Then fame, her clarion pendent at her fide, Shall feek forgiveness of OPHELIA's fhade; Why has fuch worth, without diftinction, dy'd, Why, like the defert's lilly, bloom'd to fade ?” Then young fimplicity, averse to feign, Then elegance with coy judicious hand, And fancy then with wild ungovern'd woe, And ask fweet folace of the muse in vain! Ah gentle forms expect no fond relief; Too much the facred nine their lofs deplore: Well may ye grieve, nor find an end of grief— Your beft, your brightest fav'rite is no more, ELEGY EL EGY V. He compares the turbulence of love with the tranquillity of friendship. To MELISSA his friend. FR ROM love, from angry love's inclement reign I pass awhile to friendship's equal skies Thou, gen'rous maid, reliev'ft my partial pain, And chear'ft the victim of another's eyes. 'Tis thou, MELISSA, thou deferv'st my care: How can my will and reason disagree? How can my paffion live beneath despair! How can my bofom figh for aught but thee? Ah dear MELISSA! pleas'd with thee to rove, Love is a pleafing, but a various clime! So fmiles immortal MARO's fav'rite shore, Oh blisful regions! oh unrival'd plains! When MARO to these fragrant haunts retir'd! Oh fatal realms! and oh accurft domains! When PLINY, 'mid fulphureous clouds, expir'd! So fmiles the furface of the treacherous main, As o'er its waves the peaceful halcyons play; When foon rude winds their wonted rule regain, And sky and ocean mingle in the fray. But let or air contend, or ocean rave; ELEGY ELE GY VI. To a lady on the language of birds. OME then, DIONE, let us range the grove, C° The science of the feather'd choirs explore;" Hear linnets argue, larks defcant of love, And blame the gloom of folitude no more. My doubt fubfides-'tis no Italian fong, Nor senseless ditty, chears the vernal tree: Ah! who, that hears DIONE's tuneful tongue, Shall doubt that mufic may with sense agree? And come, my mufe! that lov'ft the filvan fhade; Penfive beneath the twilight fhades I fate, The flave of hopeless vows, and cold disdain! When PHILOMEL addrefs'd his mournful mate, And thus I constru'd the mellifluent ftrain. "Sing on, my bird-the liquid notes prolong, Nor doubt to gain applaufe, when lovers hear. He He the fad fource of our complaining knows; Yon' plains are govern'd by a peerless maid; Ere while no fhepherd to these woods retir'd; Chear'd by the fun, the vaffals of his pow'r, Let fuch by day unite their jarring ftrains! ELEGY |