Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

"Let new delights each dancing hour employ,

"Sport follow sport, and joy fucceed to joy,”

The goddess grants the fimple youth's request,
And mildly thus accofts her lovely guest:
"On that smooth mirror full of magick light
"Awhile, dear Maia, fix thy wand'ring fight."
She looks; and in th' enchanted crystal fees
A bow'r o'er canopied with tufted trees:
The wanton ftripling lies beneath the shade,
And by his fide reclines a blooming maid;
O'er her fair limbs a filken mantle flows,
Through which her youthful beauty foftly glows,
And part conceal'd, and part disclos'd to fight
Through the thin texture casts a ruddy light,
As the ripe clusters of the mantling vine
Beneath the verdant foliage faintly shine,
And, fearing to be view'd by envious day,
Their glowing tints unwillingly display,

The

The youth, while joy fits sparkling in his eyes, Pants on her neck, and in her bofom dies;

From her smooth cheek nectareous dew he fips,

And all his foul comes breathing to his lips.

But Maia turns her modeft eyes away,
And blushes to behold their amr'ous play,

She looks again, and fees with fad surprize

On the clear glass far diff'rent scenes arise :
The bow'r, which late outfhone the rofy morn,

O'er hung with weeds she saw, and rough with thorn;

With ftings of afps the leafless plants were wreath'd,
And curling adders gales of venom breath'd:

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

His eyes, that shot before a funny beam,

Now scarcely fhed a fad'ning, dying gleam;
Faint as a glimm'ring taper's wafted light,
Or a dull ray that streaks the cloudy night:

His

His crystal vafe was on the pavement roll'd,
And from the bank was fall'n his cup of gold;
From which th' envenom'd dregs of deadly hue,
Flow'd on the ground in ftreams of baleful dew,
And, flowly ftealing through the wither'd bow'r,
Poifon'd each plant, and blafted ev'ry flow'r:

Fled were his flaves, and fled his yielding fair,
And each gay phantom was diffolv'd in air;.
Whilst in their place was left a joyless train,
Defpair, and grief, remorfe, and raging pain.

Afide the damfel turns her weeping eyes,
And fad reflections in her bofom rife;

To whom thus mildly speaks the radiant queen :
"Take fage example from this moral scene;
"See how vain pleasures fting the lips they kiss,
"How afps are hid beneath the bow'rs of blifs!
"Whilst ever fair the flow'r of temp'rance blows,
"Unchang'd her leaf and without thorn her rofe,

Smiling

[ocr errors]

Smiling fhe darts her glitt'ring branch on high, “And spreads her fragrant blossoms to the sky."

* Next to the throne fhe faw a knight advance, Erect he ftood, and shook a quiv'ring lance; A fiery dragon on his helmet fhone, And on his buckler beam'd a golden fun; O'er his broad bofom blaz'd his jointed mail With many a gem, and many a fhining feale; He trod the founding floor with princely mien, And thus with haughty words address'd the queen : "Let falling kings beneath my javʼlin bleed, "And bind my temples with a victor's meed; "Let ev'ry realm that feels the folar ray, "Shrink at my frown, and own my regal sway : "Let Ind's rich banks declare my deathless fame, "And trembling Ganges dread my potent name."

The queen confented to the warriour's pray'r, And his bright banners floated in the air :

* Glory,

He

He bade his darts in fteely tempefts fly,

Flames burft the clouds, and thunder fhake the sky;

Death aim'd his lance, earth trembled at his nod,

And crimson conqueft glow'd where'er he trod.

And now the damfel, fix'd in deep amaze,
Th' enchanted glass with eager look furveys:
She fees the hero in his dusky tent,

His guards retir'd, his glimm'ring taper spent ;
His fpear, vain inftrument of dying praise,
On the rich floor with idle ftate he lays;

His gory falchin near his pillow ftood,

And ftain'd the ground with drops of purple blood;

A busy page his nodding helm unlac'd,

And on the couch his fcaly hauberk plac'd :

Now on the bed his weary limbs he throws
Bath'd in the balmy dew of foft repose:
In dreams he rushes o'er the gloomy field,
He fees new armies fly, new heroes yield;

Warm

« ПредишнаНапред »