3, his endless cares
ad oblivious love,
ielded hand, he knows not how, and long untravel'd heaths 1061 wn, he wanders waste,
t wrapt; or fhrinks aghast, ling precipice; or wades elow, and strives to reach where, fuccourlefs and fad, rms his aid implores; borne by th' outrageous flood le rides the ridgy wave,
Books are but fermal done,
Fills every fade, and pants in cover
its. But thro' the heart.
And fad and the facial band he
Lonely, and unatentive. From is manage
In melancholy fite, with head actinidia,
And love-dapted S
Shook from his tender trance, and coal, "a
To glimmering fates, ad curate
Where the dun astrap
Romantic, bangs er
Strays, in bearddring aditze 2.
Indulging alto lone or an a
enom once diffuse,
mifery no more,
ought, and blafting all
Ze fairy profpects, then,,
nd ye bow'rs of joy,
nings of departed peace,
the yellow-tinging plague 1080
ts, and in a night
agination wraps..
of love-enliven'd cheeks,.
Thrown, amid drooping lilies, fwells the breeze
With fighs unceafing, and the brook with tears..
Thus in foft anguifh he confumes the day,
Nor quits his deep retirement, till the Moon
Peeps thro' the chambers of the fleecy east,
Enlighten'd by degrees, and in her train
Leads on the gentle hours; then forth he walks,
Beneath the trembling languifh of her beam,
With foft'ned foul, and wooes the bird of eve
To mingle woes with his : or, while the world
And all the fons of Care lie hufl'd in fleep,
Affociates with the midnight shadows drear;
And, fighing to the lonely taper, pours
His idly-tortur'd heart into the page,
Meant for the moving meffenger of love;
Where rapture burns on rapture, every line
With rifing frenzy fir'd. But if on bed
Delirious flung, fleep from his pillow flies.
All night he toffes, nor the balmy power
In any posture finds; till the grey morn
Lifts her pale luftre on the paler wretch,
Exanimate by love: and then perhaps
Exhaufted Nature finks a while to rest,
Still interrupted by distracted dreams,
That o'er the fick imagination rife,
And in black colours paint the mimic scene.
Oft with th' enchantrefs of his foul he talks ;
Sometimes in crouds distress'd; or if retir'd
To fecret winding flow'r-enwoven bow'rs,
Far from the dull impertinence of Man,
Juft as he, credulous, his endless cares
Begins to lofe in blind oblivious love,
Snatch'd from her yielded hand, he knows not how,
Thro' forests huge, and long untravel'd heaths 1061
With defolation brown, he wanders waste,
In night and tempeft wrapt; or fhrinks aghaft,
Back, from the bending precipice; or wades
The turbid stream below, and strives to reach
The farther fhore; where, fuccourlefs and fad,
She with extended arms his aid implores ;
But strives in vain : borne by th' outrageous flood
To diftance down, he rides the ridgy wave,
Or whelm'd beneath the boiling eddy finks..
THESE are the charming agonies of love,
Whofe mifery delights. But thro' the heart.
Should jealoufy its venom once diffuse,.
'Tis then delightful mifery no more,
But agony unmix'd, inceffant gall,
Corroding every thought, and blafting all
Love's paradife. Ye fairy profpects, then,,
Ye beds of rofes, and ye bow'rs of joy,
Farewel! Ye gleamings of departed peace,.
Shine out your laft! the yellow-tinging plague 1080 Internal vifion taints, and in a night
Of livid gloom imagination wraps..
Ah then instead of love-enliven'd cheeks,
Of funny features, and of ardent eyes
With flowing rapture bright, dark looks fucceed,
Suffus'd and glaring with untender fire ;
A clouded afpect, and a burning cheek,
Where the whole poifon'd foul, malignant, fits,
And frightens love away. Ten thousand fears
Invented wild, ten thousand frantic views
Of horrid rivals, hanging on the charms
For which he melts in fondnefs, eat him up
With fervent anguish, and confuming rage.
In vain reproaches lend their idle aid,
Deceitful pride, and refolution frail,
Giving falfe peace a moment.
Afresh, her beauties on his bufy thought,.
Her firft endearments twining round the foul,
With all the witchcraft of enfnaring love.
Strait the fierce ftorm involves his mind anew,
Flames thro' the nerves, and boils along the veins; While anxious doubt diftracts the tortur'd heart: For even the fad affurance of his fears
Were eafe to what he feels. Thus the warm youth,
Whom love deludes into his thorny wilds,
'Thro' flow'ry-tempting paths, or leads a life
Of fever'd rapture, or of cruel care;
His brightest flames extinguish'd all, and all
His brightest moments running down to waste.
BUT happy they! the happieft of their kind! 1110 Whom gentler ftars unite, and in one fate
Their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend.
'Tis not the coarfer tie of human laws,
Unnatural oft, and foreign to the mind,
That binds their peace, but harmony itself,
Attuning all their paffions into love;
Where friendship full-exerts her softest power,
Perfect esteem enliven'd by defire
Ineffable, and fympathy of foul;
Thought meeting thought, and will preventing will,
With boundless confidence: for nought but love 1121
Can answer love, and render blifs fecure.
Let him, ungen'rous, who, alone intent
To blefs himfelf, from fordid parents buys
The loathing virgin, in eternal care,
Well-merited, confume his nights and days:
Let barb'rous nations, whofe inhuman love
Is wild defire, fierce as the funs they feel;
Let eastern tyrants, from the light of Heav'n
Seclude their bofom-flaves, meanly poffefs'd
Of a meer, lifelefs, violated form:
While those whom love cements in holy faith,
And equal transport, free as Nature live,
Difdaining fear. What is the world to them,
Its pomp, its pleasure, and its nonsense all!
Who in each other clasp whatever fair
High fancy forms, and lavish hearts can wish;
Something than beauty dearer, should they look
Or on the mind, or mind-illumin'd face;
Truth, goodness, honour, harmony, and love,
The richest bounty of indulgent HEAVEN.
Meantime a fmiling offspring rifes round,
And mingles both their graces. By degrees,
The human bloffom blows; and every day,
Soft as it rolls along, fhews fome new charm,
|