She view'd his jet-orb'd eyes;
His glossy gorget bright,
Green-glittering in the sun;

His plumy pliant horns,

That, nearer as she gaz'd,
Bent tremblingly before her breath.
She view'd his yellow-circled front

With lines mysterious vein'd;

"And know'st thou what is written here,
My father?" said the Maid.

66

"Look, Thalaba! perchance these lines
"Are in the letters of the Ring,

"Nature's own language written here.”

The youth bent down, and suddenly
He started, and his heart

Sprung, and his cheek grew red,

For these mysterious lines were legible, ..

WHEN THE SUN SHALL BE DARKENED AT NOON,
SON OF HODEIRAH, depart.

And Moath look'd, and read the lines aloud;

The Locust shook his wings and fled,

Who then rejoiced but Thalaba?

Who then was troubled but the Arabian Maid?

And Moath sad of heart,

Though with a grief supprest, beheld the youth Sharpen his arrows now,

And now new-plume their shafts,

Now, to beguile impatient hope,
Feel every sharpen'd point.

"Why is that anxious look," Oneiza cried, "Still upward cast at noon?

"Is Thalaba aweary of our tent?"

"I would be gone," the youth replied,
"That I might do my task,

"And full of glory to the tent return,

"Whence I should part no more."

But on the noontide sun,

As anxious and as oft Oneiza's eye

Was upward glanced in fear.

And now, as Thalaba replied, her cheek

Lost its fresh and lively hue;

For in the Sun's bright edge

She saw, or thought she saw, a little speck... The sage Astronomer

Who, with the love of science full, Trembled that day at every passing cloud,.. He had not seen it, 'twas a speck so small.

Alas! Oneiza sees the spot increase!
And lo! the ready Youth

Over his shoulder the full quiver slings,
And grasps the slacken'd bow.

It spreads, and spreads, and now
Hath shadowed half the Sun,
Whose crescent-pointed horns
Now momently decrease.

The day grows dark, the Birds retire to rest; Forth from her shadowy haunt

Flies the large-headed Screamer of the night. Far off the affrighted African,

Deeming his God deceas'd,

Falls on his knees in prayer,

And trembles as he sees

The fierce Hyena's eyes

Glare in the darkness of that dreadful noon.

Then Thalaba exclaim'd, " Farewell,

My father! my Oneiza!" the Old Man

Felt his throat swell with grief.

"Where wilt thou go, my Child?" he cried, "Wilt thou not wait a sign

"To point thy destin'd way?"

"God will conduct me!" said the noble youth. He said, and from the Tent,

In the depth of the darkness, departed.

They heard his parting steps,

The quiver rattling as he past away.

NOTES TO BOOK III.

Every gem, &c.-P. 102.

From the Mirror of Stones I extract a few specimens of the absurd ideas once prevalent respecting precious stones.

The Amethyst drives away drunkenness; for, being bound on the navel, it restrains the vapour of the wine, and so dissolves the ebriety.

Alectoria is a stone of a crystalline colour, a little darkish, somewhat resembling limpid water; and sometimes it has veins of the colour of flesh. Some call it Gallinaceus, from the place of its generation, the intestines of capons, which were castrated at three years old, and had lived seven; before which time the stone ought not to be taken out, for the older it is so much the better. When the stone is become perfect in the Capon, he don't drink. However, it is never found bigger than a large bean. The virtue of this stone is, to render him who carries it invisible. Being held in the mouth, it allays thirst,