give all thou canst---and let me dream the rest.
Ah no! instruct me other joys to prize,
with other beauties charm my partial eyes;
full in my view set all the bright abode,
and make my soul quit Abelard for God.

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Ah! think at least thy flock deserves thy care, plants of thy band, and children of thy pray'r. From the false world in early youth they fled, by thee to mountains, wilds, and deserts led. You rais'd these hallow'd walls; the desert smil'd, and paradise was open'd in the wild. No weeping orphan saw his father's stores our shrines irradiate, or emblaze the floors; no silver saints, by dying misers giv'n, here brib'd the rage of ill-requited Heav'n : but such plain roofs as piety could raise, and only vocal with the maker's praise. In these lone walls (their day's eternal bound), these moss-grown domes with spiry turrets crown'd, where awful arches make a noon-day night, and the dim windows shed a solemn light; thy eyes diffus'd a reconciling ray, and gleams of glory brighten'd all the day. But now no face divine contentment wears, 't is all blank sadness, or continual tears. See how the force of others' pray'rs I try, ́ (O pious fraud of am'rous charity!) but why should I on others' pray'rs depend? come thou, my father, brother, husband, friend! ah let thy handmaid, sister, daughter move, and all those tender names in one, thy love! The darksome pines that o'er yon rocks reclin'd wave high, and murmur to the hollow wind, the wand'ring streams that shine between the hills, 'No. 79.

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the grots that echo to the tinkling rills,
the dying gales that pant upon the trees,
the lakes that quiver to the curling breeze;
no more these scenes my meditation aid,
or lull to rest the visionary maid:
but o'er the twilight groves and dusky caves,
long-sounding isles and intermingled graves,
black Melancholy sits, and round her throws
a death-like silence, and a dread repose:
her gloomy presence saddens all the scene,
shades ev'ry flow'r, and darkens ev'ry green,
deepens the murmur of the falling floods,
and breathes a browner horror on the woods.
Yet here for ever, ever must I stay;
sad proof how well a lover can obey!
death, only death, can break the lasting chain;
and here, even then, shall my cold dust remain;
here all its frailties, all its flames resign,
and wait till 'tis no sin to mix with thine.

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Ah wretch! believ'd the spouse of God in vain, confess'd within the slave of love and man. Assist me, Heav'n! but whence arose that pray'r? sprung it from piety, or from despair? ev'n here, where frozen Chastity retires, Love finds an altar for forbidden fires.

I ought to grieve, but cannot what I ought;

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I mourn the lover, not lament the fault?

I view my crime, but kindle at the view,

repent old pleasures, and solicit new:

Now turn'd to Heav'n, I weep my past offence,

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now think of thee, and curse my innocence. Of all affliction taught a lover yet,

't is sure the hardest science to forget!
How shall I lose the sin, yet keep the sense

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and love th' offender, yet detest th' offence? how the dear object from the crime remove, or how distinguish penitence from love? Unequal task! a passion to resign,

for hearts so touch'd, so pierc'd, so lost as mine. Ere such a soul regains it's peaceful state, how often must it love, how often hate? how often hope, despair, resent, regret, conceal, disdain,---do all things but forget? but let Heav'n seize it, all at once 'tis fir'd; not touch'd, but rapt; not waken'd, but inspir'd! oh come! oh teach me Nature to subdue, renounce my love, my life, myself--- and you : fill my fond heart with God alone, for he alone can rival, can succeed to thee.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot? the world forgetting, by the world forgot: eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
labour and rest, that equal periods keep;
"obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;"
desires compos'd, affections ever ev'n;

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tears that delight, and sighs that waft to heav'n:
grace shines around her with serenest beams,
and whisp'ring angels prompt her golden dreams.
For her th' unfading rose of Eden blooms,
and wings of seraphs shed divine perfumes;
for her the spouse prepares the bridal ring,
for her white virgins hymenæals sing;
to sounds of heav'nly harps she dies away,
and melts in visions of eternal day.

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Far other dreams my erring soul employ, far other raptures of unholy joy:

when at the close of each sad, sorrowing day,

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fancy restores what Vengeance snatch'd away,
then Conscience sleeps, and leaving Nature free,
all my loose soul unbounded springs to thee.
Oh curst, dear horrors of all-conscious night!
how glowing guilt exalts the keen delight!
provoking dæmons all restraint remove,
and stir within me ev'ry source of love.

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I hear thee, view thee, gaze o'er all thy charms, and round thy phantom glue my clasping arms.

I wake :---no more I hear, no more I view, the phantom flies me, as unkind as you.

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I call aloud; it hears not what I say:

I stretch my empty arms; it glides away.

To dream once more I close my willing eyes;
ye soft Illusions, dear Deceit, arise!
Alas, no more! methinks we wand'ring go

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through dreary wastes, and weep each other's woe, where round some mould'ring tow'r pale ivy creeps, and low-brow'd rocks hang nodding o'er the deeps, sudden you mount, you beckon from the skies; 245 clouds interpose, waves roar, and winds arise. I shriek, start up, the same sad prospect find, and wake to all the griefs I left behind.

For thee the Fates, severely kind, ordain a cool suspence from pleasure and from pain; thy life a long dead calm of fix'd repose; no pulse that riots, and no blood that glows. Still as the seas e'er winds were taught to blow, or moving spirits bid the waters flow; soft as the slumbers of a saint forgiv'n, and mild as open'ing gleams of promis'd heav'n. Come, Abelard! for what hast thou to dread? the torch of Venus burns not for the dead, Nature stands check'd, Religion disapproves;

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ev'n thou art cold---yet Eloïsa loves.
Ah hopeless, lasting flames! like those that burn
to light the dead, and warm th' unfruitful urn.
What scenes appear where'er I turn my view!
the dear ideas, where I fly, pursue,
rise in the grove, before the altar rise,
stain all my soul, and wanton in my eyes.
I waste the matin lamp in sighs for thee,
thy image steals between my God and me;
thy voice I seem in ev'ry hymn to hear,
with ev'ry bead I drop too soft a tear.
When from the censer clouds of fragrance roll,
and swelling organs lift the rising soul,
one thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight,
priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight:
in seas of flame my plunging soul is drown'd,
while altars blaze, and angels tremble round.

While prostrate here in humble grief I lie, kind virtuous drops just gath'ring in my eye, while praying, trembling, in the dust I roll, and dawning grace is op'ning on my soul: come, if thou dar'st, all charming as thou art! oppose thyself to Heav'n: dispute my heart; come, with one glance of those deluding eyes blot out each bright idea of the skies :

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take back that grace, those sorrows and those tears; take back my fruitless penitence and pray'rs:

286.

snatch me, just mounting, from the blest abode:
assist the fiends, and tear me from my God:
no, fly me, fly me, far as pole from pole;
rise Alps between us! and whole oceans roll!
ah, come not, write not, think not once of me,
nor share one pang of all I felt for thee.
Thy oaths I quit, thy memory resign;

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