Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams Ill matching words and deeds long paft or late. Some fuch refemblances, methinks, find Of our last evenig's talk, in this thy dream, But with addition ftrange: yet be not fad, Evil into the mind of God or man
May come and go, fo unapprov'd, and leave No fpot or blame behind: which gives me hope That what in fleep thou didst abhor to dream Waking thou never wilt confent to do.
Be not difhearten'd then, nor cloud thofe looks That wont to be more chearful and ferene, Than when fair morning first smiles on the World And let us to our fresh employments rife
Among the groves, the fountains, and the flowers That open now their choiceft bofom'd smells Referv'd from night, and kept for thee in ftore. So chear'd he his fair fpoufe, and fhe was chear'd, But filently a gentle tear let fall
From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair; Two other precious drops that ready ftood, Each in their crystal fluice, he ere they fell Kifs'd, as the gracious figns of fweet remorfe And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended. So all was clear'd, and to field they haft But first, from under fhady arbo'rous roof Soon as they forth were come to open fight Of day - fpring, and the fun, who fcarce uprisen With wheels yet hov'ring o'er the ocean - brim Shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray. Discovering in wide landscape all the east Of Paradife and Eden's happy plains Lowly they bow'd adoring and began Their orifons, each morning duly paid In various style; for neither various style Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise Their Maker, in fit ftrains pronounc'd, Unmeditated, fuch promt eloquence Flow'd from their lips, in profe or numerous verse. More tuneable than needed lut or harp
To add more fweetness; and they thus began;
Thefe are thy glorious works, Parent of good, Almighty, thine this univerfal frame,
Thus wondrous fair; thy felf how wondrous then! Unfpeakable, who fitt'ft above these heav'ns To us invisible, or dimly feen
In these thy loweft works; yet these declare Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine Speak ye who beft can tell, ye fons of light, Angels; for ye behold him, and with fongs And choral fymphonies, day without night, Circle his throne rejoicing; ye in heav'n. On hearth join all ye creatures to extol
Him firft, him laft, him midft, and without end Fairest of stars, last in the train of night
If better thou belong not to the dawn
Sure pledge of day, that crown'ft the smiling morn With thy bright circlet, praise him in thy sphere While day arifes, that sweet hour of prime Thou fun, of this great world bold eye and foul Acknowlege him thy greater; found his praise In thy eternal courfe, both when thou climb'ft, And when high noon haft gain'd, and when thou
Moon, that now meet'ft the orient fun, now fly'ft, With the fix'd ftars, fix'd in their orb that flies; And ye five other wand'ring fires that move In myftic dance not without fong, refound His praife, who out of darkness call'd up light. Air, and ye elements, the eldest birth Of nature's womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix, And nourish all things; let your ceafelefs change Vary to our great Maker's ftill new praife. Ye mifts and exhalations, that now rife From hill or steaming lake, dufky or gray, Till the fun paint your fleecy skirts, with gold, In honour to the world's great Author rife, Whether to deck with clouds th' uncolour'd sky, Or wet the thirsty earth with fallen fhowers, Rifing or falling till advance his praise!
His praife, ye winds, that from four quarters blow,
Breathe foft or loud; and wave your tops, ye pines, With every plant, in fign of worship wave. Fountains, and ye, that warble, as ye flow, Melodious numbers, warbling tune his praife. Join voices to all living fouls; ye birds, That finging up to heaven-gate afcend, Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise. Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk The earth, and ftately tread, or lowly creep; Witness if I be filent, morn or even,
To hill, or valley, fountain, or fresh fhade, Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise. Hail univerfal Lord, be bounteous ftill To give us only good; and if the night Have gather'd ought of evil, or conceal'd, Difperfe it, as now light disperses the dark!
So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts Firm peace recover'd foon, and wonted calm. On to their morning rural work they hafte, Among sweet dews and flow'rs; where any row Of fruit - trees over-woody reach'd too far Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check
Fruitless embraces: or they led the vine
To wed her elm; fhe fpous'd about him twines Her marrigeable arms, and with her brings Her dow'r, th' adopted clusters, to adorn His barren leaves.
Richard Glover, geb. 1712, geft. 1785, war ein Mann von vielen Kenntnissen und ausgezeichneten Talen: ten, obgleich eigentlich nicht Gelehrter, sondern Kaufmaun. Als Dichter hat er sich durch sein Trauerspiel, Medea, und noch mehr durch sein Heldengedicht, Leonidas, in zwölf Büchern, berühmt gemacht, welches zuerst im Jahr 1737 erschien, und gleich in diesem und dem folgenden Jahre zweimal wieder aufgelegt, hernach aber, von dem Dich ter durchaus verbessert, und, dá es vorher nur neun Bücher gehabt hatte, mit drei neuen vermehrt wurde. Die mannichfaltigen Schönheiten, welche diesem Gedichte, auch ohne Beyhülfe des Wunderbaren, eigen sind, hat Dr. Pemberton in seinen Obfervations on Poetry, especially Epic, occafioned by the late Poem upon Leonidas; Lond. 1738. 12, und Hr. Hofrath Ebert in der sehr Iehrreichen Vorrede zu seiner vortrefflichen Uebersehung dess selben (Hamb. 1778. 8.) umßtåndlich aus einander gesetzt. Der Inhalt ist kürzlich folgender: Eerres grif mit einem aufferordentlich zahlreichen Heere Griechenland an. Die Spartaner befragten das Orakel, welches den Aussvruch that, es müsse entweder ein König vom Geschlecht des Herz kules sterben, oder Lacedåmon zerstört werden. Leonidas bot sein Leben zum Opfer dar, zog mit dreihundert Spars tanern nach Thermorylå, und vereinte sich da mit den übris gen Griechen. Sie verschmähten die Friedensanträge des Xerxes, und lieferten mit vielem Muth und Glück eine Schlacht. Die Perser überfielen hernach die Griechen auf dem Gebirge; fie wurden aber bei Nacht in ihrer Nuhe vom Leonidas und feiner geringen Mannschaft überfallen, und zum Theil niedergemacht; am Morgen aber, da die Perser die geringe Anzahl ihrer Feinde entdeckten, wandte sich das ́ Glück; und die meisten Spartaner fielen durch die Pfeile der Perser, von denen sie eingeschlossen waren; unter ihnen auch Leonidas.
Glover vollendete vor seinem Tode noch ein zweites episches Gedicht, The Athenaid, welches gewissermaßen eine Fortsetzung jenes erstern ist, und von seiner Tochter Mrs. Hallay, im Jahr 1788, in drei Duodezbånden zum Druck
Von den Lebensumstånden und dem sehr liebenswürdigen Charakter dieses Dichters f. das European Magazine for Ianuary 1786, p. 1, ff.
LEONIDAS, B. IX. v. I— 166.
In fable vesture, fplanged o'er with ftars, The night affum'd her throne. Recall'd from war, Their toil, protracted long, the Greeks forget, Diffolv'd in filent flumber, all, but thofe, Who watch th' uncertain perils of the dark, A hundred warriors. Agis was their chief. High on the wall intent the hero fat. Fresh winds across the undulating bay From Afia's hoft the various din convey'd In one deep murmur, fwelling on his ear. When by the found of footsteps down they pass Alarm'd, he calls aloud. What feet are thefe, Which beat the echoing pavement of the rock? Reply, nor tempt inevitable fate.
A voice reply'd. No enemies we come, But crave admittance in an humble tone.
The Spartan anfwers. Through the midnight fhade
What purpose draws your wand'ring steps abroad?
To whom the ftranger. We are friends to Greece.
Through thy affiftance we implore accefs
To Lacedaemon's King. The cautious Greek Still hefitates; when mufically fweet
A tender voice his wond'ring ear allures.
O gen'rous warrior, liften to the pray'r Of one diftrefs'd, whom grief alone hath led Through midnight fhades to thefe victorious tents, A wretched woman, innocent of fraud.
« ПредишнаНапред » |