"

Yes! crown'd with blifs we'll roam the confcious Jerningham.

grove,

And drink long draughts of unexhaufted love:

Nor joys alone, thy dangers too l'll fhare, With thee the menace of the waves I'll dare: ,, In vain

for fmiles his brow deep frowns invol

ve,

The facred ties of gratitude diffolve,

,,See Faith diftra&ted rends her comely hair, His fading vows while tainted zephyrs bear!

"

Oh thou, before whofe feraph-guarded thro

ne

The Chriftians bow and other Gods dilown,
If wrapt in darkness thou deny'st thy ray,
And throud'ft from Nubia thy celestial day!
Indulge this fervent pray'r to thee addrefs'd,
Indulge, tho' utter'd from a fable breaft:
May gath'ring ftormes ecliple the chearful skies,
And mad'ning furies from thy hell arise:
With glaring torches meet his impious brow,
And drag him howling to the gulf below!...
Ah no! May heav'n's bright meffengers defcend,
Obey his call, his ev'ry with attend!

Still o'er his form their hov'ring wings display!
If he be bleft, thefe pangs admit allay :
Me ftill her mark let angry fortune deem,
So thou may'ft walk beneath her cloudless beam.
Yet oft to my wrapt ear didst thou repeat,
That I fuffic'd to frame thy blifs compleat.
For Love's pure flame I took thy tranfient fires:
We fondly credit what the heart defires.
I hop'd, alas! to breathe thy native air,
And vie in fplendor with the British fair:
Afcend the speedy car enchas'd with gold,
With robes of filk this pearl - deck'd form infold:
Bid on this petty hand the diamond glow,
And chofen rubies iparkle from my brow.
Deluded fex! the dupes of man decreed,
We, fplendid victims, at his altar bleed.

Jerningham. The grateful accents of thy candy'd tongue,
Where artful flatt'ry too perfuafive hung,
Like flow'rs adorn'd the path to my disgrace,
And bade deftruction wear a fmiling face.
Yet form'd by Nature in her choiceft mould,
While on thy cheek her blushing charms unfold,
Who could oppose to thee ftern Virtu'es fhield?
What tender virgin would not wish to yield?
But pleasure on the wings of time was born,
And I expos'd a prey to grinning fcorn.
Of low-born traders - mark the hand of fate!
IS YARICO reduc'd to grace the state,
Whofe impious parents, an advent'rous band,
Imbru'd with guiltless blood my native land:
Ev'n fnatch'd my father from his regal feat,
And stretch'd him breathlefs at their hoftile feet?
Ill-fated prince! The Chriftians fought thy fhore,
Unfheath'd the fword, and mercy was no more.

But thou, fair ftranger, cam'ft with gentlér
mind

To fhun the perils of the wrecking wind.
Amidft thy foes thy fafety ftill I plan'd,
And reach'd for galling chains the myrtle band:
Nor then unconscious of the fecret fire,
Each heart voluptuous throb'd with foft defire:
Ah pleafing youth, kind object of my care,
Companion, friend, and ev'ry name that's dear!
Say, from thy mind canft thou lo foon remove
The records pencil'd by the hand of love?
How as we wanton'd on the flow'ry ground
The loofe-rob'd Pleasures danc'd unblam'd around:
Till to the fight the growing burden prov'd,
How thou o'ercam'ft and how, alas! I lov'd!
Too fatal proof! fince thou, with av'rice fraught,
Didft bafely urge (ah! fhun the wounding thought!)
That tender circumftance reveal it not,
Left torn with rage I curfe my fated lot:
Left ftartled Reason abdicate her reign,
And Madnefs revel in this heated brain:

That

Jerningham.

I will not weep, tho' ferpents gna y this heart:

Frail, frail refolve! while gushing from mine eye
The pearly drops thefe boaftful words bely.
Alas! can forrow in this bofom fleep,
Where ftrikes ingratitude her talons deep?
When he I still adore, to nature dead,
For rofes plants with thorns the nuptial bed?
Bids from the widow'd couch kind Peace remove,
And cold Indiff'rence blaft the bow'r of Love?
What time his guardian pow'r I moft requir'd,
Against my fame and happiness confpir'd!
And (do I live to breathe the barb'rous tale?)
His faithful YARICO expos'd to fale!

Yes, bafely urg'd (regardless of my pray'rs,
Ev'n while I bath'd his venal hand with tears)
What most for pity call'd I can no more
My future child
to fwell his impious store:
All, all mankind for this will rife thy foe,
But I, alas! alone endure the woe:

Alone endure the feft'ring hand of care,
The bleeding foul, and fwoonings of defpair,
Was it for this I left my native plain,
And dar'd the tempeft brooding on the main?
For this unlock'd (leduc'd by Christian art)
The chafte affections of my virgin heart?
Within this bofom fan'd the conftant flame,
And fondly languifh'd for a mother's name?
Lo! every hope is poifon'd in its bloom,
And horrors watch around this guilty womb.

With blood illuftrious circling thro' thefe veins,
Which ne'er was chequer'd with plebejan ftains,
Thro' ancestry's long line ennobled springs,
From fame crown'd warriors and exalted kings:
Muft I the shafts of infamy fuftain?

To flav'ry's purposes my infant train?
To catch the glances of his haughty lord?
Attend obedient at the feftive board?

From hands unfcepter'd take the fcornful blow?
Uproot the thoughts of glory as they grow?

Let

Jerningham, Let this pervade at length thy heart of fteel;
Yet, yet return, nor blufh, o man! to feel:
Ah! guide thy fteps from yon expecting fleet,
Thine injur'd YARICO relenting meet:

1

Bid her recline woe- ftricken on thy breast,
And hufh her raging forrows into rest:
Ah! let the youth that fent the cruel dart,
Extract the point invenom'd from her heart:
The peace he banish'd from this mind recall,
And bid the tears he prompted ceafe to fall.
Then while the ftream of live is giv'n to flow,
And fable hue o'erfpread this youthful brow;
Or curl untaught by art this woolly hair,
So long, fo long to me fhalt thou be dear.

Say, lovely youth, flow all my words in vain,
Like feeds that ftrew the rude ungrateful plain?
Say, fhall I ne'er regain thy wonted grace?

Ne'er ftretch thefe arms to catch the wifh'd embra-
ce?

Enough with new-awak'd refentiment fraught
Affift me, Heav'n! to tear him from my thought;
No longer vainly fuppliant will I bow,
And give to love what I to hatred owe;
Forgetful of the race from whence I came,
With woe acquainted, but unknown to fhame.
Hence, vile dejection, with thy plaintive pray'r,
Thy bended knee, and ftill defcending tear:
Rejoin, rejoin the pale-complexion'd train -
The conflict's paft and I'm myself again.

Thou parent fun! if e'er with pious lay
I ufher'd in thy world-reviving ray!
Or as thy fainter beams illum'd the weft,
With grateful voice I hymn'd thee to thy reft!
Beheld with wond'ring eye thy radiant feat,
Or fought thy facred dome with unclad feet!
If near to thy bright altars as I drew,
My votive lamb, thy holy Flamen, flew!
Forgive! that I, irrev'rent of thy name,
Dar'd for thy foe indulge th' unhallow'd flame:

Jerningham

Ev'n on a Chriftian lavifh'd my esteem,

And fcorn'd the fable children of thy beam.

This poniard by my daring hand impreft,

Shall drink the ruddy drops that warm my breaft:
Nor I alone, by this immortal deed

From flav'ry's laws my infant fhall be freed.
And thou, whofe ear is deaf to pity's call,
Behold at length thy deftin'd victim fall;
Behold thy once-lov'd Nubian ftain'd with gore,
Unwept, extended on the crimson floor:
Thefe temples clouded with the fhades of death,
These lips unconfcious of the ling'ring breath:
Thele eyes uprais'd (ere clos'd by Fate's decree)
To catch expiring one faint glimpse of thee.
Ah! then thy YARICO forbear to dread,
My fault'ring voice no longer will upbraid,
Demand due vengeance of the pow'rs above,
Or, more offenfive ftill, implore thy love.

Wieland.