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T

ELE G Y IV.

OPHELIA's urn. To Mr. G

HRO' the dim veil of ev'ning's dusky shade, Near fome lone fane, or yew's funereal green, What dreary forms has magic fear survey'd ! What shrouded spectres fuperftition feen!

But

you fecure shall pour your fad complaint, Nor dread the meagre phantom's wan array; What none but fear's officious hand can paint, What none, but fuperftition's eye, survey.

The glim'ring twilight and the doubtful dawn

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Shall fee your step to these fad fcenes return: Conftant, as crystal dews impearl the lawn,

Shall STREPHON's tear bedew OPHELIA's urn!

Sure nought unhallow'd shall presume to stray
Where sleep the reliques of that virtuous maid:
Nor aught unlovely bend its devious way,
Where soft OPHELIA's dear remains are laid.

Haply thy muse, as with unceasing sighs
She keeps late vigils on her urn reclin❜d,
May fee light groups of pleafing visions rife ;
And phantoms glide, but of celeftial kind.

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Then fame, her clarion pendent at her fide,
Shall feek forgiveness of OPHELIA's fhade;
Why has fuch worth, without distinction, dy'd,
Why, like the defert's lilly, bloom'd to fade ?"

Then young fimplicity, averfe to feign,
Shall unmolested breathe her softeft figh:
And candour with unwonted warmth complain,
And innocence indulge a wailful cry.

Then elegance with coy judicious hand,
Shall cull fresh flow'rets for OPHELIA's tomb :
And beauty chide the fates' fevere command,
That shew'd the frailty of so fair a bloom!

And fancy then with wild ungovern'd woe,
Shall her lov'd pupil's native tafte explain:
For mournful fable all her hues forego,

And ask sweet folace of the muse in vain !

Ah gentle forms expect no fond relief;

Too much the facred nine their lofs deplore: Well may ye grieve, nor find an end of grief— Your beft, your brighteft fav'rite is no more.

ELEGY

EL EGY V.

He compares the turbulence of love with the tranquillity of friendship. To MELISSA his friend.

ROM love, from angry love's inclement reign

FR

I pass awhile to friendship's equal skies Thou, gen'rous maid, reliev'ft my partial pain, And chear'ft the victim of another's eyes.

'Tis thou, MELISSA, thou deferv'ft my care:
How can my will and reafon disagree?
How can my paffion live beneath despair!
How can my bofom figh for aught but thee?

Ah dear MELISSA! pleas'd with thee to rove,
My foul has yet furviv'd its dreariest time;
Ill can I bear the various clime of love!

Love is a pleafing, but a various clime!

So fmiles immortal MARO's fav'rite fhore,

PARTHENOPE, with ev'ry verdure crown'd!. When ftrait VESUVIO's horrid cauldrons roar, And the dry vapour blasts the regions round,

Oh blisful regions! oh unrival'd plains!

When MARO to these fragrant haunts retir'd! Oh fatal realms! and oh accurst domains! When PLINY, 'mid fulphureous clouds, expir'd!

So fmiles the furface of the treacherous main,

As o'er its waves the peaceful halcyons play; When foon rude winds their wonted rule regain, And sky and ocean mingle in the fray.

But let or air contend, or ocean rave;
Ev'n hope fubfide amid the billows.toft;
Hope, ftill emergent, ftill contemns the wave,
And not a feature's wonted fmile is loft,

ELEGY

ELE GY VI.

To a lady on the language of birds.

OME then, DIONE, let us range the grove,

COM

The science of the feather'd choirs explore; Hear linnets argue, larks defcant of love, And blame the gloom of folitude no more.

My doubt fubfides-'tis no Italian song,

Nor fenfeless ditty, chears the vernal tree :
Ah! who, that hears DIONE's tuneful tongue,
Shall doubt that mufic with sense agree?

may

And come, my mufe! that lov'ft the filvan fhade;
Evolve the mazes, and the mist dispel :
Tranflate the fong; convince my doubting maid,
No folemn dervise can explain fo well.-

Penfive beneath the twilight fhades I fate,
The flave of hopeless vows, and cold difdain!
When PHILOMEL addrefs'd his mournful mate,
And thus I conftru'd the mellifluent ftrain.

"Sing on, my bird-the liquid notes prolong, At ev'ry note a lover fheds his tear;

Sing on, my bird-'tis DAMON hears thy fong;

Nor doubt to gain applause, when lovers hear.

He

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