For when the sun deserts the skies,
And the dull winter evenings rise,
Then for a husband's social pow'r,
To form the calm, conversive hour ;
The treasures of thy breast explore,
From that rich mine to draw the ore ;
Fondly each gen’rous thought refine ;
And give thy native gold to shine ;
Shew thee, as really thou art,
Tho' fair, yet fairer still at heart.
Say, when life's purple blossoms fade,
As soon they must, thou charming maid ;.
When in thy cheeks the roses die,
And fickness clouds that brilliant eye ;
Say, when or age or pains invade,
And those dear limbs shall call for aid ;,
If thou art fetter'd to a fool,
Shall not his transient passion cool ?
And when thy health and beauty end,
Shall thy weak mate persist a friend ?
But to a man of sense, my dear,
Ev’n then thou lovely shalt appear;-
He'll share the griefs that wound thy heart,
And weeping claim the larger part ;.
Tho' age impairs that beauteous face,
He'll prize the pearl beyond its case..
" Blest state! where fouls each other draws
“ Where love is liberty and law !”.
The choicest blessing found below,
That man can wish, or heaven bestow !
Trust me, these raptures are divine,
For lovely Chloe once was mine!
Nor fear the varnish of my ftile;
Tho' poet, I'm estrang’d to guile..
Ah me! my faithful lips impart
:
The genuine language of my heart !
When barda extol their patrons high,
Perhaps ’tis gold extorts the lye;
Perhaps the poor reward of bread-
But who burns incense to the dead !
He, whom a fond affection draws,
Careless of censure, or applause ;
Whose soul is upright and sincere,
With nought to wish, and nought to fear.
Now to my vifionary scheme,
Attend, and profit by my dream.
Amidst the slumbers of the night
A stately temple 'rose to fight;
And ancient as the human race,
If Nature's purposes you trace.
This fane, by all the wise rever'd,
To Wedlock's pow'rful God was rear'd..
Hard by I saw a graceful fage,
His locks were frofted o'er by age ;.
His garb was plain, his mind ferene,
And wisdom dignify’d his mien.
With curious search his name I fought,
Ι
And found 'twas Hymen's fav'rite-Thought.
Apace the giddy crowds advance,
And a lewd fatyr led the dance ;
I griev'd to see whole thousands run,
For oh! what thousands are undone!
The fage, when these mad troops he spy'd,
In pity flew to join their side ;
The disconcerted pairs began
To rail against him to a man ;
Vow'd they were strangers to his name,
Nor knew from whence the dotard came.
But mark the sequel for this truth
Highly concerns impetuous youth:
Long ere the honey moon cou'd wane,
Perdition seiz'd on ev'ry twain;
At ev'ry house, and all day long,
Repentance ply'd her scorpion thong ;
Difguft was there with frowning mien,
And ev'ry wayward child of spleen.
Hymen approach'd his aweful fane,
Attended by a num'rous train :
Love with each soft and nameless grace,
Was first in favour and in place :
Then came the God with solemn gait,
Whose ev'ry word was big with fate;
And sweetness temper'd, virtue's purest light
Illumining the countenance divine,
Yet could not footh remorseless fate, nor teach
Malignant fortune to revere the good,
Which oft with anguish rends the spotless heart,
And oft affociates wisdom with despair.
In courteous phrafe began the chief humane.
Exalted fair, who thus adorn'st the night,
Forbear to blame the vigilance of war,
And to the laws of rigid Mars impute,
That I thus long unwilling have delay'd
Before the great Leonidas to place
This your apparent dignity and worth.
He fpake, and gently to the lofty tent
Of Sparta's king the lovely stranger guides.
At Agis' summons with a mantle broad
His mighty limbs Leonidas infolds,
And quits his couch. In wonder he surveys
Th' illustrious virgin, whom his presence aw'd :
Her eye submissive to the ground inclin'd
With veneration of the godlike man.
But foon his voice her anxious dread dispell’d,
Benevolent and hospitable thus.
Thy form alone, thus amiable and great,
Thy mind delineates, and from all commands
Supreme regard. Relate, thou noble dame,
By what relentless dettiny compellid,
Thy tender feet the paths of darkness tread.
Rehearse th' afflictions, whence thy virtue mourns.
On her wan cheek a sudden blush arose,
Like day's first dawn upon the twilight pale,
And, wrapt in grief, these words a passage broke:
If to be most unhappy, and to know,
That hope is irrecoverably fled ;
If to be great
and wretched
may
deserve
Commiseration from the good; behold,
Thou glorious leader of unconquer'd bands,
Behold descended from Darius' loins
'Th' afflicted Ariana, and my pray'r
Accept with pity, nor my tears disdain ?
First, that I lov’d the best of human race,
By nature's hand with ev'ry virtue form’d,
Heroic, wise, adorn’d with ev'ry art;
Of fhame unconscious does my heart reveal.
This day, in Grecian arms conspicuous clad,
He fought, he fell. A passion long conceal'd
For me alas ! within
my
brother's arms His dying breath resigning, he disclos'd.
-Oh I will stay my sorrows ! will forbid
My eyes to stream before thee, and my heart,
Thus full of anguish, will from fighs restrain !
For why should thy humanity be griev'd
With my distress, and learn from me to mourn
The lot of nature, doom'd to care and pain!
I 5
Hear
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