220

Blends with the sky its foam, a thip in view He lay. The living luftre from his eye, Shoots sudden forth, steep-falling from the The verinil hue extinguish'd from his cheek : clouds :

And in their place, on each chill feature spread, Yet distant feen and dim, till, onward borne The shadowy cloud and ghaftliness of death Before the blast, each growing fail expands, 205 Witli pale fuffufon fat. So looks the moon, 265 Each mast aspiress and all th' advancing frame So faintly wan, through hovering mists at eve, Bound: on his eye distinct. With sharpen'd ken Grey autumn's train. Fat from his hairs difIts course he watclies, and in awful thought

tillid That power invokes, whose voice the wild winds The briny wave : and close within bis grasp hear,

Was clench'd a broken oar, as one who long Whnse nod the surge reveres, to look from heaven, Had ftem'd the flood with agonizing breaft, 270 And save, who elle must perish, wretched men, And struggled strong for life. of youthful In this dark hour, amics the dread abyss,

prime With fears amaz'd, by horrors compass'd round. He seem'd, and built by Nature's nobleft hand; But O, ill-omen'd, death-devoted heads ! Where bold proportion,, and where softening For death bestrides the billow, nor your own, 215 grace, Nor others' offer'd vows can stay the flight Mix d in each limb, and harmoniz'd his frame, Of instant fate. And, lo! his fecret seat,

Aurelius, from the breathless clay, his eye 275 Where never sun-beam glimmerd, deep amidst To heaven imploring rais d : then, for he knew ha cavern's jaws voraginous and vast,

That life, within her central cell retir'd, The itormy Genius of the deep forlakes : May lurk unseen, diminit'd but not quench’d, And v'er the waves, that roar beneath his frown, He bid transport it fpeedy through the vale, Ascending baleful, bids the teinpest spread, To his poor cen that lonely stood and low, 280 Turbid and terrible with haji and rain,

Safe froin the north beneath a noping hill: Its blackelt pinion, pour its loudening blasts An antique frame, orbicular, and rais'd In whirlwind forth, and from their lowest depth On columns rude; its roof with reverend moss Upturn the world of waters. Round and round Light-shaded o'er; its front in ivy hid, The tortur'd mip, at his imperious call,

That mantling crept aloft. With pious hand 285 Is wheel'd in dizzy whirl : her guiding helm They turn'd, they chaf 'd his frozen limbs, and Breaks Thort ; her masts in crashing ruin fall ;

fum'd And each rent fail flies loose in distant air, 230

The vapoury

air with aromatic fiells : Now, fearful moment! o'er the foundering hull, Then, drops of sovereign efficacy, drawn Hali ocean lieav'd, in one broad billowy curve, From mountain plants, within his lips infus'd. Steep from the clounds with horrid Made im- Slow, from the mortal trance, as men from pends

dreams

290 Ah! save them, lieaven! it bursts in deluge down Of direful vision, shuddering he awakes : With boundless undulation. Shore avd ky 235 While life, to scarce-telt motion, faintly lifts Rebellow to the roar. At once engulph'd, His Huttering pulse, and gradual o'er his cheek Vestel and crew beneath its torrent sweep

The rosy current wins its refluent way. Are funk, to rise no more. Aurelius wept :

Recovering to new pain, his eyes he turn'd 295 The tear unbidden dew'd his hoary cheek. Severe on hea ven, on the surrounding hills He turn'd his step; he fled the fatal scene, 240

With twilight dim, and on the croud unknown And brooding, in fad filence, n'er the fight

Diffolvid in tears around : then cluş'd again, To him alone disclos'd, his wounded heart As loathing light and life. At length, in sounds Pourd out to heaven in fighs : Thy will be done, Broken and eager, from his heaving breast

300 Not mine, fupreme disposer of Events !

Dittraction spoke Down, down with every fail. But death demands a tear, and man mußt feel 245 Mercy, weet heaven Ha! now whole ocean For human woes: the rest submilion checks.

sweeps Not distant far, where this receding bay* In tempeit o'er our heads---My soul's last hope ! Look northward on the pole, a rocky arch

We will not part-Help, help! yon wave, beExpands its fell-pois'd concave; as the gate,

hold! Ample, and broad, and pillard maffy-proof, 250 That swells betwixt, has børne her from my Of fome unfolding temple. 'On its height

fight.

305 Is heard the tread of daily-clinbing locks,

O, for a fun to light this black abyss ! That, o'er the green roof spread, their fragrant Gonemaloft--for ever loft! He ceas'd. Amaze food

And trembling on the pale alliftants fell :
As through this cavern'd path,

Whom now, with greeting and the words of Involv’d in pensive thought Aurelius past, 255

peace, Struck with 'fad echoes from the founding vault

Aurelius bid depart. A pause ensued, 310 Reinurmur'd thrill, he stopt, he rais’d bis liead;

Mate, mournful, folemn.

On the stranger's And saw th'assembled natives in a ring,

face With wonder and with pity bending o’er

Observant, anxious, hung his fix'd regard :
A shipwreck'd man. All-motionless on earth 26

Watchful his ear, each mur mur, every breath,
Attentive seiz'd; now eager to begin
Confoling speech; now doubtful to nvade

315 * See Martin's voyage to St. Kilda, po 20.

Hh2

Untended crop.

The facred filenee due to grief supreme. That bliss of angels, love by love repaid ?
Then thus at last . O from devouri ig seas, Heart streaming full to heart in mutual filow
By miracle escap'd! if, with thy life,

Of faith and friendfrip, tenderness and truth-
Thy fenfe return'd, can yet discern the Hand If these thy fate distinguin ’d, thou wilt then,
All.wonderful, that through yon raging fea, 320 My joys conceiving, image my despair,
Yon whirling west of témpeft, led tbee safe; How total! how extreme! For this, all this,
That Hand divine with grateful awe confess, Late my fair fortune, wreck'd on yonder Hood,
With profirate thanks adore. When thou, alas ! Lies loft and bury'd there~-0, awful hcaven!
Waft number'd with the dead, and clos'd-within Who to the wind and to the whilming wave
Th' unfathom'd gulpb; when human hope was Her blameless head devoted, thou alone
fied,

325 | Can’tt tell what I have lofin-0, ill-starr'd maid !
And human help in vain-th' Almighty Voice, O, moft undone Amynter I-Sighs ar d tears,
Then bade destruction spare, and tade the deep And heart-heav'd groan; at this, his voice {up-
Yield up its prey : that, by his mercy sav'd,

press'd: That mercy, thy fair life's remaining race, The rest was agory and dumb despair, A monument of wonder as of love,

330

Now o'er their heads danip night her formy May justify; to all the fons of men,

glocm Thy brethren, ever goresent in their need. Sprcad, ere the glimmering twilight was ex. Such praise d lights bim moft

pir’d,

He hears me not. With huge and heavy horror closing round
Some fecret anguish, fome transcendent woe, 335 In doubling clouds on clouds. The mournful
Sits heavy on his heart, and from his eyes,

scene,

395 Through the clos'd lids, now rolls in bitter The moving tale, Aurelius deeply felt : stream!

And thus reply'l, as one in Nature skill'd,
Yet, fpeak thy foul, afficted as thou art!

With soft affenting forrow in his lool,
For knew, by mournful privilege 'tis mine, And words to soothe, not combat hopeless love.
Myself moft wretched and in forrow's ways 340 Amyntor, by that heaven who sees thy tears!
Severely train'd, to share in every pang

By faith and friendship's sympathy divine ! 401
The wretched feel; to soothe the fad of heart ; Could I the sorrows heal I more than 1tare,
To number tear for tear, and groan for

groan,

This liofom, trust me, theuld from thine transfer With every son and daughter of distress.

Its sharpeft griet. Such grief, alas ! how juft? Speak then, and give thy labouring bosom vent: How long in flent anguish to descend, 405 My pity is, my friendship 1hall be, thine ;

V. hen reason and wlien fonduefs o'er the tomb
To calin thy pain, and guide thy virtue back, Are fellow-mourners ? He, who can refign,
Through reason's paths, to happiness and heaven. Has never lov'd: and were thou to the sense,

The hermit thus; and, after some sad pause The sacred feeling of a loss like thine,
Of muling wonder, thus the Man unknown. 3,50 Cold and infenfible, thy breast were then 410

What have I heard ?---On this untravel'd shore, No manfion for humanity, or thought
Nature's last limit, hemm’d with oceans round Of noble aim. Their Iwelling is with love,
Howling and harbourless, beyond all faith

And tender pity; wluore lind tears adoras
A comforter to find! whose language wears The clouded cheek, and fancifes the foul
The garb of civil life ; a friend, whose breaft

They foîter, not subdie. We botli will mix, 415
The gracious meltings of sweet pity move ! For her thy virtue lov’d, thy trutlı laments,
Amazement all! my grief to filence charm'd Our social fighs : and fill, as morn unveils
Is loft in wonder-But, thou good unknown, The brightening hill, or evering's mify thade
If woes, for ever wedded to despair,

Its brow obfcures, her gracefulness of form,
That with no cure, are thine, behold in me

360 Her mind all-lovely, each conolling each, 420 A meet companion ;

one whom earth and Shall be our frequent theme. Then shalt thou heaven

hear
Combine to curfe ; whom never future morn From ne, in fad retur?, a tale of wces,
Shall light to joy, nor evenin, with re pose So terrible--Amyntor, thy pain'd heart
Descending Made (), son oi this wild world ! Amid its own, will shudder at the ills
From social converse though for ever barr’d, 365 That mine las bk d with~-But behold! the dark
Though chill'd with endless winter from the pole, And drowsy hour steals fait upon our talk.

Here break we off: and thou, sad mourner, try
Yet warm’d by goodness, forni'd to tender sense
Of human woes, beyond what milder climes, Thy weary limbs, thy wourded mind, to balm
By fairer suns attemper’d, courtly boast; With timely sleep. Each gracious wing from
O say, did, e'er thy breaft, in youthful life, 370 heaven
Touch'd by a beam from Beauty all-divine,

Of those that minister to erring man,
Did e'er thy bosom her sweet influence own, Near-hovering, hush thy passion into calm;
In pleasing tumult pour'd through every vein, Serene thy Numbers with presented scenes
And panting at the heart, when first our eye Of brightest vifions; whisper to thy heart
Receives impression! Then, as paffion grew, 375 | That holy peace which goodness ever ftares :
Did heaven consenting to thy wish indulge And to us both be friendly as we need, *435
That bliss no wealth can bribe, no power bestow,

43°

crown,

21

The vale, the fore, with darkling hep be roand,

Like fome drear spectre from the grave unbourd : C Α Ν Τ Ο ΙΙ..

Then, scaling yonder cliff, prone o'er its brow,

He hung, in act to plunge amid the food Tow midnight rose, and o'er the general Scarce from that height discern'd. Nør rcalon's scene,

· voice, Air, ocean, earth, drew broad her blackest veil,

Nor ow'd submillion to the will of heaven, co Vapour and cloud. Around th' unsieeping ife, Restrains him; but, as passion whirl: his thought, Yet howld the wbirlwind, yet the billow Tond expectation, that perchanee e cap'l, groan'd;

Though paling all belief, the trailer kit, And, ia mix'd horror, to Amyntor's ear 5 To which himieli had borne tir unhappy Fair, Borne through the gloom, his thrixking sense ap- May yet be seen. Around, o'er fca aid ficre, pallu.

He roll'd his ardent eye; but nonght around Shook hy each blast, and swept by every wave, On land or wave within his ken an ear", Again pale memory labours in the storm :

Nor skiff, por boating corii, on which to ? d Again from her is torn, whom more than life The last sad 'ear, and lay the covering '!! His fondness lov'd. And now, another tower And now, wide open’d by the wakeful hours Of Carrow, o'er the dear unhapry maid,

Heaven's orient gate, forth on her prorresi comes Equive Atream'd; till late, through every power Aurora Imiliog, and her purple lamp The foul subdued sunk sad to now repote : Lifts high o’er earth and sea : while, all-unveill, Alid all her darkening scenes, by din degrees, The vait horizop on Amy.tor's eye Were quench'd in total nigbt. A panse from Pours full its scenes of wonder, wildly great, 75 pain

15 Magriticently various. From this fteep, Not long to last : for Fancy, oft awale

Difus'immense in rolling prispect lay While reason feeps, from her illufive cell The northern deep. Acidit, froin space to Called up wil 3 Mapes of visionary fear,

space, Of vifonary bliss, the hour of reft

Her numerous ises, rich gems of Albion's To mock with mimic rews. And lo! the deeps In airy tumult 1well. Beneath a hill

As flow th' ascending nifts disperse in air, ta Amyntor beaves of overwhelining seaz;

Shoot gradual from her Lofom : and beyond, Or rides, with dizzy dread, from cloud to cloud, Like distant clouds Llue-Poatii 3 on the verge The billow's back. Anon, the shadowy world Of evening kies, break forth the dawning hills, Shifts to some boundless continent unknown, 25 A thousand landscapes ! barren foine and bare, Whert folitary, o'cr the starless void,

Rock pild on rock, amazing, up to heaven, 85 Dumb filence broods. Through heaths of scireary Of horrid grandeur : some with founding as, length,

Cr oak broad-shadowing, or the spiry growth Slow on he drogs his faggrring step infrin Of waving pine nigh-plum'd, and all beheld With brcathless toil; hears torrent foods afar More lovely in the sun's adorning beam; Roar through the wild; and, plung'd in central Who row, fair-rising o'er yon eastern cliff, go caves,

The verval verdure tindures gay with gold. Falls headlong many a fathom into night,

Meanwhile Aurelius, wak'd from sweet repose, Yet there, at once, in all lier living charms, Repose that Temperance theds in timely dews And brightening with their glow the brown abyss, On all who live to her, his mournful greit Pore Theodora. Smiling, in her eye

Came fortli to bail, as hospitable rites

95 Sat, without cloud; the Toft-confenting foul, 35 And Virtue's rule enjoin : but firit to Fim, That, guilt unknowing, had no wish to hide. Spring of all charity, who gave the heart A spring of sudden myrtles.Howering round With kindly fenfe to glow, his matin-long, Their walk embowerd; while nightingales be- Superior duty, thus the sage addrest : neath

Fountain of light! from whom yon orient suņ 100 Sung spousals, as along th' enamel'd turf First drew his fplendor ; Source of life and love ! They seem'd to fly, and interchang’d their souls, Whose smile now wakes o’er earth's rekindling Melting in mutual softness. Tlrice his arms 41

face The Fair encircled : thrice she fled his grasp, The boundless blush of spring; O, First, and And fading into darkness mix'l with air

Bett! 0, turn ! O, stay thy fight !--so loud hs cry'd, Thy effence, though from human fight ard search, Sleep and its train of humid vapours fled. 45 Though from the climb of all created thought, 105 He groan'd, he gaz'd around : biz inward sense Ineffably remov'l; yet man himself, Yet glowing with the vision's vivid beam, Thy lowett child of reason, man may, read Still, on bis eye, the hovering shadow blazd : Unbounded power, intelligence supreme, Her voice ftill murmur'd in his tinkling ear; The Maker's hand, op all his works imprest, Grateful deception ! till returning thought 50 In characters coeval with the sun, Left broad awake, amid th’incumbent lour And with the fun to laft; from world to world, Of mute and mournful night, again he felt From age to age, in every clime, disclos'd, His grief in Ham'd tbrob freth in every vein. Sole revelation through all time the fame. To phrensy ftung, upfarting from his couch, Hail, universal Goodness! with full stream

For ever flowing from beneath the throne

II

115

1

200

Through earth, air, fea, to all things that have , With maiden-rites adorn’d, at last may lodge life :

Beneath the hallow'd vault; and, weeping there From all that live on earth, in air and sea, O'er thy cold urn, await the hour to close ISO The great community of Nature's sons,

These eyes

in
peace,

and mix this Juft with To thee, first Father, cealeless praise ascend!

thine ! And in the reverent hymn my grateful voice 120

Such, and so dire, reply'd the cordial friend Be duly heard, among thy works not least,

In pity's look and language, such, alas ! Nor loweft; with intelligence inform’d,

Were late my thoughts, Whate'er the human To know thee, and adore; with free-will crown'd,

heart Where Virtue leads, to follow and be blest,

Can moft amict, grief, agony, despair, (), whether by thy prime decree ordain'd

125 Have all been mine, and with alternate war 185 To days of future life ; or wheth'r now

This, bosom ravag'd. Hearken then, good youth; The mortal hour is instant, still vouchsafe,

My story mark, and from another's fate, Parent and friend, to guide me blameless on

Pre-eminently wretched, learn thy own, Through this dark scene of error and of ill,

Sad as it seems, to balar.ce and to bear. 190 Thy truth to light me, and thy peace to chear, 130

In ine, a man behold, whose morn-forene, All else, of me unask'd, thy will supreme

Whose noon of better life, with honour spent, With-hold or grant: and let that will be done.

In virtuous purpose, or in honest act, This from the foul in filence breath'd fincere,

Drew fair distinction on my public name, The hill's steep fide with firm ela:lic itep He lightly scald; such health the frugal board, whose praise is fame : but there, in that true

From those among mankind, the nobler few, 195 The morn's fresh breath that exercise respires 135

source In mountain-walks,andconscience free from blame, Whence happiness with purest stream descends, Our lite's best cordial, can through age prolong.

In home-found peace and love, supremely blest! There, lost in thought, and self-abandon'd, lay

Union of hearts, consent of wedded wills, The man unknown; nor heard approach his hoft, By friendship knit, by mutual faith secured Nor rais'd his drooping head. Aurelius mov'd our hopes and fears, our earth and heaven the By soft compassion, which the savage scene,

same! Shut up and barr'd amid surrounding feas

At last, Amyntor, in my failing age, From human commerce, quicken'd into sense

Fallen from such height, and with the felon-herd, Of Marper forrow, thus apart began. .45 Robbers and out-laws, number'd-thought that O fight, that from the eye of wealth or pride,

still Ev'n in their hour of vainest thought, might Stings deep the heart, and clothe's the cheek with draw

Thame! A feeling tear; Whom yesterday beheld

Then doom'd to feel what guilt alone should fear, By love and fortune crown'd, of all pofseft

The hand of public vengeance : arm'd by rage, That Fancy, tranc'd in faireft vision, dreams; 150 Not justice ; rais'd to injure, not redress; Now lost to all, each hope that softens life,

To rob, not guard ; to ruin, not defend : Each bliss that chears, there, on the damp earth

And all, O sovereign Reason! all deriv'd spread,

From power that claims thy warrant to do wrong! Beneath a heaven unknown, behold him now !

A right divine to violate unblaın'd And let the gay, the fortunate, the great,

Each law, each rule, that, by himself obferv'd, The proud, be taught, what now the wretched

The God prescribes whose fanction kings pretend! feel,

155 O Charles ! O monarch ! in long exile train'd, The happy have to fear. O man forlorn,

Whole hopeless years, th' oppressor's hand to Too plain I read thy heart, by fondness drawn

know

216 To this fad Teene, to fights that but infláme

How hateful and how hard ; thyself reliev'd. Its tender anguish

Now hear thy people, groaning under wrongs Hear me, heaven! exclaim'd 160

of equal load, adjure thee by those days The frantic mourner, could that anguith rise

Of want and woe, of danger and despair, To madness and to mortal agony,

As heaven has thine, to pity their diftress! I yet would bless my fate ; by one kind pang,

Yet, from the plain good meaning of my heart, From what I feel, the keener pangs of thought

Be far th’ unballow'd licence of abuse ; For ever freed. To me the sun is loft :

165 Be far th' bitterness of saintly zeal, 'To me the future flight of days and years

That impious hid behind the patriot's name 225 Is darkness, is despair But who complains

Maks hate and malice to the legal throne, Forgets that he can die. O, sainted maid!

In justice founded, circumscrib’d by laws, For such in heaven thou art, if from thy feat

The prince to guard—but guard the people Of holy rest, beyond these changeful Aries, If names on earth most sacred once and dear,

Chief, one prime good to guard inviolate, A lover and a friend, if yet these names

Soul of all worth, and sum of human blifs, 230 Can wake thy pity, dart one guiding ray

Fair Freedom, birthright of all thinking kinds, To light me where, in care or creek, are thrown Reason's great charter, from no king derivd, Thy lifeless limbs : that I grief

fupreme! 175 By none to be reclaim'd, man's right divine, O fate remorseless ! was thy lover fav’d

W hich God, who gave, indelible pronounc'd. For such a talk ?-that I those dear remains,

210

220

too:

-

But if, diselaiming this his heaven-own'd right, Emelia, and our only pledge of love, This first best tenure by which monarchs rule My blooming Theodora! Manhood there, If, incant the blefing, he becomes the bane, And nature bleed-Ah! let not busy thought 300 The wolf, not thepherd, of his subje&-Hock, Search thither, but avoid the fatal coast : To grind and tear, not shelter and protect, Discovery, there, once more my peace of mind Wide-waiting where he reignsæto luch a prince, Might wreck; once more to defperation fink Allegiance kept were treason to mankind; 241 My hopes in heaven. He said ; but O fad Mufe! And loyalty, 'revolt froin virtue's law.

Can all thy moving energy, of, power 305 For fay, Amyntor, does just heaven enjoin To shake the hxart, to freeze th' arrested blood, That we should homage hell ? or bend the knee With words that weep, and Itrains that agonize ; To earthquake, or volcano, when they rage, 245 Can all this mournful magic of thy voice Rend earth's firm frame, and in one bourdless Tell what Amyntor feels? O heaven! art thoum grave

What have I heard ?-Aurelius! art thou he ?Engulph their thousands ? Yet, O grief to tell! Confusion! horror that most wrong'd of men! Yet luch, of late, o'er this devoted land,

And, O most wretched too! alas! no more,
Was public rule. Our iervile stripes and chains, No more a father-On that fatal flood,
Our highs and groans resounding from the steep Thy Theodora_At these words he fell.
Of wintery hill, or waste untravel'd heath, 251 A deadly cold ran freezing through his veins ; 315
Lait refuge of our wretchedness, not guilt, And life was on the wing her loath'd abode
Proclaim'd it loud to heaven ; the arm of power For ever to forfake. As on his way
Extended iatal, but to crush the head

The traveller, from heaven by lightning struck,
It ought to fereen, or with a parent's love 255 Is fix'd at once immoveable; his eye
Reclaim from error; not with deadly bate, With terror glaring wild ; his stiffening limbs
The tyrant's law, exterminate who err.

In fudden marble bound : so stood, so look'd
In this wide ruin were my fortunes sunk: The heart-smote parent at this tale of death,
Myself, as one contagious to his kind,

Half-utter'd, yet too plain. No sign to rise,
Whom nature, whom the social life renounc'd, No tear had force to flow; his senses all.
Unsummond, unimpleaded was to death, 261 Tbro' all their powers, suspended, and subdued
To shameful death, adjudg'd ; against my head To chill amazement. Silence for a space
The price of blood proclaim'd, and at my heels Such dismal silence faddens earth and sky
Let loose the nurderous cry of human hounds. Ere first the thunder breaks--on either side
And this blind fury of commission'd rage, 265 Fill'd up this interval fevere. At last
of party-vengeance, to a fatal soe,

As from some vision that to' phrenfy fires 330
Krowa and abhorr'd for deeds of direft name, The neeper's brain, Amyntor waking wild,
Was given in charge : a foe, whom blood-stain’d A poniard, bid beneath his various robe,
zeal

Drew furious forth-Me, ms, he cry'd, on me
For what hear it not, all-righteous beaven! Let all thy wrongs be visited; and thus
left thy rous'd thunder burit--for what, was My horrors endthen madly would have plungod
deemid

The weapon's hostile point.--His lifted arm, 336 Religion's cause, bad savag'd to a brute,

Aurelius, though with deep dismay and dread
More deadly fell than liunger ever ftung

And anguith thook, yet his superior soul
To prowl in wood or wild. His band he arm’d, Collecting, and resuming all himself,
Sons of perdition, miscreants with all guilt Seiz'd ludden : then perufing with strict eye, 340
Familiar, and in each dire art of death 275 And beating heart, Amyntor's blooming form ;
Train 'd ruthless up. As tigers on their prey, Nor from his air or feature gathering aught
On my defenceless lands those fiercer beasts To wake remembrance, thus at length bespoke,
Devouring fell : nor that fequefter'd shade, O dire attempt! Whoe'er thou art, yet stay
That sweet recess, where Lovę and Virtue long Thy hand self-violent; nor thus to guilt, 345
In happy league had dwelt, which war itself 280 if guilt is thine, accumulating add
Beheld with reverence, could their fury scape ; A crime that nature shrinks from, and to which
Despoild, detac’d, and wrapt in wasteful names ! Heaven has indulg'd no mercy. Sovereign
For Haine and rapine their consuming march, Judge!
From hill to vale, by daily ruin mark'd.

Shall man first violate the law divine,
So borne by winds along, baneful cloud, 285 That plac'd him here dependent on thy nod, 350
Embody'd locuits from the wing defcend
On herb, fruit, flower, and kill the ripening of fair dismission hence ; Thall man do this,

Refign'd, unmurmuring, to await hi: hour
year:
While, waste behind, destruction on their track Red with the fin, and recent from the stain,

Then dare thy presence, rush into thy fight,
And ghastly famine wait. My wife and child
He dragg'd, the ruffian dragg’dheaven! do I, Know what thou art, and own his hand most juft,

Of unrepented blood ? Call home thy sense ; 355
A man, survive to tell it? At the hour

291 Rewarding or afflicting—But say on. Sacred to rest, amid the fighs and tears

My soul, yet trembling at thy frantic deed,
Of all who say and curs'd his coward rage,

Recalls thy words, recalls their dire import :
He forcd, unpitying, from their midnight-bed, They urge me on; they bid me ak no more~360
By menace, or by torture, from their fears 295 What would I ap? My Theodora's fate,
My last retreat to learn; and still detains

Ab! me! is known too plain. Have I tlien finn'd,
Beneath his roof accurft, that beft of wives,