Love, free as air, at fight of human ties,
Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies.
Let wealth, let honour, wait the wedded dame,
August her deed, and sacred be her fame;
Before true paffion all those views remove :
Fame, wealth, and honour! what are you to Love?
The jealous god, when we profane his fires,
Thole reftleis paffions in revenge inspires,
And bids them make mistaken mortals groan,
Who feek in love for aught but love alone.
Should at my feet the world's great mafter fall,
Himfelf, his throne, his world, I'd fcorn 'em all :
Not Cæfar's empreis would I deign to prove ;
No, make me mistress to the man I love :
If there be yet another name more free,
More fond than mistress, make me that to thee!
Oh, happy state! when fouls each other draw,
When love is liberty, and nature law :,
All then is full, poffeffing and poffefs'd,
No craving void left aching in the breast :
Ev'n thought meets thought, ere from the lips it part,
And each warm wifh fprings mutual from the heart.
This fure is blifs (if blifs on earth there be,)
And once the lot of Abelard and me.
Alas, how chang'd! what fudden horrors rife !
A naked lover bound and bleeding lies!
Where, where was Eloïfe? her voice, her hand,
Her poniard had oppos'd the dire command.
Barbarian, stay! that bloody stroke restrain ;
The crime was common, common be the pain.
I can no more; by fhame, by rage fupprefs'd,
Let tears and burning blushes fpeak the reft.
Canft thou forget that fad, that folemn day, When victims at yon altar's foot we lay? Canft thou forget what tears that moment fell, When, warm in youth, I bade the world farewell? As with cold lips I kifs'd the facṛed veil, The shrines all trembled, and the lamps grew pale : Heav'n fcarce believ'd the conqueft it furvey'd, And faints with wonder heard the vows I made.
Yet then, to thofe dread altars as I drew,
Not on the Crofs my eyes were fix'd, but you:
Not grace or zeal, love only was my call;
And if I lofe thy love, I lofe my all.
Come with thy looks, thy words, relieve my woe;
Thofe ftill at least are left thee to beltow.
Still on that breast enamour'd let me lie,
Still drink delicious poifon from thy eye,
Pant on thy lip, and to thy heart be prefs'd;
Give all thou canft-and let me dream the rest.
Ah no! inftruct me other joys to prize,
With other beauties charm my partial eyes ;
Full in my view fet all the bright abode,
And make my foul quit Abelard for God.
Ah think at least thy flock deferves thy care,
Plants of thy hand, and children of thy pray'r.
From the false world in early youth they fled,
By thee to mountains, wilds, and deferts led.
You rais'd thefe hallow'd walls; the defert fmil'd,
And paradife was open'd in the wild.
No weeping orphan saw his father's ftores
Our fhrines irradiate, or emblaze the floors ;
No filver faints, by dying mifers giv'n,
Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited Heav'n;
But fuch plain roofs as piety could raise,
And only vocal with the maker's praise.
In these lone walls (their day's eternal bound)
Thefe mofs-grown domes with fpiry turrets crown'd,
Where awful arches make a noon- day night,
And the dim windows fhed a folemn light;
Thy eyes diffus'd a reconciling ray,
And gleams of glory brighten'd all the day.
But now no face divine contentment wears,
'Tis all blank fadnefs, or continual tears.
See how the force of others' pray'rs I try,
(O pious fraud of am'rous charity !)
But why fhould I on others' pray'rs depend?
Come thou, my father, brother, husband, friend!
Ah let thy handmaid, fifter, daughter move,
And all thofe tender names in one, thy love!
The darkfome pines that o'er yon rocks reclin'd 155
Wave high, and murmur to the hollow wind,
The wand'ring ftreams that shine between the hills,
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 thefe fcenes my meditation aid,
Or lull to reft the visionary maid:
But o'er the twilight groves and dusky caves,
Long-founding ifles and intermingled graves,
Black Melancholy fits, and round her throws
A death-like filence, and a dread repose:
Her gloomy presence faddens 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 muft I ftay;
Sad proof how well a lover can obey!
Death, only death, can break the lafting chain ;
And here, e'en then, fhall my cold duft remain ;
Here all its frailties, all its flames refign,
And wait till 'tis no fin to mix with thine.
Ah wretch! believ'd the spouse of God in vain,
Confefs'd within the flave of love and man.
Affift 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;
I mourn the lover, not lament the fault;
I view my crime, but kindle at the view;
Repent old pleatures, and folicit new:
Now turn'd to Heav'n, I weep my past offence,
Now think of thee, and curse my innocence.
Of all affliction taught a lover yet,
'Tis fure the hardest fcience to forget!
How fhall I lofe the fin, yet keep the fenfe,
And love th' offender, yet deteft th' offence?
How the dear object from the crime remove,
Or how distinguish penitence from love?
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