'd along; +One, grasp'd his twanging bow with furious air, +While in his troubled eye sat fierce despair. 40 +But all in vain his erring weapon flies, +Pierc'd by a thousand wounds, on earth he lies. +His drooping head the heart-struck Zilia rais'd, +And on the youth in speechless anguish gaz'd; +While he, who fondly shar'd his danger, flew, 45 +And from his breast a reeking sabre drew. +"Deep in my faithful bosom let me hide +"The fatal steel, that would our souls divide," +He quick exclaims--the dying warrior cries, +"Ah, yet forbear!--by all the sacred ties, 50 +"That bind our hearts, forbear"--In vain he spoke, +Friendship with frantic zeal impels the stroke: +"Thyself for ever lost, thou hop'st in vain, +"The youth replied, my spirit to detain; +"From thee, my soul, in childhood's earliest year, 55 +"Caught the light pleasure, and the starting tear; +"Thy friendship then my young affections blest, +"The first pure passion of my infant breast; +"That passion, which o'er life delight has shed, +"By reason cherish'd, and by virtue fed: 60 +"And still in death I feel its strong controul; +"Its sacred impulse wings my fleeting soul, +"That only lingers here till thou depart, +"Whose image lives upon my fainting heart."-- +In vain the gen'rous youth, with panting breath, 65 +Pour'd these lost murmurs in the ear of death; +He reads the fatal truth in _Zilia's_ eye, +And gives to friendship his expiring sigh.-- +But now with rage Valverda's glances roll, +And mark the vengeance rankling in his soul: 70 +He bends his wrinkled brow--his lips impart +The brooding purpose of his venom'd heart; +He bids the hoary priest in mutter'd strains, +Abjure his faith, forsake his falling fanes, +While yet the ling'ring pangs of torture wait, 75 +While yet _Valverda's_ power suspends his fate. +"Vain man, the victim cried, to hoary years +"Know death is mild, and virtue feels no fears: +"Cruel of spirit, come! let tortures prove +"The Power I serv'd in life, in death I love."-- 80 +He ceas'd--with rugged cords his limbs they bound, +And drag the aged suff'rer on the ground; +They grasp his feeble form, his tresses tear, +His robe they rend, his shrivell'd bosom bare. +Ah, see his uncomplaining soul sustain 85 +The sting of insult, and the dart of pain; +His stedfast spirit feels one pang alone; +A child's despair awakes one suff'ring groan-- +The mourner kneels to catch his parting breath, +To sooth the agony of ling'ring death; 90 +No moan she breath'd, no tear had power to flow, +Still on her lip expir'd th' unutter'd woe: +Yet ah, her livid cheek, her stedfast look, +The desolated soul's deep anguish spoke-- +Mild victim! close not yet thy languid eyes; 95 +Pure spirit! claim not yet thy kindred skies; +A pitying angel comes to stay thy flight, +_Las Casas_[A] bids thee view returning light: +Ah, let that sacred drop to virtue dear, +Efface thy wrongs--receive his precious tear; 100 +See his flush'd cheek with indignation glow, +While from his lips the tones of pity flow. +"Oh suff'ring Lord! he cried, whose streaming blood +"Was pour'd for man--Earth drank the sacred flood-- +"Whose mercy in the mortal pang forgave 105 +"The murd'rous band, thy love alone could save; +"Forgive--thy goodness bursts each narrow bound, +"Which feeble thought, and human hope surround; +"Forgive the guilty wretch, whose impious hand +"From thy pure altar flings the flaming brand, 110 +"In human blood that hallow'd altar steeps, +"Libation dire! while groaning nature weeps-- +"The limits of thy mercy dares to scan, +"The object of thy love, his victim,--Man; +"While yet I linger, lo, the suff'rer dies-- 115 +"I see his frame convuls'd--I hear his sighs-- +"Whoe'er controuls the purpose of my heart +"First in this breast shall plunge his guilty dart:" +With anxious step he flew, with eager hands +He broke the fetters, burst the cruel bands. 120 +As the fall'n angel heard with awful fear +The cherub's grave rebuke, in grace severe, +And fled, while horror plum'd his impious crest[B], +The form of virtue, as she stood confest; +So fierce Valverda sullen mov'd along, 125 +Abash'd, and follow'd by the guilty throng. +At length the hoary victim, freed from chains, +Las Casas gently leads to safer plains; +Soft Zilia's yielding soul the joy opprest, +She bath'd with floods of tears her father's breast. 130 +Las Casas now explores a secret cave +Whose shaggy sides the languid billows lave; +"There rest secure, he cried, the Christian God +"Will hover near, will guard the lone abode." +Oft to the gloomy cell his steps repair, 135 +While night's chill breezes wave his silver'd hair; +Oft in the tones of love, the words of peace, +He bids the bitter tears of anguish cease; +Bids drooping hope uplift her languid eyes, +And points a dearer bliss beyond the skies. 140 +Yet ah, in vain his pious cares would save +The hoary suff'rer from the op'ning grave; +For deep the pangs of torture pierc'd his frame, +And sunk his wasted life's expiring flame; +To his cold lip Las Casa's hand he prest, 145 +He faintly clasp'd his Zilia to his breast; +Then cried, "the God, whom now my vows adore, +"My heart thro' life obey'd, unknowing more; +"His mild forgiveness then my soul shall prove, +"His mercy share--Las Casa's God, is Love!" 150 +He spoke no more--his Zilia's frantic moan +Was heard responsive to his dying groan. +"Victim of impious zeal, Las Casas cries, +"Accept departed shade, a Christian's sighs; +"And thou, soft mourner, tender, drooping form, 155 +"What power shall guard thee from the fearful storm? +"Weep not for me, she cried, for Zilia's breast +"Soon in the shelt'ring earth shall find its rest. +"Hope not the victim of despair to save, +"I ask but death--I only seek a grave-- 160 +"Witness thou mangled form that earth retains, +"Witness a murder'd lover's cold remains. +"I liv'd my father's pangs to sooth, to share; +"I bore to live, tho' life was all despair-- +"In vain my lover, urg'd by fond desire 165 +"To shield from torture, and from death my sire, +"Flew to the fane where stern Valverda rag'd, +"And fearless, with unequal force engag'd; +"I saw him bleeding, dying press the ground, +"I drew the poison from each fatal wound; 170 +"I bath'd those wounds with tears--he pour'd a sigh-- +"A drop hung trembling in his closing eye-- +"Ah, still his mournful sign I shiv'ring hear, +"In every pulse I feel his parting tear-- +"I faint--an icy coldness chills each vein, 175 +"No more these feeble limbs their load sustain: +"Spirit of pity! catch my fleeting breath, +"A moment stay--and close my eyes in death-- +"_Las Casas_, thee, thy God in mercy gave +"To sooth my pangs--to find the wretch a grave."-- 180 +She ceas'd--her spirit fled to purer spheres-- +_Las Casas_ bathes the pallid corse with tears-- +Fly, minister of good! nor ling'ring shed +Those fruitless sorrows o'er the unconscious dead; +Ah fly--'tis innocence, 'tis virtue bleeds, 185 +And heav'n will listen, when an angel pleads; +I view the sanguine flood, the wasting flame, +I hear a suff'ring world _Las Casas_ claim! 188 + +[A] LAS CASAS, &c. that amiable Ecclesiastic, who obtained by his + humanity the title of Protector of the Indies. + +[B] --On his crest + Sat horror plum'd. + _Par. Lost_, iv. 988. + + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE FOURTH. + +THE ARGUMENT. + +Almagro's _expedition to Chili--his troops suffer great hardships from +cold, in crossing the Andes--they reach Chili--the Chilese make a brave +resistance--the revolt of the Peruvians in Cuzco--they are led on by_ +Manco-Capac, _the successor of_ Ataliba--_his parting with_ Cora, _his +wife--the Peruvians regain half their city_--Almagro _leaves Chili--to +avoid the Andes, he crosses a vast desert--his troops can find no water +--the rest divide in two bands_--Alphonso _leads the second band, which +soon reaches a fertile valley--the Spaniards observe the natives are +employed in searching the streams for gold--they resolve to attack +them._ + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE FOURTH. + +Now the stern partner of Pizarro's toils, +Almagro, lur'd by hope of golden spoils, +To distant Chili's ever-verdant meads, +Thro' paths untrod, a band of warriors leads; +O'er the high Andes' frozen steeps they go, 5 +And wander mid' eternal hills of snow: +In vain the vivifying orb of day +Darts on th' impervious ice his fervent ray; +Cold, keen as chains the oceans of the Pole, +Numbs the shrunk frame, and chills the vig'rous soul-- 10 +At length they reach luxuriant _Chili's_ plain, +Where ends the dreary bound of winter's reign; +Where spring sheds odours thro' th' unvaried year, +And bathes the flower of summer, with her tear. + + When first the brave _Chilese_, with eager glance, 15 +Behold the hostile sons of Spain advance; +Heard the loud thunder of the cannon crash, +And view'd the light'ning of the instant flash, +The threat'ning sabre red with purple streams, +The lance that quiver'd in the solar beams; 20 +With pale surprise they saw the lowring storm, +Where hung dark danger, in an unknown form: +But soon their spirits, stung with gen'rous shame, +Renounce each terror, and for vengeance flame; +Pant high with sacred freedom's ardent glow, 25 +And met intrepid, the superiour foe. +Long unsubdu'd by stern Almagro's train, +Their valiant tribes unequal fight maintain; +Long victory hover'd doubtful o'er the field, +And oft she forc'd Iberia's band to yield; 30 +Oft tore from Spain's proud head her laurel bough, +And bade it blossom on Peruvia's brow; +When sudden tidings reach'd Almagro's ear +That shook the warrior's soul with doubt and fear. + + Of murder'd Ataliba's royal race 35 +There yet remain'd a youth of blooming grace, +Who pin'd, the captive of relentless Spain, +And long in Cusco dragg'd her galling chain; +_Capac_ his name, whose soul indignant bears +The rankling fetters, and revenge prepares. 40 +But since his daring spirit must forego +The hope to rush upon the tyrant foe, +Led by his parent orb, that gives the day, +And fierce as darts the keen, meridian ray, +He vows to bend unseen his hostile course, 45 +Then on the victors rise with latent force, +As sudden from its cloud the brooding storm, +Bursts in the thunder's voice, the lightning's form-- +For this, from stern Pizarro he obtains +The boon, enlarg'd, to seek the neighb'ring plains, 50 +For one bless'd day, and with his friends unite +To crown with solemn pomp an ancient rite; +Share the dear pleasures of the social hour, +And mid' their fetters twine one festal flower. +So spoke the Prince--far other thoughts possest, 55 +Far other purpose animates his breast: +For now Peruvia's nobles he commands +To lead, with silent step, her martial bands +Forth to the destin'd spot, prepar'd to dare +The fiercest shock of dire, unequal war; 60 +While every tender, human interest pleads, +And urges the firm soul to lofty deeds. +Now Capac hail'd th' eventful morning's light, +Rose with its dawn, and panted for the fight; +But first with fondness to his heart he prest 65 +The tender Cora, partner of his breast; +Who with her lord, had sought the dungeon's gloom, +And wasted there in grief, her early bloom. +"No more, he cried, no more my love shall feel +"The mingled agonies I fly to heal; 70 +"I go, but soon exulting shall return, +"And bid my faithful Cora cease to mourn: +"For oh, amid' each pang my bosom knows, +"What wastes, what wounds it most, are Cora's woes. +"Sweet was the love that crown'd our happier hours, 75 +"And shed new fragrance o'er a path of flowers; +"But sure divided sorrow more endears +"The tie, that passion seals with mutual tears"-- +He paus'd--fast-flowing drops bedew'd her eyes, +While thus in mournful accents she replies: 80 +"Still let me feel the pressure of thy chain, +"Still share the fetters which my love detain; +"Those piercing irons to my soul are dear, +"Nor will their sharpness wound while thou art near. +"Oh think not, when in thee alone I live, 85 +"This breast can bear the pain thy dangers give, +"Look on our helpless babe in mis'ry nurst-- +"My child--my child, thy mother's heart will burst! +"Methinks I see the raging battle rise, +"And hear this harmless suff'rer's feeble cries; 90 +"I view the blades that pour a sanguine flood, +"And plunge their cruel edge in infant blood."-- +She could no more; her falt'ring accents die, +Yet her soul spoke expressive in her eye; +Her lord beholds her grief, with tender pain, 95 +And leads her breathless, to a shelt'ring fane. +Now high in air his feather'd standard waves, +And soon from shrouding woods, and hollow caves, +A num'rous host along the plain appear, +And hail their monarch with a gen'rous tear: 100 +To Cusco's gate now rush th' increasing throngs, +And such their ardor, rouz'd by sense of wrongs, +That vainly would Pizarro's vet'ran force +Arrest the torrent in its raging course; +In vain his murd'ring bands terrific stood, 105 +And plung'd their sabres in a sea of blood; +Danger and death Peruvia's sons disdain, +And half their captive city soon regain. +With such pure joy the natives view their lord +To the warm wishes of their souls restor'd, 110 +As feels the tender child whom force had torn +From his lov'd home, and bruis'd the flower of morn, +When his fond searching eye again beholds +His mother's form, when in her arms she folds +The long lost child, who bathes with tears her face, +And finds his safety in her dear embrace.-- + + Soon as Almagro heard applauding fame 115 +The triumphs of Peruvia, loud proclaim, +Unconquer'd Chili's vale he swift forsakes, +And his bold course to distant Cusco takes; +Shuns Andes' icy shower, its chilling snows, +The arrowy gale that on its summit blows; 120 +A burning desart undismay'd he past, +And meets the ardours of the fiery blast. +Now as along the sultry waste they move, +The keenest pang of raging thirst they prove: +No cooling fruit its grateful juice distils, 125 +Nor flows one balmy drop from crystal rills; +For nature sickens in th' oppressive beam, +That shrinks the vernal bud, and dries the stream; +While horror, as his giant stature grows, +O'er the drear void his spreading shadow throws. 130 + + Almagro's band now pale, and fainting stray, +While death oft barr'd the sinking warrior's way: +At length the chief divides his martial force, +And bids Alphonso, by a sep'rate course, +Lead o'er the hideous desart half his train-- 135 +"And search, he cried, this drear, uncultur'd plain: +"Perchance some fruitage withering in the breeze, +"The pains of lessen'd numbers may appease; +"Or Heav'n in pity, from some genial shower, +"On the parch'd lip one precious drop may pour." 140 + + Not far the troops of young Alphonso went, +When sudden, from a rising hill's ascent, +They view a valley, fed by fertile springs, +Which Andes from his lofty summit flings; +Where summer's flowers their mingled odours shed, 145 +And wildly bloom, a waste by beauty spread-- +To the charm'd warrior's eye, the vernal scene +That 'mid the howling desart, smil'd serene, +Appear'd like nature rising from the breast +Of chaos, in her infant graces drest; 150 +When warbling angels hail'd the lovely birth, +And stoop'd from heav'n to bless the new-born earth. + + And now Alphonso, and his martial band, +On the rich border of the valley stand; +They quaff the limpid stream with eager haste, 155 +And the pure juice that swells the fruitage taste; +Then give to balmy rest the night's still hours, +Fann'd by the sighing gale that shuts the flowers. +Soon as the purple beam of morning glows, +Refresh'd from all their toils, the warriors rose; 160 +And saw the gentle natives of the mead +Search the clear currents for the golden seed; +Which from the mountain's height with headlong sweep +The torrents bear, in many a shining heap-- +Iberia's sons beheld with anxious brow 165 +The tempting lure, then breathe th' unpitying vow +O'er those fair lawns to pour a sanguine flood, +And dye those lucid streams with waves of blood. +Thus, while the humming bird in beauty drest, +Enchanting offspring of the ardent West, 170 +Attunes his soothing song to notes of love, +Mild as the murmurs of the mourning dove; +While his soft plumage glows with brighter hues, +And while with tender bill he sips the dews, +The savage Condor, on terrific wings, 175 +From Andes' frozen steep relentless springs; +And quiv'ring in his fangs, his hapless prey +Drops his gay plume, and sighs his soul away. 178 + + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE FIFTH. + +THE ARGUMENT. + +_Character of_ Zamor, _a Bard--his passion for_ Aciloe, _daughter of the +Cazique who rules the valley--the Peruvian tribe prepare to defend +themselves--a battle--the Peruvians are vanquished_--Aciloe's _father is +made a prisoner, and_ Zamor _is supposed to have fallen in the +engagement_--Alphonso _becomes enamoured of_ Aciloe--_offers to marry +her; she rejects him--in revenge he puts her father to the torture--she +appears to consent, in order to save him--meets_ Zamor _in a wood_--Las +Casas _joins them--leads the two lovers to_ Alphonso, _and obtains their +freedom_--Zamor _conducts_ Aciloe _and her father to Chili--a reflection +on the influence of Poetry over the human mind._ + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE FIFTH. + +In this sweet scene, to all the virtues kind, +Mild Zamor own'd the richest gifts of mind; +For o'er his tuneful breast the heav'nly muse +Shed from her sacred spring, inspiring dews. +She loves to breathe her hallow'd flame, where art 5 +Has never veil'd the soul, or warp'd the heart; +Where fancy glows with all her native fire, +And passion lives on the exulting lyre. +Nature, in terror rob'd, or beauty drest, +Could thrill with dear enchantment Zamor's breast: 10 +He lov'd the languid sigh the zephyr pours, +He lov'd the murm'ring rill that fed the flow'rs; +But more the hollow sound the wild winds form, +When black upon the billow hangs the storm; +The torrent rolling from the mountain steep, 15 +Its white foam trembling on the darken'd deep-- +And oft on Andes' height with eager gaze, +He view'd the sinking sun's reflected rays, +Glow like unnumber'd stars, that seem to rest +Sublime, upon his ice-encircled breast. 20 +Oft his wild warblings charm'd the festal hour, +Rose in the vale, and languish'd in the bower; +The heart's responsive tones he well could move, +Whose song was nature, and whose theme was love. + + Aciloe's beauties his fond eye confest, 25 +Yet more Aciloe's virtues warm'd his breast. +Ah stay, ye tender hours of young delight, +Suspend ye moments your impatient flight; +For sure if aught on earth can bliss impart, +Can shed the genuine joy that sooths the heart, 30 +'Tis felt, when early passion's pure controul +Unfolds the first affections of the soul; +Bids her soft sympathies the bosom move, +And wakes the mild emotions dear to love. + + The gentle tribe Aciloe's sire obey'd 35 +Who still in wisdom, and in mercy sway'd. +From him the dear illusions long had fled, +That o'er the morn of life enchantment shed; +Yet virtue's calm reflections cheer'd his breast, +And life was joy serene, and death was rest. 40 +Tho' sweet the early spring, her blossoms bright, +When first she swells the heart with pure delight, +Yet not unlovely is the sober ray +That meekly beams o'er autumn's temper'd day; +Dear are her fading beauties to the soul, 45 +While scarce perceiv'd the deep'ning shadows roll. + + Now the charm'd lovers dress their future years +In forms of joy, then weep delicious tears, +Expressive on the glowing cheek that hung, +And spoke the fine emotions whence they sprung-- 50 +'Twas truth's warm energy, love's sweet controul, +'Twas all that virtue whispers to the soul. +When lo, Iberia's ruthless sons advance, +Roll the stern eye, and shake the pointed lance: +Oh Nature! the destroying band oppose, 55 +Nature, arrest their course--they come thy foes-- +Benignant power, where thou with lib'ral care +Hast planted joy, they come to plant despair-- +Peruvia's tribe beheld the hostile throng +With desolating fury pour along; 60 +With horror their ensanguin'd path they trac'd, +And now to meet the murd'ring band they haste; +The hoary chief to the dire conflict leads +His death devoted train--the battle bleeds. + +Aciloe's searching eye can now no more 65 +The form of Zamor, or her sire explore; +She hears the moan of death in every gale, +She sees a purple torrent stain the vale; +While destin'd all the bitterness to prove +Of mourning duty, and of bleeding love, 70 +Each name that's dearest wakes her bursting sigh, +Throbs at her soul, and trembles in her eye. +Now, pierc'd by wounds, and breathless from the fight, +Her friend, the valiant Omar, struck her sight: +"Omar (she cried) you bleed, unhappy youth, 75 +"And sure that look unfolds some fatal truth: +"Speak, pitying speak, my frantic fears forgive, +"Say, does my father, does my Zamor live?" +"All, all is lost, (the dying Omar said) +"And endless griefs are thine, dear wretched maid; 80 +"I saw thy aged sire a captive bound, +"I saw thy Zamor press the crimson ground"-- +He could no more, he yields his fleeting breath, +While all in vain she seeks repose in death. +But, oh, how far each other pang above 85 +Throbs the wild agony of hopeless love; +That grief, for which in vain shall comfort shed +Her healing balm, or time in pity spread +The veil, that throws a shade o'er other care; +For here, and here alone, profound despair 90 +Casts o'er the suff'ring soul a lasting gloom, +And slowly leads her victim to the tomb. + +Now rude tumultuous sounds assail her ear, +And soon Alphonso's victor train appear: +Then, as with ling'ring step he mov'd along, 95 +She saw her father mid' the captive throng; +She saw with dire dismay, she wildly flew, +Her snowy arms around his form she threw: +"He bleeds (she cries) I hear his moan of pain, +"My father will not bear the galling chain; 100 +"My tender father will his child forsake, +"His mourning child, but soon her heart will break. +"Cruel Alphonso, let not helpless age +"Feel thy hard yoke, and meet thy barb'rous rage; +"Or, oh, if ever mercy mov'd thy soul, 105 +"If ever thou hast felt her blest controul, +"Grant my sad heart's desire, and let me share +"The load, that feeble frame but ill can bear." + +While the young victor, as she falt'ring spoke, +With fix'd attention, and with ardent look, 110 +Hung on her tender glance, that love inspires, +The rage of conquest yields to milder fires. +Yet, as he gaz'd enraptur'd on her form, +Her virtues awe the heart her beauties warm; +And, while impassion'd tones his love reveal, 115 +He asks with holy rites his vows to seal-- +"Hop'st thou, she cried, those sacred ties shall join +"This bleeding heart, this trembling hand to thine? +"To thine, whose ruthless heart has caus'd my pains, +"Whose barb'rous hands the blood of Zamor stains! 120 +"Can'st thou--the murd'rer of my peace, controul +"The grief that swells, the pang that rends my soul? +"That pang shall death, shall death alone remove, +"And cure the anguish of despairing love." + + In vain th' enamour'd youth essay'd each art 125 +To calm her sorrows, and to sooth her heart; +While, in the range of thought, her tender breast +Could find no hope, on which her griefs might rest, +While her soft soul, which Zamor's image fills, +Shrinks from the cruel author of its ills. 130 +At length to madness stung by fix'd disdain, +The victor gives to rage the fiery rein; +And bids her sorrows flow from that fond source +Where strong affection feels their keenest force, +Whose breast, when most it suffers, only heeds 135 +The sharper pangs by which another bleeds: +For now his cruel mandate doom'd her sire +Stretch'd on the bed of torture, to expire; +Bound on the rack, unmov'd the victim lies, +Stifling in agony weak nature's sighs. 140 +But oh, what form of language can impart +The frantic grief that wrung Aciloe's heart, +When to the height of hopeless sorrow wrought, +The fainting spirit feels a pang of thought, +Which never painted in the hues of speech, 145 +Lives at the soul, and mocks expression's reach! +At length she trembling cried, "the conflict's o'er, +"My heart, my breaking heart can bear no more-- +"Yet spare his feeble age--my vows receive, +"And oh, in mercy, bid my father live!"-- 150 +"Wilt them be mine?" the enamour'd chief replies, +"Yes, cruel! see, he dies, my father dies-- +"Save, save, my father"--"Dear, angelic maid, +"The charm'd Alphonso cried, be swift obey'd: +"Unbind his chains--Ah, calm each anxious Pain, 155 +"Aciloe's voice no more shall plead in vain; +"Plac'd near his child, thy aged sire shall share +"Our joys still cherish'd by thy tender care"-- +"No more (she cried) will fate that bliss allow, +"Before my lips shall breathe the nuptial vow, 160 +"Some faithful guide shall lead his aged feet, +"To distant scenes that yield a safe retreat; +"Where some soft heart, some gentle hand, will shed +"The drops of comfort on his hoary head: +"My Zamor, if thy spirit trembles near, 165 +"Forgive!"--she ceas'd, and pour'd her hopeless tear. + + Now night descends, and steeps each weary breast, +Save sad Aciloe's, in the balm of rest. +Her aged father's beauteous dwelling stood +Near the cool shelter of a waving wood: 170 +But now the gales that bend its foliage die, +Soft on the silver turf its shadows lie; +While, slowly wand'ring o'er the scene below, +The gazing moon look'd pale as silent woe. +The sacred shade, amid whose fragrant bowers 175 +Zamor oft sooth'd with song the evening hours, +Pour'd to the lunar orb, his magic lay, +More mild, more pensive than her musing ray, +That shade with trembling step, the mourner sought, +And thus she breath'd her tender, plaintive thought. 180 +"Ah where, dear object of these piercing pains, +"Where rests thy murder'd form, thy lov'd remains? +"On what sad spot, my Zamor, flow'd the wound +"That purpled with thy streaming blood the ground? +"Oh had Aciloe in that hour been nigh, 185 +"Had'st thou but fix'd on me thy closing eye; +"Told with faint voice, 'twas death's worst pang to part, +"And dropp'd thy last, cold tear upon my heart! +"A pang less bitter then would waste this breast, +"That in the grave alone shall seek its rest. 190 +"Soon as some friendly hand, in mercy leads +"My aged father, safe to Chili's meads; +"Death shall for ever, seal the nuptial tie, +"The heart belov'd by thee is fix'd to die." +She ceas'd, when dimly thro' a flood of tears 195 +She sees her Zamor's form, his voice she hears.-- +"'Tis he, she cried, he moves upon the gale, +"My Zamor's sigh is deep--his look is pale-- +"I faint"--his arms receive her sinking frame, +He calls his love by every tender name, 200 +He stays her fleeting spirit--life anew +Warms her cold cheek--his tears her cheek bedew-- +"Thy Zamor lives, he cried: as on the ground +"I senseless lay, some child of pity bound +"My bleeding wounds, and bore me from the plain-- 205 +"But thou art lost, and I have liv'd in vain." +"Forgive, she cried, in accents of despair, +"Zamor forgive thy wrongs, and oh forbear +"The mild reproach that fills thy mournful eye, +"The tear that wets thy cheek--I mean to die! 210 +"Could I behold my aged sire endure +"The pains his wretched child had power to cure? +"Still, still my father, stretch'd in death, I see, +"His grey locks trembling, as he gaz'd on me: +"My Zamor, soft--breathe not so loud a sigh-- 215 +"Some list'ning foe may pityless deny +"This parting hour--hark, sure some step I hear, +"Zamor again is lost--for now 'tis near"-- +She paus'd, when sudden from the shelt'ring wood +A venerable form before them stood: 220 +"Fear not, soft maid, he cry'd, nor think I come +"To seal with deeper miseries thy doom; +"To bruise the breaking heart that sorrow rends, +"Ah not for this Las Casas hither bends-- +"He comes to bid those rising sorrows cease, 225 +"To pour upon thy wounds the balm of peace. +"I rov'd with dire Almagro's ruthless train +"Thro' scenes of death, to Chili's verdant plain; +"Their wish, to bathe that verdant plain in gore, +"Then from its bosom drag the golden ore; 230 +"But mine, to check the stream of human blood, +"Or mingle drops of anguish with the flood. +"When from those fair unconquer'd vales they fled, +"This frame was stretch'd upon the languid bed +"Of pale disease: when helpless, and alone, 235 +"The Chilese spy'd their friend, the murd'rers gone, +"With eager fondness round my couch they drew, +"And my cold hand with gushing tears bedew; +"By day, they sooth my pains with sweet delight, +"And give to watchings the chill hours of night; 240 +"For me their tender spirits joy to prove +"The cares of pity, and the toils of love. +"Soon as I heard, that o'er this gentle scene, +"Where peace and virtue mingled smile serene, +"The foe, like clouds that fold the tempest, hung, 245 +"I hither flew, my breast with anguish wrung. +"A Chilese band the pathless desert trac'd, +"And softly bore me o'er its dreary waste; +"Then parting, at my feet they bend, and clasp +"These aged knees--my soul yet feels their grasp. 250 +"Now o'er the vale with painful step I stray'd, +"And reach'd the shelt'ring grove: there, hapless maid, +"My list'ning ear has caught thy piercing wail, +"My heart has trembled to thy moving tale."-- +"And art thou he! the mournful pair exclaim, 255 +"How dear to mis'ry's soul, Las Casas' name! +"Spirit benign, who every grief can share, +"Whose pity stoops to make the wretch its care; +"Weep not for us--in vain thy tear shall flow +"For hopeless anguish, and distracting woe"-- 260 +"They ceas'd; in accents mild, the saint returns, +"Yet let me sooth the pains my bosom mourns: +"Come, gentle suff'rers, follow to yon fane, +"Where rests Alphonso, with his victor train; +"My voice shall urge his soul to gen'rous deeds, 265 +"And bid him hear, when truth, and nature pleads." +While in soft tones, Las Casas thus exprest +His pious purpose, o'er Aciloe's breast +A dawning ray of cheering comfort streams, +But faint the hope that on her spirit beams; 270 +Faint, as when ebbing life must soon depart, +The pulse that trembles, while it warms the heart. + + Before Alphonso now the lovers stand; +The aged suff'rer join'd the mournful band; +While with the look that guardian seraphs wear, 275 +When sent to calm the throbs of mortal care, +The story of their woes Las Casas told, +Then cry'd, "the wretched Zamor here behold-- +"Hop'st thou, fond man, a passion to controul +"Fix'd in the breast, and woven in the soul? 280 +"But know, mistaken youth, thy power in vain +"Would bind thy victim in the nuptial chain: +"That faithful heart will rend the galling tie, +"That heart will break, that tender form will die-- +"Then by each sacred name to nature dear, 285 +"By her strong shriek, her agonizing tear; +"By every horror bleeding passion knows, +"By the wild glance that speaks her frantic woes; +"By all the wasting pangs that rend her breast, +"By the deep groan that gives her spirit rest! 290 +"Let mercy's pleading voice thy bosom move, +"And fear to burst the bonds of plighted love"-- +He paus'd--now Zamor's moan Alphonso hears, +Now sees the cheek of age bedew'd with tears: +Palid, and motionless, Aciloe stands, 295 +Fix'd was her mournful eye, and clasp'd her hands; +Her heart was chill'd--her trembling heart, for there +Hope slowly sinks in cold, and dark despair. +Alphonso's soul was mov'd--"No more, he cried, +"My hapless flame shall hearts like yours divide. 300 +"Live, tender spirit, soft Aciloe, live, +"And all the wrongs of mad'ning rage forgive. +"Go from this desolated region far, +"These plains, where av'rice spreads the waste of war; +"Go, where pure pleasures gild the peaceful scene, 305 +"Go where mild virtue sheds her ray serene." + + In vain th' enraptur'd maid would now impart, +The rising joy that swells, that pains her heart; +Las Casas' feet in floods of tears she steeps, +Looks on her sire and smiles, then turns, and weeps; 310 +Then smiles again, while her flush'd cheek, reveals +The mingled tumult of delight she feels. +So fall the crystal showers of fragrant spring, +And o'er the pure, clear sky, soft shadows fling; +Then paint the drooping clouds from which they flow 315 +With the warm colours of the lucid bow. +Now, o'er the barren desert, Zamor leads +Aciloe, and her sire, to Chili's meads: +There, many a wand'ring wretch, condemn'd to roam +By hard oppression, found a shelt'ring home: 320 +Zamor to pity, tun'd the vocal shell, +Bright'ning the tear of anguish, as it fell. +Did e'er the human bosom throb with pain +The heav'nly muse has sought to sooth in vain? +She, who can still with harmony its sighs, 325 +And wake the sound, at which affliction dies; +Can bid the stormy passions backward roll, +And o'er their low-hung tempests lift the soul; +With magic touch paint nature's various scene +Wild on the mountain, in the vale serene; 330 +Can tinge the breathing rose with brighter bloom, +Or hang the sombrous rock in deeper gloom; +Explore the gem, whose pure, reflected ray +Throws o'er the central cave a paler day; +Or soaring view the comet's fiery frame 335 +Rush o'er the sky, and fold the sphere in flame; +While the charm'd spirit, as her accents move, +Is wrapt in wonder, or dissolv'd in love. 338 + + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE SIXTH. + +THE ARGUMENT. + +_The troops of_ Almagro _and_ Alphonso _meet on the plains of Cuzco_-- +Manco-Capac _attacks them by night--his army is defeated, and he is +forced to fly with its scattered remains_--Cora _goes in search of him-- +her infant in her arms--overcome with fatigue, she rests at the foot of +a mountain--an earthquake--a band of Indians fly to the mountains for +shelter_--Cora discovers her husband--their interview--her death--he +escapes with his infant_--Almagro _claims a share of the spoils of +Cuzco--his contention with_ Pizarro--_the Spaniards destroy each other_ +--Almagro _is taken prisoner, and put to death--his soldiers, in revenge, +assassinate_ Pizarro _in his palace_--Las Casas _dies_--Gasca, _a +Spanish ecclesiastic, arrives in_ Peru--_invested with great power--his +virtuous conduct--the annual festival of the Peruvians--their late +victories over the Spaniards in Chili--a wish for the restoration of +their liberty--the Poem concludes._ + + +PERU. + +CANTO THE SIXTH. + +At length Almagro, and Alphonso's train, +Each peril past, unite on Cusco's plain: +_Capac_, who now beheld with anxious woe, +Th' increasing numbers of the powerful foe, +Resolves to pierce beneath the shroud of night 5 +The hostile camp, and brave the vent'rous fight; +Tho' weak the wrong'd Peruvians arrowy showers, +To the dire weapons stern Iberia pours. +Fierce was th' unequal contest, for the soul +When rais'd by some high passion's strong controul, 10 +New strings the nerves, and o'er the glowing frame +Breathes the warm spirit of heroic flame. + + But from the scene where raging slaughter burns, +The timid muse with pallid horror turns: +The sounds of frantic woe she panting hears, 15 +Where anguish dims a mother's eye with tears; +Or where the maid, who gave to love's soft power +Her faithful spirit, weeps the parting hour: +And ah, till death shall ease the tender woe, +That soul must languish, and those tears must flow; 20 +For never with the thrill that rapture proves +Shall bless'd affection hail the form she loves; +Her eager glance no more that form shall view, +Her quiv'ring lip has breath'd the last adieu! +Now night, that pour'd upon her hollow gale 25 +The moan of death, withdrew her mournful veil; +The sun rose lovely from the sleeping flood, +And morning glitter'd o'er the field of blood; +Where bath'd in gore, Peruvia's vanquish'd train +Lay cold and senseless on the sanguine plain. 30 +Capac, their gen'rous chief, whose ardent soul +Had sought the rage of battle to controul, +Beheld with keen despair his warriors yield, +And fled indignant from the conquer'd field. +From Cusco now a wretched throng repair, 35 +Who tread mid' slaughter'd heaps in mute despair, +O'er some lov'd corse the shroud of earth to spread, +And drop the sacred tear that sooths the dead: +No shriek was heard, for agony supprest +The fond complaints which ease the swelling breast: 40 +Each hope for ever lost, they only crave +The deep repose which wraps the shelt'ring grave. +So the meek Lama, lur'd by some decoy +Of man, from all his unembitter'd joy; +Ere while, as free as roves the wand'ring breeze, 45 +Meets the hard burden on his bending knees[A]; +O'er rocks, and mountains, dark, and waste he goes, +Nor shuns the path where no soft herbage grows; +Till worn with toil, on earth he prostrate lies, +Heeds not the barb'rous lash, but patient dies. 50 +Swift o'er the field of death sad Cora flew, +Her infant to his mother's bosom grew; +She seeks her wretched lord, who fled the plain +With the last remnant of his vanquish'd train: +Thro' the lone vale, or forest's sombrous shade 55 +A dreary solitude, the mourner stray'd; +Her timid heart can now each danger dare, +Her drooping soul is arm'd by deep despair-- +Long, long she wander'd, till oppress'd with toil, +Her trembling footsteps track with blood the soil; 60 +In vain with moans her distant lord she calls, +In vain the bitter tear of anguish falls; +Her moan expires along the desert wood, +Her tear is mingled with the crimson flood. + + Where o'er an ample vale a mountain rose, 65 +Low at its base her fainting form she throws; +"And here, my child, (she cried, with panting breath) +"Here let us wait the hour of ling'ring death: +"This famish'd bosom can no more supply +"The streams that nourish life, my babe must die! 70 +"In vain I strive to cherish for thy sake +"My failing strength; but when my heart-strings break, +"When my chill'd bosom can no longer warm, +"My stiff'ning arms no more enfold thy form, +"Soft on this bed of leaves my child shall sleep, 75 +"Close to his mother's corse he will not weep: +"Oh weep not then, my tender babe, tho' near, +"I shall not hear thy moan, nor see thy tear; +"Hope not to move me by thy piercing cry, +"Nor seek with searching look my answering eye." 80 +As thus the dying Cora's plaints arose, +O'er the fair valley sudden darkness throws +A hideous horror; thro' the wounded air +Howl'd the shrill voice of nature in despair; +The birds dart screaming thro' the fluid sky, 85 +And, dash'd upon the cliff's hard surface die; +High o'er their rocky bounds the billows swell, +Then to their deep abyss affrighted fell; +Earth groaning heaves with dire convulsive throws, +While yawning gulphs her central caves disclose: 90 +Now rush'd a frighted throng with trembling pace +Along the vale, and sought the mountain's base; +Purpos'd its perilous ascent to gain, +And shun the ruin low'ring o'er the plain. +They reach'd the spot where Cora clasp'd her child, 95 +And gaz'd on present death with aspect mild; +They pitying paus'd--she lifts her mournful eye, +And views her lord!--he hears his Cora's sigh-- +He meets her look--their melting souls unite, +O'erwhelm'd, and agoniz'd with wild delight-- 100 +At length she faintly cried, "we yet must part! +"Short are these rising joys--I feel my heart +"My suff'ring heart is cold, and mists arise +"That shroud thy image from my closing eyes: +"Oh save my child!--our tender infant save, 105 +"And shed a tear upon thy Cora's grave"-- +The flutt'ring pulse of life now ceas'd to play, +And in his arms a pallid corse she lay: +O'er her dear form he hung in speechless pain, +And still on Cora call'd, but call'd in vain; 110 +Scarce could his soul in one short moment bear +The wild extreme of transport, and despair. + +Now o'er the west in melting softness streams +A lustre, milder than the morning beams; +A purer dawn dispell'd the fearful night, 115 +And nature glow'd in all the blooms of light; +The birds awake the note that hails the day, +And spread their pinions in the purple ray; +A zone of gold the wave's still bosom bound, +And beauty shed a placid smile around. 120 +Then, first awaking from his mournful trance, +The wretched Capac cast an eager glance +On his lov'd babe; th' unconscious infant smil'd, +And showers of softer sorrow bath'd his child. +The hollow voice now sounds in fancy's ear, 125 +She sees the dying look, the parting tear, +That sought with anxious tenderness to save +That dear memorial from the closing grave: +He clasps the object of his love's last care, +And vows for him the load of life to bear; 130 +To rear the blossom of a faded flower, +And bid remembrance sooth each ling'ring hour. +He journey'd o'er a dreary length of way, +To plains where freedom shed her hallow'd ray; +O'er many a pathless wood, and mountain hoar, 135 +To that fair clime her lifeless form he bore. +Ye who ne'er suffer'd passions hopeless pain, +Deem not the toil that sooths its anguish vain; +Its fondness to the mould'ring corse extends, +Its faithful tear with the cold ashes blends. 140 +Perchance, the conscious spirit of the dead +Numbers the drops affection loves to shed; +Perchance a sigh of holy pity gives +To the sad bosom, where its image lives. +Oh nature! sure thy sympathetic ties 145 +Shall o'er the ruins of the grave arise; +Undying spring from the relentless tomb, +And shed, in scenes of love, a lasting bloom. +Not long Iberia's sullied trophies wave, +Her guilty warriors press th' untimely grave; 150 +For av'rice, rising from the caves of earth, +Wakes all her savage spirit into birth; +Bids proud Almagro feel her baleful flame, +And Cusco's treasures from Pizarro claim: +Pizarro holds the rich alluring prize, 155 +With firmer grasp, the fires of discord rise. +Now fierce in hostile rage, each warlike train +Purple with issuing gore Peruvia's plain; +There, breathing hate, and vengeful death they flood, +And bath'd their impious bands in kindred blood; 160 +While pensive on each hill, whose lofty brow +O'erhung with sable woods the vale below; +Peruvia's hapless tribes in scatter'd throngs, +Beheld the fiends of strife avenge their wrongs. +Now conquest, bending on her crimson wings, 165 +Her sanguine laurel to Pizarro brings; +While bound, and trembling in her iron chain, +Almagro swells the victor's captive train. +In vain his pleading voice, his suppliant eye, +Conjure his conqu'ror, by the holy tie 170 +That seal'd their mutual league with sacred force, +When first to climes unknown they bent their course; +When danger's rising horrors lowr'd afar, +The storms of ocean, and the toils of war, +The sad remains of wasted life to spare, 175 +The shrivell'd bosom, and the silver'd hair:-- +But vainly from his lips these accents part, +Nor move Pizarro's cold, relentless heart, +That never trembled to the suff'rer's sigh, +Or view'd the suff'rer's tear with melting eye. 180 +Almagro dies--the victor's savage pride +To his pale corse funereal rites denied, +Chill'd by the heavy dews of night it lay, +And wither'd in the sultry beam of day, +Till Indian bosoms, touch'd with gen'rous woe, 185 +In the pale form forgot the tyrant foe; +The last sad duties to his ashes paid, +And sooth'd with pity's tear the hov'ring shade. +With unrelenting hate the conqu'ror views +Almagro's band, and vengeance still pursues; 190 +Condemns the victims of his power to stray +In drooping poverty's chill, thorny way; +To pine with famine's agony severe, +And all the ling'ring forms of death to fear; +Till by despair impell'd, the rival train 195 +Rush to the haughty victor's glitt'ring fane; +Swift on their foe with rage impetuous dart, +And plunge their daggers in his guilty heart. +How unavailing now the treasur'd ore +That made Peruvia's rifled bosom poor! 200 +He falls--no mourner near to breathe a sigh, +Catch the last breath, and close the languid eye; +Deserted, and refus'd the holy tear +That warm affection sheds o'er virtue's bier; +Denied those drops that stay the parting breath, 205 +That sooth the spirit on the verge of death; +Tho' now the pale expiring form would buy +With Andes' glitt'ring mines, one faithful sigh! + +Now faint with virtue's toil, Las Casas' soul +Sought with exulting hope, her heav'nly goal: 210 +A bending angel consecrates his tears, +And leads his kindred mind to purer spheres. +But, ah! whence pours that stream of lambent light, +That soft-descending on the raptur'd sight, +Gilds the dark horrors of the raging storm-- 215 +It lights on earth--mild vision! gentle form-- +'Tis Sensibility! she stands confest, +With trembling step she moves, and panting breast; +Wav'd by the gentle breath of passing sighs +Loose in the air her robe expanded flies; 220 +Wet with the dew of tears her soft veil streams, +And in her eye the ray of pity beams; +No vivid roses her mild cheek illume, +Sorrow's wan touch has chas'd the purple bloom: +Yet ling'ring there in tender, pensive grace, 225 +The softer lily fills the vacant place; +And ever as her precious tears bedew +Its modest flowers, they shed a paler hue. +To yon deserted grave, lo swift she flies +Where her lov'd victim, mild Las Casas lies: 230 +Light on the hallow'd turf I see her stand, +And slowly wave in air her snowy wand; +I see her deck the solitary haunt, +With chaplets twin'd from every weeping plant. +Its odours mild the simple vi'let shed, 235 +The shrinking lily hung its drooping head; +A moaning zephyr sigh'd within the bower, +And bent the yielding stem of every flower: +"Hither (she cried, her melting tone I hear +"It vibrates full on fancy's raptur'd ear) 240 +"Ye gentle spirits whom my soul refines, +"Where all its animating lustre shines; +"Ye who can exquisitely feel the glow +"Whose soft suffusion gilds the cloud of woe; +"Warm as the colours varying iris pours 245 +"That tinge with streaming rays the chilling showers; +"Ye to whose yielding hearts my power endears +"The transport blended with delicious tears, +"The bliss that swells to agony the breast, +"The sympathy that robs the soul of rest; 250 +"Hither with fond devotion pensive come, +"Kiss the pale shrine, and murmur o'er the tomb; +"Bend on the hallow'd turf the tear-full eye +"And breathe the precious incense of a sigh. +"Las Casas' tear has moisten'd mis'ry's grave, 255 +"His sigh has moan'd the wretch it fail'd to save! +"He, while conflicting pangs his bosom tear +"Has sought the lonely cavern of despair; +"Where desolate she fled, and pour'd her thought, +"To the dread verge of wild distraction wrought. 260 +"White drops of mercy bath'd his hoary cheek, +"He pour'd by heav'n inspir'd its accents meek; +"In truth's clear mirror bade the mourner's view +"Pierce the deep veil which darkling error drew; +"And vanquish'd empire with a smile resign, 265 +"While brighter worlds in fair perspective shine."-- +She paus'd--yet still the sweet enthusiast bends +O'er the cold turf, and still her tear descends; +The ever-falling tears her beauties shroud, +Till slow she vanish'd in a fleecy cloud. 270 + +Mild Gasca now, the messenger of peace, +Suspends the storm, and bids the tumult cease. +Pure spirit! in Religion's garb he came, +And all his bosom felt her holy flame; +'Twas then her vot'ries glory, and their care 275 +To bid oppression's harpy talons spare; +To bend the crimson banner he unfurl'd, +And shelter from his grasp a suff'ring world: +Gasca, the guardian minister of woe, +Bids o'er her wounds the balms of comfort flow 280 +While rich Potosi[B] rolls the copious tide +Of wealth, unbounded as the wish of pride; +His pure, unsullied soul with high disdain +For virtue spurns the fascinating bane; +Her seraph form can still his breast allure 285 +Tho' drest in weeds, she triumph'd to be poor-- +Hopeless ambition's murders to restrain, +And virtue's wrongs, he sought Iberia's plain, +Without one mean reserve he nobly brings +A massive treasure, yet unknown to kings: 290 +No purple pomp around his dome was spread +No gilded roofs hung glitt'ring o'er his head; +Yet peace with milder radiance deck'd his bower, +And crown'd with dearer joy life's evening hour; +While virtue whisper'd to his conscious heart 295 +The sweet reflexion of its high desert. + + Ah, meek Peruvia, still thy murmur'd sighs +Thy stifled groans in fancy's ear arise; +Sadd'ning she views thy desolated soul, +As slow the circling years of bondage roll, 300 +Redeem from tyranny's oppressive power +With fond affection's force, one sacred hour; +And consecrate its fleeting, precious space, +The dear remembrance of the past to trace. +Call from her bed of dust joy's buried shade; 305 +She smiles in mem'ry's lucid robes array'd, +O'er thy creative scene[C] majestic moves, +And wakes each mild delight thy fancy loves. +But soon the image of thy wrongs in clouds +The fair and transient ray of pleasure shrouds; 310 +Far other visions melt thy mournful eye, +And wake the gushing tear, th' indignant sigh; +There Ataliba's sacred, murder'd form, +Sinks in the billow of oppression's storm; +Wild o'er the scene of death thy glances roll, 315 +And pangs tumultuous swell thy troubled soul; +Thy bosom burns, distraction spreads her flames, +And from the tyrant foe her victim claims. + + But, lo! where bursting desolation's night, +A sudden ray of glory cheers my sight; 320 +From my fond eye the tear of rapture flows, +My heart with pure delight exulting glows: +A blooming chief of India's royal race, +Whose soaring soul, its high descent can trace, +The flag of freedom rears on Chili's[D] plain, 325 +And leads to glorious strife his gen'rous train: +And see Iberia bleeds! while vict'ry twines +Her fairest blossoms round Peruvia's shrines; +The gaping wounds of earth disclose no more +The lucid silver, and the glowing ore; 330 +A brighter glory gilds the passing hour, +While freedom breaks the rod of lawless power: +Lo on the Andes' icy steep she glows, +And prints with rapid step th' eternal snows; +Or moves majestic o'er the desert plain, 335 +And eloquently pours her potent strain. +Still may that strain the patriot's soul inspire, +And still this injur'd race her spirit fire. +O Freedom, may thy genius still ascend, +Beneath thy crest may proud Iberia bend; 340 +While roll'd in dust thy graceful feet beneath, +Fades the dark laurel of her sanguine wreath; +Bend her red trophies, tear her victor plume, +And close insatiate slaughter's yawning tomb. +Again on soft Peruvia's fragrant breast 345 +May beauty blossom, and may pleasure rest. +Peru, the muse that vainly mourn'd thy woes, +Whom pity robb'd so long of dear repose; +The muse, whose pensive soul with anguish wrung +Her early lyre for thee has trembling strung; 350 +Shed the weak tear, and breath'd the powerless sigh, +Which soon in cold oblivion's shade must die; +Pants with the wish thy deeds may rise to fame, +Bright on some living harp's immortal frame! +While on the string of extasy, it pours 355 +Thy future triumphs o'er unnumber'd shores. + +[A] The Lama's bend their knees and stoop their body in such a manner as + not to discompose their burden. They move with a slow but firm pace, + in countries that are impracticable to other animals. They are neither + dispirited by fasting nor drudgery, while they have any strength + remaining; but, when they are totally exhausted, or fall under their + burden, it is to no purpose to harrass and beat them: they will + continue striking their heads on the ground, first on one side, then + on the other, till they kill themselves,--_Abbe_ Raynal's _History of + the European Settlements._ +[B] See a delightful representation of the incorruptible integrity of + this Spaniard in Robertson's History of America. +[C] "O'er thy creative scene." The Peruvians have solemn days on which + they assume their antient dress. Some among them represent a tragedy, + the subject of which is the death of Atabalipa. The audience, who + begin with shedding tears, are afterwards transported, into a kind of + madness. It seldom happens in these festivals, but that some Spaniard + is slain.--_Abbe_ Raynal's _History_. +[D] "On Chili's plain."--An Indian descended from the Inca's, has lately + obtained several victories over the Spaniards, the gold mines have + been for some time shut up; and there is much reason to hope, that + these injured nations may recover the liberty of which they have + been so cruelly deprived. + + + +SONNET, + +To MRS. SIDDONS. + +Siddons! the Muse, for many a joy refin'd, + Feelings which ever seem too swiftly fled-- + For those delicious tears she loves to shed, +Around thy brow the wreath of praise would bind-- +But can her feeble notes thy praise unfold? + Repeat the tones each changing passion gives, + Or mark where nature in thy action lives, +Where, in thy pause, she speaks a pang untold! +When fierce ambition steels thy daring breast, + When from thy frantic look our glance recedes; +Or oh, divine enthusiast! when opprest + By anxious love, that eye of softness pleads-- +The sun-beam all can feel, but who can trace +The instant light, and catch the radiant grace! + + + +QUEEN MARY'S + +COMPLAINT. + +I. + +Pale moon! thy mild benignant light +May glad some other captive's sight; +Bright'ning the gloomy objects nigh, +Thy beams a lenient thought supply: +But, oh, pale moon! what ray of thine +Can sooth a misery like mine! +Chase the sad image of the past, +And woes for ever doom'd to last. + + +II. + +Where are the years with pleasure gay? +How bright their course! how short their stay!-- +Where are the crowns, that round my head +A double glory vainly spread? +Where are the beauties wont to move, +The grace, converting awe to love? +Alas, had fate design'd to bless, +Its equal hand had giv'n me less! + + +III. + +Why did the regal garb array +A breast that tender passions sway? +A soul of unsuspicious frame, +Which leans with faith on friendship's name-- +Ye vanish'd hopes! ye broken ties! +By perfidy, in friendship's guise, +This breast was injur'd, lost, betray'd-- +Where, where shall Mary look for aid? + + +IV. + +How could I hope redress to find +Stern rival! from thy envious mind? +How could I e'er thy words believe? +O ever practis'd to deceive! +Thy wiles abhorr'd shall please alone +Cold bosoms, selfish as thy own; +While ages hence, indignant hear +The horrors of my fate severe. + + +V. + +Have not thy unrelenting hands +Torn nature's most endearing bands? +Whate'er I hop'd from woman's name, +The ties of blood, the stranger's claim; +A sister-queen's despairing breast +On thee securely lean'd for rest; +On thee! from whom that breast has bled +With sharper ills than those I fled, + + +VI. + +Oh, skill'd in every baser art! +Tyrant! to this unguarded heart +No guilt so black as thine belongs, +Which loads my length'ning years with wrongs. +Strike then at once, insatiate foe! +The long, premeditated blow; +So shall thy jealous terrors cease, +And Mary's harrass'd soul have peace. + + + +EUPHELIA, + +AN +ELEGY. + +As roam'd a pilgrim o'er the mountain drear, + On whose lone verge the foaming billows roar; +The wail of hopeless sorrow pierc'd his ear, + And swell'd at distance on the sounding shore. + +The mourner breath'd her deep complaint to night, + Her moan she mingled with the rapid blast; +That bar'd her bosom in its wasting flight, + And o'er the earth her scatter'd tresses cast! + +"Ye winds, she cried, still heave the lab'ring deep, + "The mountain shake, the howling forest rend; +"Still dash the shiv'ring fragment from the steep, + "Nor for a wretch like me the storm suspend. + +"Ah, wherefore wish the rising storm to spare? + "Ah, why implore the raging winds to save? +"What refuge can the breast where lives despair + "Desire but death? what shelter but the grave? + +"To me congenial is the gloom of night, + "The savage howlings that infest the air; +"I unappall'd can view the fatal light, + "That flashes from the pointed lightning's glare. + +"And yet erewhile, if night her shadows threw + "O'er the known woodlands of my native vale; +"Fancy in visions wild the landscape drew, + "And swelled with boding sounds the whisp'ring gale. + +"But deep despair has arm'd my timid soul, + "And agony has numb'd the throb of fear; +"Taught a weak heart its terrors to controul, + "And more to court than shun the danger near. + +"Yet could I welcome the return of light, + "Its glim'ring beam might guide my searching eye, +"The sacred spot might then emerge from night, + "On which a lover's bleeding relicks lie! + +"For sure 'twas here, as late a shepherd stray'd + "Bewilder'd, o'er the mountain's dreary bound, +"Close to the pointed cliff he saw him laid, + "Where heav'd the waters of the deep around. + +"Alas, no longer could his heart endure + "The woes that heart was doom'd for me to prove: +"He sought for death--for death the only cure, + "That fate can give to vain, and hopeless love." + +"My sire, unjust, while passion swell'd his breast, + "From the lov'd Alfred his Euphelia tore; +"Mock'd the keen sorrows that my soul opprest, + "And bade me, vainly bade me love no more! + +"He told me love, was like yon' troubled deep, + "Whose restless billows never know repose; +"Are wildly dash'd upon the rocky steep, + "And tremble to the lightest breeze that blows! + +"From these rude storms remote, her gentle balm, + "Dear to the suff'ring spirit, peace applies"-- +Peace! 'tis th' oblivious lake's detested calm + Whose dull, slow waters never fall or rise. + +"Ah, what avails a parent's stern command, + "The force of conq'ring passion to subdue? +"And wherefore seek to rend, with cruel hand, + "The ties enchanted love so fondly drew! + +"Yet I could see my Alfred's fix'd despair, + "And aw'd by filial fear conceal my woes; +"My coward heart cou'd separation bear, + "And check the struggling anguish as it rose! + +"'Twas guilt the barb'rous mandate to obey, + "Which bade no parting sigh my bosom move, +"Victim of duty's unrelenting sway, + "I seemed a traitor, while a slave to love!" + +"Let her, who seal'd a lover's fate, endure + "The sharpest pressure of deserv'd distress; +"'Twere added perfidy to seek a cure, + "And stain'd with falsehood, wish to suffer less. + +"For wretches doom'd in other griefs to pine, + "Oft' will benignant hope her ray impart; +"And pity oft' from her celestial shrine, + "Drop a warm tear upon the fainting heart. + +"But o'er the lasting gloom of love's despair, + "Can hope's bright ray its cheering visions shed? +"Can pity sooth the woes that breast must bear, + "Which vainly loves, and vainly mourns the dead!" + +"No! ling'ring still, and still prolong'd, the moan + "Shall never pause, till heaves my latest breath, +"Till memory's distracting pang is flown, + "And all my sorrows shall be hush'd in death. + +"And death is pitying come, whose hand shall tear + "From this afflicted heart the sense of pain; +"My fainting limbs refuse their load to bear, + "And life no longer will my form sustain. + +"Yet once did health's enliv'ning glow adorn, + "And pleasure shed for me her loveliest ray, +"Pure as the gentle star that gilds the morn, + "And constant as the equal light of day!" + +"Now those lost pleasures trac'd by memory, seem + "Like yon' illusive meteor's glancing light; +"That o'er the darkness threw its instant gleam, + "Then sunk, and vanish'd in the depth of night. + +"My native vale! and thou delightful bower! + "Scenes to my hopeless love for ever dear; +"Sweet vale, for whom the morning wak'd her flow'r, + "Gay bower, for whom the evening pour'd her tear. + +"I ask no more to see your beauties rise-- + "Ye rocks and mountains, on whose rugged breast +"My Alfred, murder'd by Euphelia, lies, + "In _your_ deep solitudes oh let me rest!" + +"And sure the dawning ray that lights the steep, + "And slowly wanders o'er the purple wave; +"Will shew me where his sacred relics sleep, + "Will lead his mourner to her destin'd grave.-- + +O'er the high precipice unmov'd she bent, + A fearful path the beams of morning shew, +The pilgrim reach'd with toil the rude ascent, + And saw her brooding o'er the deep below. + +"Euphelia stay! he cried, thy Alfred calls-- + "Oh stay, my love! in sorrow yet more dear, +"I come!"--In vain the soothing accent falls, + Alas, it reach'd not her distracted ear. + +"Ah, what avails, she said, that morning rose? + "With fruitless pain I seek his mould'ring clay; +"Vain search! to fill the measure of my woes, + "The foaming surge has wash'd his corse away. + +"This cruel agony why longer bear? + "Death, death alone can all my pangs remove; +"Kind death will banish from my heart despair, + "And when I live again--I live to love!"-- + +She said, and plung'd into the awful deep-- + He saw her meet the fury of the wave; +He frantic saw! and darting to the steep + With desp'rate anguish, sought her wat'ry grave. + +He clasp'd her dying form, he shar'd her sighs, + He check'd the billow rushing on her breast; +She felt his dear embrace--her closing eyes + Were fix'd on Alfred, and her death was blest.-- + + + +SONNET, + +To EXPRESSION. + + +Expression, child of soul! I fondly trace + Thy strong enchantments, when the poet's lyre, + The painter's pencil catch thy sacred fire, +And beauty wakes for thee her touching grace-- +But from this frighted glance thy form avert + When horrors check thy tear, thy struggling sigh, + When frenzy rolls in thy impassion'd eye, +Or guilt sits heavy on thy lab'ring heart-- +Nor ever let my shudd'ring fancy bear + The wasting groan, or view the pallid look + Of him[A] the Muses lov'd--when hope forsook +His spirit, vainly to the Muses dear! +For charm'd with heav'nly song, this bleeding breast, +Mourns the blest power of verse could give despair no rest.-- + +[A] Chatterton. + + + +THE END. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Poems (1786), Volume I., by Helen Maria Williams + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POEMS (1786), VOLUME I. *** + +***** This file should be named 11054.txt or 11054.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/0/5/11054/ + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Carol David and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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