Now what avails it, that in early bloom. When light fantastic toys, Are all her fex's joys With you the fearch'd the wit of Greece and Rome, And all that in her latter days, To emulate her ancient praise, Bright fparkling could infpire, Moft favour'd with your smile, The powers of Reafon and of Fancy join'd Ah! what is now the ufe Of all these treasures that enrich'd her mind, At least, ye Nine, her spotlefs name 'Tis your's from death to fave, And in the temple of immortal Fame With golden characters her worth engrave. Come, then, ye virgin-fifters come, And ftrew with choiceft flowers her hallow'd tomb; With accents fweet and fad, N Thou plaintive Mufe, whom o'er his Laura's urn, Unhappy Petrarch call'd to mourn : O come, and to this fairer Laura pay A more impaffion'd tear, a more pathetic lay! Tell how each beauty of her mind and face Thro' her expreffive eyes her soul distinctly spoke! And uncorrupted Intiocence, Tell how to more than manly fenfe She join❜d the foftening influence Of more than female tenderness : How in the thoughtlefs days of wealth and joy, To every want and every woe, To guilt itself when in diftrefs, The balm of pity would impart, And all relief that bounty could beftow! E'en for the kid or lamb, that pour'a its life Beneath the bloody knife, Her gentle tears would fall; Tears from fweet Virtue's fource benevolent to all, Not only good and kind, But ftrong and clevated was her mind: A fpirit that with noble pride Could look fuperior down On fortune's fmile or frown; : That, could, without regret or pain, Its dignity, by vengeance, to maintain, All pleafing fhone, nor ever past The decent bounds that Wisdom's fober hand, And fweet Benevolence's mild command, And bashful Modefty, before it caft. A prudence undeceiving, undeceiv'd, That nor too little nor too much believ'd, That scorn'd unjuft Sufpicion's coward fear, And, without weakness, knew to be fincere. Such Lucy was when in her fairest days Amidft-th' acclaim of univerfal praise, In life's and glory's frefheft bloom, Death came remorfelefs on, and funk her to the tomb. N 2 So, where the filent ftreams of Liris glide, And genial fummer breathes her gentle gale, A fudden blast from Appeninus blows, Cold with perpetual fnows; Edies. The tender blighted plant shrinks up its leaves, and Arife, O Petrach from th' Elyhan bowers, With never-fading myrtles twin'd, And fragrant with ainbrofial flowers, Where to thy Laura thou again art join'd; To the foft notes of elegant defire, i With which o'er many a land And teach my forrows to relate As may e'en things inanimate, Rough mountain oaks, and defart rocks, to pity move, What were, alas! thy woes compar'd to mine? The joys of wedded love were never thine, In thy domeftic care She never bore a share, Nor with endearing art Would heal thy wounded heart Of fickness watch thee, and thy languid head With pledges dear, and with a father's tender name. O best of wives! Oh! dearer far to me. Than when thy virgin charms Were yielded to my arms: 1 How can my foul endure the lofs of thee? Abandon'd and alone, Without my sweet companion can I live? The dear reward of every virtuous toil, What pleasures now can pall'd Ambition give? E'en the delightful fense of well-earn'd praise, Uniha:'d by thee, no more my lifeless thought could raife. |