The mingling colours sweetly fade,
And justly temper light and shade.

He look'd; the swelling Cloud on high
With wider circuit spread the sky,
Stretch'd to the sun an ampler train,
And pour'd new glories on the main.
As quick, effacing every ground,
His pencil swept the canvas round,
And o'er its field, with magic art,
Call'd forth new forms in every part.

But now the sun, with rising ray,
Advanced with speed his early way;
Each colour takes a differing die,
The orange glows, the purples fly.
The artist views the alter'd sight,
And varies with the varying light;
In vain! a sudden gust arose,

New folds ascend, new shades disclose,
And sailing on with swifter pace,
The Cloud displays another face.
In vain the painter, vex'd at heart,
Tried all the wonders of his art;
In vain he begg'd, her form to grace,
One moment she would keep her place;
For, "changing thus with every gale,
Now gay with light, with gloom now pale,

Now high in air with gorgeous train,
Now settling on the darken'd main,
With looks more various than the moon;
A French coquette were drawn as soon.”
He spoke; again the air was mild,
The Cloud with opening radiance smiled;
With canvas new his art he tries,
Anew he joins the glitt'ring dies;
Th' admiring Cloud with pride beheld
Her image deck the pictured field,
And colours half-complete adorn
The splendor of the painted morn.
When lo, the stormy winds arise,
Deep gloom invests the changing skies;
The sounding tempest shakes the plain,
And lifts in billowy surge the main.
The Cloud's gay dies in darkness fade,
Its folds condense in thicker shade,
And borne by rushing blasts, its form
With lowering vapour joins the storm.

ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE.

THE SPEECH OF PROTEUS TO ARISTÆUS,

CONTAINING THE STORY OF

ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE;

Translated from the 4th book of Virgil's Georgics. A collegiate exercise. June 1770.

A GOD

pursues thee with immortal hate,

By crimes provoked, that wake the wrath of fate ;

In guiltless woe the hapless Orpheus died,

And calls the powers t' avenge

his injured bride.

Along the stream, with flying steps she strove

To shun the fury of thy lawless love,

Unhappy Fair! nor on the fated way

Saw the dire snake, that ambush'd for his prey.

GEORGIC. Lib. 4. v. 453.

NON te nullius exercent numinis iræ ;

Magna luis commissa: tibi has miserabilis Orpheus
Haudquaquam ob meritum pœnas (ni fata resistant)
Suscitat, & rapta graviter pro conjuge sævit.
Illa quidem, dum te fugeret per flumina præceps,
Immanem ante pedes hydram moritura puella
Servantem ripas alta non vidit in herba.