ページの画像
PDF
ePub

On that drear spot, within whose cavern'd womb
Emilia fleeps, and by the turf that veils

• Her honour'd clay, alone and kneeling there • I found my Theodora! thrill'd with awe,

• With facred terror, which the time, the place, Pour'd on us, fadly-folemn, I too bent

My trembling knee, and lock'd in her's my hand

• Across her parent's grave." By this dread scene! By night's pale regent! by yon glorious train

[ocr errors]

"Of ever-moving fires that round her burn!

[ocr errors]

By Death's dark empire! by the feeted duft "That once was man, now mould'ring here below! "But chief by her's, at whose nocturnal tomb "Rev'rent we kneel! and by her nobler part, "Th' unbody'd spirit hov'ring near, perhaps "As witnefs to our vows! nor time, nor chance, "Nor aught but Death's inevitable hand, "Shall e'er divide our loves!"-I led her thence,

[ocr errors]

To where, safe station'd in a secret bay,

Rough of defcent, and brown with pendent pines • That murmur'd to the gale, our bark was moor'd. We fail'd: But, O my father! can I speak • What yet remains! Yon ocean, black with storm, It's useless fails rent from the groaning pine! • The speechlefs crew aghaft! and that loft fair! Still, ftill I fee her! feel her heart pant thick! And hear her voice, in ardent vows to Heav'n For me alone preferr'd! as on my arm Expiring, finking with her fears, the hung!

[ocr errors]

• I kiss'd her pale cold cheek; with tears adjur'd,

⚫ And won at laft with fums of proffer'd gold,

• The boldest mariners this precious charge

• Instant to fave, and in the skiff fecur'd,
Their oars across the foamy flood to ply
• With unremitting arm. I then prepar'd
To follow her.-That moment from the deck

I i

215

220

225

230

235

240

245

• A fea

A fea fwell'd o'er, and plung'd me in the gulph!
Nor me alone; it's broad and billowing sweep
Muft have involv'd her too. Mysterious Heav'n!
My fatal love on her devoted head

Drew down-it must be fo!-the judgment due
To me and mine; or was Amyntor fav'd
For it's whole quiver of remaining wrath!
For ftorms more fierce! for pains of fharper fting!
And years of death to come!'-Nor farther voice
Nor flowing tear his high-wrought grief supply'd;
With arms outfpread, with eyes in hopeless gaze
To heav'n uplifted, motionless and mute
He flood, the mournful femblance of despair.

The lamp of day, tho' from mid-noon declin'd,
Still flaming with full ardour, fhot on earth
Oppreffive brightness round, till in soft steam,
From Ocean's bofom his light vapours drawn,
With grateful intervention o'er the sky
Their veil diffufive fpread, the fcene abroad
Soft-shadowing, vale and plain and dazzling hill.
Aurelius with his guest the western cliff
Afcending flow, beneath it's marble roof,

250

255

260

265

270

[blocks in formation]

To field and mead; her ftraw-roof'd temple rood,
Where Piety, not Pride, adoring kneels;

280

Lay full in view from scene to scene around
Aurelius gaz'd, and fighing, thus began.

Not we alone; alas! in ev'ry clime
The human race are fons of forrow born;

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

• Heirs of tranfmitted labour and disease,
Of pain and grief, from fire to fon deriv'd,

All have their mournful portion; all must bear
Th' impos'd condition of their mortal state,

[merged small][ocr errors]

⚫ Where yonder vale, Amyntor, floping spreads Full to the noon-tide beam it's primrose lap,

• From hence due eaft.' Amyntor look'd, and faw,

Not without wonder at a fight fo ftrange,

Where thrice three females, earnest each, and arm'd

295.

With rural inftruments, the foil prepar'd

For future harvest. These the trenchant spade,

To turn the mould, and break th' adhesive clods,
Employ'd affiduous; thofe, with equal pace,
And arm alternate, ftrew'd it's fresh lap white
With fruitful Ceres; while, in train behind,
Three more th' incumbent harrow heavy on
O'er-labour'd drew, and clos'd the toilfome task.
• Behold!' Aurelius thus his fpeech renew'd,
From that foft fex, too delicately fram'd

300

395

For toils like thefe, the task of rougher man,

• What yet neceffity demands fevere.

• Twelve funs have purpled these encircling hills

< With orient beams, as many nights along

• Their dewy fummits drawn th' alternate veil
Of darkness, fince, in unpropitious hour,
The hufbands of thofe widow'd mates, who now
For both muft labour, launch'd, in queft of food,

310

315

• Their island-skiff advent'rous on the deep:

[ocr errors]

Them, while the sweeping net fecure they plung'd
The finny race to fnare, whofe foodful fhoals

• Each creek and bay innumerable croud,
As annual on from fhore to fhore they move
In wat❜ry caravan; them, thus intent,
• Dark from the fouth a guft of furious wing,
Upfpringing, drove to fea, and left in tears

I i2

320

< This

252

[ocr errors]

This little world of brothers and of friends!
But when, at ev'ning hour, disjointed planks,
• Borne on the furging tide, and broken oars,
To fight, with fatal certainty, reveal'd
The wreck before furmis'd, one gen'ral groan
To heav'n afcending, spoke the gen'ral breast
With sharpest anguish pierc'd. Their ceafelefs plaint,
• Thro' these hoarfe rocks on this refounding fhore,
At morn was heard; at midnight too, were seen,
• Difconfolate on each chill mountain's height
The mourners spread, exploring land and fea
• With eager gaze; till from leffer ifle,
Yon round of mofs-clad hills, Borera nam'd,
Full north, behold! above the foaring lark
It's dizzy cliffs afpire, hung round and white
With curling mifts-at laft, from yon hoar hills,

yon

Inflaming the brown air with fudden blaze

And ruddy undulation, thrice three fires,

• Like meteors waving in a moonless sky, Our eyes, yet unbelieving, faw diftinct,

325

330

335

340

• Succeffive kindled, and from night to night
Renew'd continuous. Joy, with wild excess,
Took her gay turn to reign; and Nature now
From rapture wept; yet ever and anon

345

By fad conjecture damp'd, and anxious thought,

How from yon rocky prifon to release

Whom the deep fea immures (their only boat

Deftroy'd) and whom th' inevitable fiege

<

Of hunger muft affault.-But hope fuftains
The human heart; and now their faithful wives,

350

With love-taught fkill, and vigour not their own,
On yonder field th' autumnal year prepare *.'

The Author who relates this ftory adds, that the produce of grain that feafon was the most plentiful they had feen for many years before. Vide Martin's Defcription of the Western Isles of Scotland, p. 286.

Amyntor,

Amyntor, who the tale diftrefsful heard

With fympathizing forrow on himself,

355

On his feverer fate, now pond'ring deep,

Rapt by fad thought the hill unheeding left,

And reach'd, with fwerving step, the diftant ftrand.

Above, around, in cloudy circles wheel'd,

Or failing level on the polar gale

360

That cool with ev'ning rofe, a thousand wings,
The fummer nations of these pregnant cliffs,
Play'd sportive round, and to the fun outspread
Their various plumage, or in wild notes hail'd
His parent-beam that animates and chears
All living kinds : he, glorious from amidst
A
pomp of golden clouds, th' Atlantick flood
Beheld oblique, and o'er it's azure breast
Wav'd one unbounded blush; a fcene to ftrike
Both ear and eye with wonder and delight!
But, loft to outward fenfe, Amyntor pafs'd'
Regardless on, thro' other walks convey'd
Of baleful profpect, which pale Fancy rais'd
Inceffant to herself, and fabled o'er

With darkest night, meet region for defpair!
Till northward, where the rock it's fea-wafh'd base
Projects athwart, and fhuts the bounded scene,
Rounding it's point, he rais'd his eyes, and faw,
At diftance faw, defcending on the fhore,
Forth from their anchor'd boat, of men unknown
A double band, who by their geftures strange
There fix'd with wond'ring; for at once they knelt
With hands upheld; at once to Heav'n, as feem'd,
One gen'ral hymn pour'd forth of vocal praife;
Then flowly rifing, forward mov'd their steps:
Slow as they mov'd, behold! amid the train,
On either fide fupported, onward came,
Pale, and of pitcous look, a pensive maid,
As one by wafting fickness fore affail'd,'

365

370

375

380

385

Or

« 前へ次へ »