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DESPAIRING LOVER.

FROM THE

TWENTY-THIRD IDYLLIUM OF THEOCRITUS.

WITH inaufpicious love, a wretched swain
Purfu'd the fairest nymph of all the plain;
Faireft indeed, but prouder far than fair,
She plung'd him hopeless in a deep defpair:
Her heavenly form too haughtily fhe priz'd, 5
His perfon hated, and his gifts defpis'd;
Nor knew the force of Cupid's cruel darts,
Nor fear'd his awful power on human hearts;
But either from her hopeless lover fled,
Or with difdainful glances fhot him dead.
No kifs, no look, to cheer the drooping boy;
No word the fpoke, fhe fcorn'd even to deny.
But, as a hunted panther cafts about
Her glaring eyes, and pricks her liftening ears
to scout,

10

So fhe, to fhun his toils, her cares employ'd, 15 And fiercely in her favage freedom joy'd.

Her mouth fhe writh'd, her forehead taught to

frown,

Her eyes to sparkle fires to love unknown:

Her fallow cheeks her envious mind did fhew, And every feature spoke aloud the cursiness of a fhrew.

20

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Yet could not he his obvious fate escape;
His love ftill drefs'd her in a pleasing shape;
And every fullen frown, and bitter scorn,
But fann'd the fuel that too fast did burn.
Long time, unequal to his mighty pain,
He ftrove to curb it, but he ftrove in vain :
At laft his woes broke out, and begg'd relief
With tears, the dumb petitioners of grief:
With tears fo tender, as adorn'd his love,
And any heart, but only her's, would move. 30
Trembling before her bolted doors he ftood,
And there pour'd out the unprofitable flood:
Staring his eyes, and baggard was his look;
Then, kiffing first the threshold, thus he spoke,
Ah nymph, more cruel than of human

race!

Thy tigrefs heart belies thy angel face:

36

Too well thou fhew'ft thy pedigree from stone: Thy grandame's was the firft by Pyrrha

thrown:

Unworthy thou to be fo long defir'd ;

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But fo my love, and fo my fate requir'd,

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I beg not now (for 'tis in vain) to live ;
But take this gift, the last that I can give.
This friendly cord fhall foon decide the ftrife
Betwixt my lingering love and loathfome life:
This moment puts an end to all my pain ;
I fhall no more despair, nor thou disdain.
Farewel, ungrateful and unkind! I go
Condemn'd by thee to thofe fad fhades below.
the extremeft remedy to prove,
To drink oblivion, and to drench my
There happily to lofe my long defires:
But ah! what draught fo deep to quench my
fires?

I

go

love: 50

Farewel, ye never-opening gates, ye ftones,
And threshold guilty of my midnight moans!
What I have fuffer'd here ye know too well; 55
What I fhall do the gods and I can tell.
The rose is fragrant, but it fades in time;
The violet sweet, but quickly paft the prime;
White lillies hang their heads, and foon de-

cay,

And whiter fnow in minutes melts away:

60

Such is your blooming youth, and withering

fo:

The time will come, it will, when you fhall know

The rage of love; your haughty heart fhall

burn

In flames like mine, and meet a like return.

Obdurate as you are, oh! hear at least

65

My dying prayers, and grant my laft request. When first you ope your doors, and, paffing

by,

The fad ill-omen'd object meets your eye,
Think it not loft, a moment if you ftay;
The breathlefs wretch, fo made by you, fur-

vey:

Some cruel pleasure will from thence arise,
To view the mighty ravage of your eyes.
I wish (but oh! my wish is vain, I fear)
The kind oblation of a falling tear;

70

Then loose the knot, and take me from the place,

And spread your mantle o'er my grizly face; Upon my livid lips beftow a kifs:

75

O envy not the dead, they feel not blifs! Nor fear kiffes can restore your my breath; E'en you are not more pityless than death. so Then for my carpfe a homely grave provide, Which love and me from public fcorn may

hide.

Thrice call upon my name, thrice beat your breast,

And hail me thrice to everlasting rest:

Laft let my tomb this fad infcription bear: 85 A wretch whom love has kill'd lies buried

here;

O paffengers, Aminta's eyes beware,

Thus having faid, and furious with his love, He heav'd with more than human force to

move

90

A weighty ftone (the labour of a team)
And rais'd from thence he reach'd the neigh-
bouring beam:

Around its bulk a fliding knot he throws,
And fitted to his neck the fatal noofe:

Then fpurning backward, took a fwing, till death

Crept up, and stopt the paffage of his breath. The bounce burft ope the door; the scornful

fair

96

Relentlefs look'd, and faw him beat his quivering feet in air;

Nor wept his fate, nor caft a pitying eye,
Nor took him down, but brufh'd regardless

by:

And, as the paft, her chance of fate was fuch, Her garments touch'd the dead, polluted by the touch:

101

Next to the dance, thence to the bath did

move;

The bath was facred to the god of Love;
Whofe injur❜d image, with a wrathful eye,
Stood threatning from a pedestal on high: 105
Nodding awhile, and watchful of his blow,
He fell; and falling crush'd the ungrateful
nymph below:

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