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BY MR. JERNINGHAM,

HARMODIUS breath'd the rural air, nor found

His ruddy health with length of years decrease:

By duty prompted, Amabella crown'd
His filver forehead with the wreath of

peace :

By partial Nature fram'd in Beauty's mould,
Adorn'd with every grace, unfpoil'd by art,
To Friendship's circle ftill did the unfold

The lovelier beauties of a feeling heart,

Endear'd to all she met, each welcome day,

By Fortune's hand, with various bleffings fraught: When, lo! her gaiety's accustom❜d ray

Was quench'd, untimely, with the gloom of thought,

The fubject of this poem is founded on a circumftance that happened during the late war. A young lady, not meeting with the concurrence of her relations in favour of an officer for whom the expreffed her regard, was prevailed upon, by his folicitations, to confent to a clandeftine marriage; which took place on the day he fet out to join his regiment abroad, where he was unfortunately killed in an engagement.

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What fix'd the bofom-thorn, affliction knows,
Where Peace fat brooding as the gentle dove;
What blasted on her cheek the fummer rofe,
Or flow disease, or unfuccessful love,

i

Remain'd unknown. 'Twas by the many guefs'd,
That love to her foft vows had prov'd unkind;
Beyond the power of her weak frame opprefs'd,
Infanity o'erthrew her lovely mind.

At length recovering, yet to grief devote,
To folitude she gave th' unfocial day;
Like a pale vot❜ry from the world remote,
Unchear'd, unvifited of Pleasure's ray.

Oft did Harmodius (at her ftate difmay'd)
Solicit from his child her fecret pain :
Her vague reply still from his question ftray'd,
And each repeated effort prov'd in vain.

To speed the moments of the loitering hour,
And by their plaintive strains perchance allur'd,

Within a spacious myrtle-woven bower,

Two turtle doves the penfive fair fecur'd.

Ye little captives,' would fhe often say,

Tho' here fecluded from the fields of air,

• Thro' yonder vernal grove forbid to stray,

And join the kindred train that wanton there;

''Gainft you the gunner never lifts his arm,

Nor o'er this manfion does the falcon fail; • You live unconscious of the ftorm's alarm, The rain impetuous, and the beating hail.

• Nor

Nor here, by kind Compaffion unimprefs'd,

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The school-boy ever rears his impious hand,

To fill with agony the feather'd breast,

And raze the little domes that love had plann'd,'

Their harmlefs joys difeafe too foon effac'd:
One fatal morn, her Turturella's mate
She found, with flagging wing fubdu'd, oppress'd,
And juft, juft finking at the blow of Fate:

While down her cheek Compaffion's fhower diftill'd,
She gently rais'd it to her anxious breast;

But Death's cold blaft life's crimson current chill'd,
And thus the fair her breathlefs bird addrefs'd:

Ill-fated turtle, round whose peaceful bower

The jocund loves fo lately wont to play; How funk, alas! in youth's exulting hour, To fell difeafe, to death th' untimely prey!

How filent is the voice, which, void of art,
Along the tender day was heard to coo!
How ftill, how frozen is the conftant heart,
Which to it's dear companion beat so true!

That dear companion, that now widow'd dove,
To screen from every harm be mine the care;
And while fhe mourns her ne'er-reviving love,
• Her grief to me the mourner will endear:

Like thee, a widow too, condemn'd to mourn; 'No more to me does life unfold it's charms!

! Death, death forbids him ever to return!'

She faid-and funk into th' attendant's arms.

Her

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Her, fwift relapfing to her former state,

With boding fears, approach'd the serving train; This fcene's dread period tremblingly they wait, Nor were their boding fears indulg'd in vain.

Awakening from her trance, around fhe threw,
Diftrefsful fair, her much disorder'd eyes;
And wildering faid- Repeat that kind adieu !
Ah, no! from love to war, to death he flies.

• Did ye not hear the clash of hostile spears?

Ah, mark ye not that breaft-plate ftain'd with gore What groan was that which pierc'd these fearful ears? He falls, he falls my warrior is no more!

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Nor was, O Heaven! his Amabella near,
To foothe his pain, and echo figh to figh;
Drop on the gaping wound a balmy tear,

Kifs his cold lip, and clofe his fading eye!'

Of her diftrefs th' alarm'd Harmodius taught,
With trembling steps approach'd th' unconscious fair ;
Give me,' he cry'd, with grief paternal fraught,
Give me, O Amabel! to foothe thy care.

Say, what affliction has thy foul imprefs'd?
Reveal what ftorm thy bofom'd calmness breaks!

• Reveal-and thus relieve this anguish'd breast!
The tender father to his daughter speaks!"

AMABELLA.

Ah, what avails the praise the brave obtain!
Thro' his white bofom rufh'd the hoftile fteel;

'Twas his to fwell the number of the flain,
And mine Affliction's keenest point to feel!'

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