Our eyes, yet unbelieving, saw distinct,
Successive kindled, and from night to night
Renew'd continuous. Joy, with wild excess,
Took her gay turn to reign; and Nature now
From rapture wept: yet ever and anon

345
By lad conjecture damp'd, and anxious thought
How from yon rocky prison to release
Whom the deep sea immures (their only boat
Destroy'd) and whom th' inevitable fiege
Of hunger must assault. But hope sustains 350
The human heart: and now their faithful wives,
With love-taught skill and vigour not their own,
On yonder field th' autumnal year prepare. ,

Amyntor, who the tale distressful heard With sympathizing sorrow, on himself,

355 On his severer fate, now pondering deep, Rapt by fad thought the hill unheeding left; And reach'd, with swerving step, the distant strand. Above, around, in cloudy circles wheeld, Or failing level on the polar gale That cool with evening rose, a thousand wings, The summer-nations of these pregnant cliffs, Play'd sportive round, and to the sun outspread Their various plumage; or in wild notes haild His parent-beam that animates and chears 365 All living kinds. He, glorious from amidst

360

A pomp

* The author who relates this story adds, that the produce of grain that season was the most plentiful they had seen for many years before. Vide Martin's De. cription of the Western Ines of Scotland, pi 286.

A pomp of golden clouds, th’ Atlantic flood
Beheld oblique, and d’er its azure breast
Way'd one unbounded blush: a scene to strike
Both ear and eye with wonder and delight! 370
But, loft to outward sense, Amyntor pass'd
Regardless on, through other walks convey'd
Of baleful prospect ; which pale Fancy rais’d
Incessant to herself, and fabled o'er
With darkest night, meet region for despair ! 375
Till northward, where the rock its fea-wash'd base
Projects athwart and shuts the bounded scene,
Rounding its point, he rais'd his eyes and law,
At distance saw, descending on the shore,
Forth from their anchor'd boat, of men unknown 380
A double band, who by their gestures Itrange
There fix'd with wondering : for at once they knelt
With hands upheld; at once, to heaven, as seem’d,
One general hymn pour'd forth of vocal praise.
Then, Nowly rising, forward mov’d their steps : 385
Slow as they mov'd, behold! amid the train,
On either side supported, onward came
Pale and of piteous look, a pensive maid;
As one by wasting sickness fore assail'd,
Or plung'd in grief profound--Oh, all ye powers! 390
Amyntor startling, cry'd, and shot his soul
In rapid glance before him on her face.
Illufion! 'no-it cannot be. My blood
Runs chill : my feet are rooted here--and fee!
To mock my hopes, it wears her gracious form. 395
The fpirits who this ocean waste and wild

Still

T 3

Still hover round, or walk these isles unseen,
Presenting oft in pictur'd vision ftrange
The dead or absent, have yon shape adorn'd,
So like my love, of unsubstantial air,

400
Embody'd featur'd it with all her charms-
And lo! behold! its eyes are fix'd on mine
With gaze transported—Ha! se faints, she falls!
He ran, he flew : his clasping arms receiv'd
Her finking weight- earth, and air, and sea !
'Tis she ! 'tis Theoclora! Power divine,
Whose goodness knows no bound, thy hand is here,
Omnipotent in mercy! As he spoke,

410 Adown his cheek, through shivering joy and doubt, The tear falt-falling stream’d. My love! iny life! Soul of my wishes ! fav’d beyond all faith! Return to life and me. O fly, my friends, Fly, and from yon translucent fountain bring 415 The living stream. Thou dearer to my

foul Than all the sumless wealth this fea entombs, My Theodora, yet awake : 'tis I, 'Tis poor Amyntor calls thee! At that name, That potent name, her spirit from the verge Of death recall’d, she trembling rais'd her eyes; Trembling, his neck with eager grasp entwind, And murmur'd out his name : then funk again; Then fwoon'd upon his bofom, through excess Of bliss unhop'd, too mighty for her frame. 425 The rose-bud thus, that to the beam serene Of morning glad unfolds her tender charms, Shrinks and expires beneath the noon-day blaze.

Moments

420

Moments of dread suspense-but soon to cease! For now, while on her face these men unknown

430 The stream, with cool aspersion, busy calt, His eyes beheld, with wonder and amaze, Beheld in them-his friends! th'adventurous few, Who bore her to the skiff! whose daring skill Had sav'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 isle, yon round of moss-clad hills, Borea nam'd, before the tempest borne, These islanders, thrice three, then prison'd there, 440 (So heaven ordaind) with utmost peril run, With toil invincible, from shelve and rock Their boat preserv’d, and to this happy coast Its prow directed safe-He heard no more : The rest already known, his every sense,

44 5 His full-collected soul, on her alone Was fix'd, was hung enraptur’d, while these sounds, This voice, as of an angel, pierc'd his ear.

Amyntor! O my life's recover'd hore! My soul's despair and rapture !

can this be?

450 Am I on earth? and do these arms indeed Thy real form enfold ? Thou dreadful deep! Ye shores unknown! ye wild impending hills! Dare I yet trust my sense? - yes, 'tis he! 'Tis he himself! My eyes, my bounding heart, 455 Confess their living lord! What shall I say? How vent the boundless transport that expan.is My labouring thought? th' unutterable blits, Joy, wonder, gratitude, that pain to death

The

T4

460

The breast they charm ? - Amyntor, O fupport
This swimming brain : I would not now be torn
Again from life and thee; nor cause thy heart
A second pang. At this, dilated high
The swell of joy, most fatal where its force
Is felt most exquisite, a timely vent

465
Now found, and broke in tender dews away
Of heart-relieving tears. As o'er its charge,
With theltering wing, solicitously good,
The guardian-genius hovers, fo the youth,
On her lov'd face, afsiduous and alarm’d,

470 In filent fondness dwelt: while all his soul, 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 475 For further joy her soft impreffive frame.

O happy! though as yet thou know'st not half The bliss that waits thee! but, thou gentle mind, Whose sigh is pity, and whose smile is love, For all who joy or sorrow, arm thy breast With that best 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 ise, Thy god-like father lives! and lo—but curb, 485 Repress the transport that o'erheaves thy heart; 'Tis he-look yonder-he, whose reverend steps The mountain's fide descend ! - Abrupt from his Her hand she drew; and, as on wings upborne, Shot o’er the space between. He faw, he knew, 490

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