ELEGY:

To the MEMORY of

CONSTANTIA.

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His faltem accumulem donis, et fungar inani

Munere.

VIRG.

Y the pale glimmer of the confcious moon,
When flumber, on the humid eyes of

Sheds its kind lenitive; what mournful voice

So fadly fweet, on my attentive ear

Its moving plaint effuses: like the fong
Of PHILOMEL, when thro' the vocal air,
Impell'd by deep inconfolable grief,

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She breathes her foft, her melancholy ftrain ;
And nature with religious filence hears?

"Tis fhe; my wand'ring fenfes recognize

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The well-known charm, and all my lift'ning foul

Is expectation. Oh! 'tis that dear voice,

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Whose gentle accents charm'd my happier days;
Ere sharp affliction's iron hand had prest
Her vernal youth, and funk her with the blow. 15

TELL me, thou heav'nly excellence! whose form Still rifes to my view, whose melting fong

For ever echoes on my trembling ear,

Delightful ev'n in mifery; O fay!

What bright distinguish'd mansion in the sky 20
Receives thy fuff'ring virtue from the storm,
That on thy tender bloffom pour'd its rage?
Early, alas! too early didst thou feel

Its most tempeftuous fury. From the calm,
The foft ferenity of life; how led
An unfufpecting victim! Ev'ry blaft
Pierc'd to thy inmoft foul, amid the wafte
Of cruel fortune left to feek thy way
Unshelter'd and alone; while to thy groans
No gen'rous ear reclin'd, no friendly roof,
With hofpitable umbrage, entertain'd
Thy drooping fweetness, uninur'd to pain.
That lib'ral hand, which, to the tortur'd sense
Of anguish, comfort's healing balm apply'd,

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To

To heav'n and earth extended, vainly now

535 Implores the confolation once it gave, deb movie viT Nor fuppliant meets redrefs. That eye benign, T The feat of mercy, which to each distress,, Ev'n by thy foe fuftain'd, the gentle tear,

A willing tribute, paid, now fruitless weeps,...
Nor gains that pity it so oft bestow'd.

THOU lovelieft facrifice that ever fell
To perfidy and unrelenting hate!
How in the hour of confidence and hope,

40

When love and expectation to thy heart
Spoke peace, and plac'd felicity in view;
How fled the bright illufion, and at onceq
Forfook thee plung'd in exquisite despair!
Thy friends; the infects of a fummer-gale
That fport and flutter in the mid-day beam
Of gay profperity, or from the flow'rs,

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That in her funshine bloom, with ardor fuck Sweetness unearn'd; thy temporary friends, sf {" Or blind with headlong fury, or abus'do tom dâ By ev'ry grofs impofture, or fupine,ed malt 155 kolen size Lull'd

Lull'd by the fongs of eafe and pleasure, fawo Thy bitter destiny with cool regard.

Thy wrongs ev'n nature's voice proclaim'd in vain; Deaf to her tender importuning call,"

And all the father in his foul extinct,

60

65

Thy parent fat; while on thy guiltless head av A
Each various torment, that imbitters life,
Exhausted all their force: and, to infure
Their execrable conquest, black and fell,
Ev'n as her native region, Slander join'd;
And o'er thy virtue, fpotlefs as the with
Of infant fouls, inexorably breath'd'
Her peftilential vapour. Hence fair Truth,
Perfuafive as the tongue of feraphs, urg'd
Unheard the cause of Innocence; the blush
Of fickle friendship hence forgot to glow

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70

MEANWHILE from thefe retreats with haplefs fpeed,

By ev'ry hope and ev'ry with impell'd,

..

Thy steps explor'd protection. Whence explor'd
Ah me! from whom, and to what cursed arms 75
Wert thou betray'd! unfeeling as the rock

Which splits the veffel; while its helpless crew,
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With

With fhrieks of horror, deprecate their fate?

O earth! O righteous heav'n! could'st thou behold; While yet thy patient hand the thunder grafp'd, 80 Nor hurl'd the flaming vengeance; could'ft thou fee The violated vow, the marriage rite

Profan'd, and all the facred ties, which bind

Or God or man, abandon'd to the fcorn

Of vice by long impunity confirm'd?

85

BUT thou, perfidious! tremble.----If on high
The hand of justice with impartial fscale
Each word, each action poifes, and exacts
Severe atonement from th' offending heart;

Oh! what haft thou to dread? what endless pangs, 90
What deep damnation must thy foul endure
On earth 'twas thine to perpetrate a crime,

From whose grim vifage guilt of fhameless brow, Ev'n in its wild career, might fhrink appall'd:

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"Tis thine to fear hereafter, if not feel,

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Plagues that in hell no precedent can boast.

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Ev'n in the filent fafe domestic hour, od total 211 Ev'n in the scene of tenderness and peace,

Remorfe, more fierce than all the fiends below,