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XIX.

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

XX.

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

XXI.

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

XXII.

A thousand times revolving in my mind

The doubtful chance; oh! Love! faid I, be kind:
Propitious to my fcheme, thy vot'ry. aid,

And be my fondnefs by fuccefs repaid.

XXIII.

Now bolder grown, with fanguine hopes elate,
My fancy reprefents thy fmiling fate;
The guards deceiv'd, and ev'ry danger o'er,
The winds already waft him from the shore.

XXIV. Thefe

XXIV.

Thefe pleafing images anew impart
Life to my eyes, and gladness to my heart;
Difpel the gloomy fears that cloud my face,
And charm the little flutterer to peace.

XXV.

But now the king, or taftelefs to my charms,
Or weary of an absent mistress' arms,
His own apartment feeks, and grateful reft;
That courted stranger to the careful breast.

XXVI.

Whilft I, by hopes and fears alternate fway'd,

Impatient ask the flaves if I'm obey'd.

"Tis done, they cry'd, and struck me with despair; For what I long'd to know, I dy'd to hear.

XXVII.

Fantaftick turn of a distracted mind;

I blam'd the gods for having been too kind;
Curs'd the fuccefs they granted to my vows,
And this affiftant hand that fill'd my woes.

XXVIII.

Such was my frenzy in that hour of care,
And fuch th' injuftice of my bold despair;
That even thofe, ungrateful I upbraid,
Whofe fatal diligence my will obey'd.

XXIX. Scarce,

XXIX.

Scarce, Marius, did thyself escape my rage;
(Most lov'd of men!) when fears of black prefage
Describe thy heart so fond of liberty,

It never gave one parting throb for me.

XXX.

At every step you should have turn'd your eye,
Dropt a regretful tear, and heav'd a figh;
The nature of the grace I fhew'd was fuch,
You not deserv'd it, if it pleas'd too much.

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A lover would have linger'd as he fled,
And oft in anguish to himself have said,
Farewel for ever! Ah! yet more he'd done,
A lover never would have fled alone.

XXXII.

To force me from a hated rival's bed,
Why comes not Marius at an army's head?
Oh! did thy heart but wish to see that day,
'Twould all my paft, and future woes o'erpay.

XXXIII.

But vain are all these hopes: preserve thy breast

From falfhood only, I forgive the reft:
Too happy, if no envy'd rival boast
Those joys Arifbe for her Marius loft.

VOL. IV.

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ROXANA

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Roxana, one of Ufbeck's wives, was found (whilst he was in Europe) in bed with her lover, whom she had privately let into the feraglio. The guardian eunuch who discovered them, had the man murdered on the spot, and her close guarded till he received inftructions from his mafter bow to difpofe of her. During that interval fhe fwallowed poyfon, and is fuppofed to write the following letter whilst She is dying.

HINK not I write my innocence to prove,

THI

To fue for pity, or awake thy love:

No mean defence expect, or abject pray'rs ;
Thou know'ft no mercy, and I know no tears:
I laugh at all thy vengeance has decreed,
Avow the fact, and glory in the deed.

Yes, tyrant! I deceiv'd thy fpies and thee:
Pleas'd in oppreffion, and in bondage free:
The rigid agents of thy cruel laws

By gold I won to aid my jufter caufe:
With dextrous skill eluded all thy care,

And acted more than jealoufy could fear:

To wanton bow'rs this prifon-house I turn'd,

And blefs'd that abfence which you thought I mourn'd.

But

But fhort thofe joys allow'd by niggard Fate, Yet fo refin'd, fo exquifitely great,

That their excefs compenfated their date.

I die: already in each burning vein

I feel the poys'nous draught, and bless the pain:
For what is life unless its joys we prove?
And where is joy, depriv'd of what we love?
Yet, ere I die, this justice I have paid
To my dear murder'd lover's injur'd fhade:
Thofe facrilegious inftruments of power,
Who wrought that ruin these fad eyes deplore,
Already with their blood their crimes attone,
And for his life have facrific'd their own.

Thee, tho' reftraint and abfence may defend
From my revenge, my curfes ftill attend:
Despair like mine, barbarian! be thy part,
Remorfe afflict, and forrow fting thy heart.

Nor think this hate commencing in my breaft,
Tho' prudence long its latent force suppress'd;
I knew those wrongs that I was forc'd to bear,
And curs'd thofe chains Injuftice made me wear.

For could't thou hope Roxana to deceive
With idle tales, which only fools believe?
Poor abject fouls in fuperftition bred,
In ign'rance train'd, by prejudice misled;
Whom hireling dervifes by proxy teach
From those whofe falfe prerogative they preach.

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