Awak'd, fhe turn'd her fide, and slept again;
The fame black vapours mounted in her brain,
And the fame dreams return'd with double
pain.
Now forc'd to wake, because afraid to fleep, Her blood all fever'd, with a furious leap She sprung from bed, distracted in her mind, And fear'd, at every step, a twitching fpright
Darkling and defperate with a ftaggering pace,
Of death afraid, and confcious of difgrace;
Fear, pride, remorfe, at once her heart affail'd,
Pride put remorfe to flight, but fear prevail'd. 376
Friday, the fatal day, when next it came,
Her foul forethought the fiend would change
his game,
And her pursue, or Theodore be slain,
And two ghofts join their packs to hunt her o'er
the plain. This dreadful image fo poffefs'd her mind, That defperate any fuccour else to find, She ceas'd all farther hope; and now began To make reflection on the unhappy man. Rich, brave, and young, who past expreffion
Proof to disdain, and not to be remov'd:
Of all the men respected and admir'd,
Of all the dames, except herself, defir'd :
Why not of her? preferr'd above the rest By him with knightly deeds, and open love profefs'd?
So had another been, where he his vows ad
This quell'd her pride, yet other doubts remain'd,
That once difdaining, she might be disdain'd.
The fear was juft, but greater fear prevail'd,
Fear of her life by hellish hounds affail'd: 395
He took a lowering leave; but who can tell,
What outward hate might inward love conceal?
Her fex's arts fhe knew, and why not, then,
Might deep diffembling have a place in men?
Here hope began to dawn; refolv'd to try,
She fix'd on this her utmost remedy;
Death was behind, but hard it was to die.
'Twas time enough at last on death to call,
The precipice in fight: a fhrub was all,
That kindly ftood betwixt to break the fatal
One maid fhe had belov'd above the reft; Secure of her, the fecret the confefs'd; And now the chearful light her fears difpell❜d, She with no winding turns the truth conceal'd,
But put the woman off, and ftood reveal'd: 410 With faults confefs'd commiffion'd her to go, If pity yet had place, and reconcile her foe;
The welcome meffage made, was foon receiv'd; 'Twas to be wifh'd, and hop'd, but scarce be
Fate feem'd a fair occafion to prefent,
He knew the fex, and fear'd fhe might repent,
Should he delay the moment of consent.
There yet remain'd to gain her friends (a care
The modesty of maidens well might spare ;)
But fhe with fuch a zeal the caufe embrac'd, 420
(As women, where they will, are all in hafte)
The father, mother, and the kin befide,
Were overborn by fury of the tide ;
With full confent of all the chang'd her state;
Refiftless in her love, as in her hate.
By her example warn'd, the rest beware;
More eafy, lefs imperious, were the fair;
And that one hunting, which the devil defign'd
For one fair female, loft him half the kind.
The power of beauty I remember yet,
Which once inflam'd my foul, and still infpires my wit,
If love be folly, the fevere divine
Has felt that folly, though he cenfures mine; 5
Pollutes the pleasures of a chafte embrace,
Acts what I write, and propagates in grace,
With riotous excefs, a priestly race.
Suppofe him free, and that I forge the offence,
He fhew'd the way, perverting firft my
fense: 10
In malice witty, and with venom fraught,
He makes me speak the things I never thought.
Compute the gains of his ungovern'd zeal;
Ill fuits his cloth the praise of railing well.
The world will think that what we loosely
Though now arraign'd, he read with fome de
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