Safe went the murmur'd founds, and every day
A thousand amorous blandifhments convey;
And often, as they stood on either fide,
To catch by turns the flitting voice, they cry'd,
Why, envious wall, ah! why dost thou destroy
The lovers hopes, and why forbid the joy?
How should we blefs thee, would'st thou yield to charms,
And, opening, let us rush into each other's arms;
At least, if that's too much, afford a space
To meeting lips, nor fhall we flight the grace;
We owe to thee this freedom to complain,
And breathe our vows, but vows, alas! in vain.
Thus having faid, when evening call'd to rest,
The faithful pair on either fide imprest
An intercepted kifs, then bade good-night;
But when th' enfuing dawn had put to flight
The ftars; and Phoebus, rifing from his bed,
Drank up the dews, and dry'd the flowery mead,
Again they meet, in fighs again, difclofe
Their grief, and laft this bold defign propose;
That, in the dead of night, both would deceive
Their keepers, and the house and city leave;
And left, escap'd, without the walls they ftray
In pathlefs fields, and wander from the way,
At Ninus' tomb their meeting they agree,
Beneath the fhady covert of the tree;
The tree well-known near a cool fountain
And bore fair mulberries of snowy hue.
The project pleas'd; the fun's unwelcome light 50 (That flowly feem'd to move, and flack his flight) Sunk in the feas; from the fame feas arofe the fable night;
When, ftealing through the dark, the crafty fair
Unlock'd the door, and gain'd the open air;
Love gave her courage; unperceiv'd she went,
Wrapp'd in a veil, and reach'd the monument.
Then fat beneath th' appointed tree alone;
But, by the glimmering of the fhining moon,
She fat not long, before from far the spy'd
A lioness approach the fountain-fide;
Fierce was her glare, her foamy paws in blood
Of flaughter'd bulls befmear'd, and foul with food;
For, reeking from they prey, the favage came,
To drown her thirst within the neighbouring stream.
Affrighted Thisbe, trembling at the fight,
Fled to a darkfom den, but in her flight
Her veil dropp'd off behind. Deep of the flood
The monster drank, and, fatiate, to the wood
Returring, found the garment as it lay,
And, torn with bloody feet, difpers'd it in her
Belated Pyramus arriv'd, and found
The mark of savage feet along the fandy ground:
All pale he turn'd; but foon as he beheld
The crimson'd vefture scatter'd o'er the field,
One night, he cry'd, two lovers fhall destroy!
She worthy to have liv'd long years of joy,
But mine's the forfeit life; unhappy maid!
Twas I that flew thee, I th' appointment made;
To places full of death, thy innocence betray'd,
And came not first myself-O hither hafte,
Ye lions all, that roam this rocky waste!
Tear my devoted entrails, gnaw, divide,
And gorge your famine in my open'd fide!
But cowards call for death!-Thus having spoke,
The fatal garment from the ground he took,
And bore it to the tree; ardent he kiss'd,
And bath'd in flowing tears the well-known veft,
Now take a second stain, the lover faid,
While from his fide he fnatch'd his fharpen'd blade,
And drove it in his groin; then from the wound
Withdrew the steel, and staggering fell to ground:
As when, a conduit broke, the ftreams fhoot high,
Starting in fudden fountains through the sky,
So fpouts the living stream, and sprinkled o'er
The trees fair berries with a crimson gore,
While, fapp'd in purple floods, the conscious root
Tranfmits the ftain of murder to the fruit.
The fair, who fear'd to disappoint her love,
Yet trembling with the fright, forfook the grove,
And fought the youth, impatient to relate
Her new adventure, and th' avoided fate.
She faw the vary'd tree had loft its white,
And doubting stood if that could be the right,
Nor doubted long; for now her eyes beheld
A dying perfon fpurn the fanguine field.
Aghaft fhe started back, and fhook with pain,
As rifing breezes curl the trembling main.
She gaz'd awhile entranc'd; but when the found
It was her lover weltering on the ground,
She beat her lovely breast, and tore her hair,
Clafp'd the dear corpfe, and, frantic in despair,
Kifs'd his cold face, fupply'd a briny flood
To the wide wound, and mingled tears with blood.
Say, Pyramus, oh fay, what chance fevere
Has fnatch'd thee from my arms ?..
'Tis thy own Thibe calls, look up and hear !
At Thibe's name he lifts his dying eyes,
And, having seen her, clos'd them up, and dies.
But when the knew the bloody veil, and fpy'd
The ivory scabbard empty by his fidé,
Ah! wretched youth, faid he, by Love betray'd !·
Thy hapless hand guided the fatal blade.
Weak as I am, I boaft as strong a love;
For fuch a deed, this hand as bold fhall prove.
I'll follow thee to death;; the world fhall call
Thisbe the cause, and partner of thy fall;
And ev❜n in death, which could alone disjoin
Our perfons, yet in death thou shalt be mine.
But hear, in both our names, this dying prayer,-
Ye wretched parents of a wretched pair !
Let in one urn our afhes be confin'd,
Whom mutual love and the same fate have join'd.
And thou, fair tree, beneath whose friendly shade,
One lifeless lover is already laid,
And foon fall cover two; for ever wear
Death's fable hue, and purple berries bear!
She faid, and plunges in her breast the sword,
Yet warm, and reeking from its flaughter'd lord.
Relenting heaven allows her last request,
And pity touch'd their mournful parents breast. 149
The fruit, when ripe, a purple dye retains ;
And in one urn are plac'd their dear remains.
IN IMITATION OF OVID, AMORUM LIB. I.
TELL me, fome god, whence does this change
Why gentle fleep forfakes my weary eyes?
Why, turning often, all the tedious night
In pain I lie, and watch the springing light?
What cruel dæmon haunts my tortur❜d mind?
Sure, if 'twere love, I should th' invader find ;
Unless disguis'd he lurks, the crafty boy,
With filent arts ingenious to deftroy.
Alas! 'tis fo-'tis fix'd the fecret dart ;
I feel the tyrant ravaging my heart.
Then, fhall I yield; or th' infant flame oppofe?-
I yield-Refistance would increase my woes :
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