Still hover round, or walk these ifles unfeen,
Prefenting oft in pictur'd vifion ftrange
The dead or absent, have yon shape adorn'd,
So like my love, of unsubstantial air,
Embody'd featur'd it with all her charms-
And lo! behold! its eyes are fix'd on mine
With gaze transported-Ha! fhe faints, the falls!
He ran, he flew his clafping arms receiv'd
Her finking weight-O earth, and air, and sea! 'Tis fhe 'tis Theodora! Power divine,
Whofe goodness knows no bound, thy hand is here, Omnipotent in mercy! As he spoke,
410 Adown his cheek, through fhivering joy and doubt, The tear fast-falling ftream'd. My love! my life! Soul of my wishes! fav'd beyond all faith! Return to life and me. O fly, my friends, Fly, and from yon tranflucent fountain bring The living ftream. Thou dearer to my foul Than all the fumlefs wealth this fea entombs, My Theodora, yet awake: 'tis I, 'Tis poor Amyntor calls thee! At that name, That potent name, her fpirit from the verge Of death recall'd, fhe trembling rais'd her eyes; Trembling, his neck with eager grafp entwin'd, And murmur'd out his name: then funk again; Then fwoon'd upon his bofom, through excess Of blifs unhop'd, too mighty for her frame. The rofe-bud thus, that to the beam ferene Of morning glad unfolds her tender charms, Shrinks and expires beneath the noon-day blaze.
Moments of dread fufpenfe-but foon to cease!
For now, while on her face these men unknown
The ftream, with cool afperfion, busy caft,
His eyes beheld, with wonder and amaze,
Beheld in them-his friends! th' adventurous few,
Who bore her to the fkiff! whofe daring skill
Had fav'd her from the deep! As, o'er her cheek, 435
Rekindling life, like morn, its light diffus'd
In dawning purple; from their lips he learn'd,
How to yon ifle, yon round of mofs-clad hills,
Borea nam'd, before the tempest borne,
These islanders, thrice three, then prifon'd there, 440
(So heaven ordain'd) with utmost peril run,
With toil invincible, from fhelve and rock
Their boat preferv'd, and to this happy coaft
Its prow directed fafe-He heard no more:
The reft already known, his every sense,
His full-collected foul, on her alone
Was fix'd, was hung enraptur'd, while thefe founds,
This voice, as of an angel, pierc'd his ear.
Amyntor! O my life's recover'd hope!
My foul's despair and rapture! can this be?
Am I on earth? and do thefe arms indeed
Thy real form enfold? Thou dreadful deep!
Ye shores unknown! ye wild impending hills!
Dare I yet truft my fenfe?-O yes, 'tis he!
'Tis he himself! My eyes, my bounding heart,
Confefs their living lord! What shall I say?
How vent the boundless transport that expands
My labouring thought? th' unutterable blifs,
Joy, wonder, gratitude, that pain to death
The breaft they charm?-Amyntor, O fupport
460
This fwimming brain: I would not now be torn
Again from life and thee; nor cause thy heart
A fecond pang. At this, dilated high
The fwell of joy, most fatal where its force
Is felt moft exquifite, a timely vent
Now found, and broke in tender dews away
Of heart-relieving tears. As o'er its charge,
With fheltering wing, folicitoufly good,
The guardian-genius hovers, fo the youth,
On her lov'd face, affiduous and alarm'd,
In filent fondness dwelt: while all his foul,
With trembling tenderness of hope and fear
Pleasingly pain'd, was all employ'd for her;
'The rouz'd emotions warring in her breast,
Attempering, to compose, and gradual fit
For further joy her foft impreffive frame.
O happy though as yet thou know'ft not half The blifs that waits thee! but, thou gentle mind, Whofe figh is pity, and whofe fmile is love, For all who joy or forrow, arm thy breast With that beft temperance, which from fond excess, When rapture lifts to dangerous height its powers, Reflective guards. Know then-and let calm thought On wonder wait-safe refug'd in this ifle, Thy god-like father lives! and lo—but curb, Reprefs the tranfport that o'erheaves thy heart; 'Tis he-look yonder-he, whose reverend steps The mountain's fide defcend! - Abrupt from his Her hand she drew; and, as on wings upborne, Shot o'er the space between. He faw, he knew,
Aftonish'd knew, before him, on her knee,
His Theodora! To his arms he rais'd
The loft lov'd fair, and in his bofom prefs'd.
My father! O my child! at once they cry'd:
The reft ecstatic filence spoke,
And Nature from her inmoft feat of fenfe
Beyond all utterance mov'd. On this bleft scene,
Where emulous in either bofom ftrove
Adoring gratitude, earth, ocean, air,
Around with foftening afpect feem'd to smile;
And heaven, approving, look'd delighted down.
Nor theirs alone this blifsful hour: the joy,
With inftant flow, from fhore to fhore along
Diffusive ran; and all th' exulting isle
About the new-arriv'd was pour'd abroad,
To hope long loft, by miracle regain'd!
In each plain bofom Love and Nature wept :
While each a fire, a husband, or a friend,
Embracing held and kiss’d.
The choral hymn, in wildly-warbled notes,
What Nature dictates when the full heart prompts,
Beft harmony, their grateful fouls effus'd
Aloud to heaven; Montano, reverend Seer,
(Whofe eye prophetic far through time's abyfs
Could fhoot its beam, and there the births of fate,
Yet immature and in their caufes hid,
Illumin'd fee) a space abstracted stood :
His frame with shivery horror ftirr'd, his eyes
From outward vision held, and all the man
Entranc'd in wonder at th' unfolding scene,
On fluid air, as in a mirror feen,
And glowing radiant, to his mental fight.
They fly! he cry'd, they melt in air away,
The clouds that long fair Albion's heaven d'ercaft! 525
With tempeft delug'd, or with flame devour'd
Her drooping plains: while dawning rofy round
A purer morning lights up all her skies!
He comes, behold! the great deliverer comes!
Immortal William, borne triumphant on,
From yonder orient, o'er propitious feas,
White with the fails of his unnumber'd fleet,
A floating foreft, ftretch'd from fhore to fhore!
See! with spread wing Britannia's genius flies,
Before his prow; commands the speeding gales
To waft him on; and, o'er the hero's head,
Inwreath'd with olive bears the lawrel-crown,
Bleft emblem, peace with liberty restor❜d !
And hark! from either strand, which nations hide,
To welcome-in true freedom's day renew'd
What thunders of acclaim! Aurelius, man
By heaven belov'd, thou too that faced fun
Shalt live to hail; fhalt warm thee in his fhine!
I fee thee on the flowery lap diffus'd
Of thy lov'd vale, amid a fmiling race
From this bleft pair to fpring: whom equal faith,
And equal fondness, in soft league shall hold
From youth to reverend age; the calmer hours
Of thy laft day to fweeten and adorn;
Through life thy comfort, and in death thy crown! 555
|
