ELE GY V.

He compares the turbulence of love with the tranquillity of friendship.

FR

TO MELISSA his Friend.

ROM love, from angry love's inclement reign I pass awhile to friendship's equal skies; Thou, gen'rous maid, reliev'st my partial pain, And chear'ft the victim of another's eyes.

'Tis thou, MELISSA, thou deserv❜ft my care:
How can my will and reason disagree ?
How can my paffion live beneath despair!
How can my bofom sigh 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 shore,
PARTHENOPE, with ev'ry verdure crown'd!
When ftrait VESUVIO's horrid cauldrons roar,

And the dry vapour blafts the regions round.

Oh

Oh blissful regions! oh unrival'd plains!
When Maro to these fragrant haunts retir'd!
Oh fatal realms! and oh accurft 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 smile is loft.

****

EL EGY VI.

To a lady on the language of birds.

HOME then, DIONE, let us range the grove,

CON

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

My doubt fubfides-'tis no Italian fong,
Nor fenfelefs ditty, chears the vernal tree :
Ah! who, that hears DIONE's tuneful tongue,
Shall doubt that music may with sense agree?

And come, my mufe! that lov'ft the filvan shade;
Evolve the mazes, and the mift difpel :
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 disdain! 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 applaufe, when lovers hear.

He the fad fource of our complaining knows
A foe to TEREUS, and to lawless love!
He mourns the ftory of our ancient woes ;
Ah! cou'd our mufic his complaints remove!

Yon' plains are govern'd by a peerless maid;
And fee, pale CYNTHIA mounts the vaulted fky,
A train of lovers court the checquer'd fhade;
Sing on, my bird, and hear thy mate's reply.

Ere while no fhepherd to thefe woods retir'd;
No lover bleft the glow-worm's pallid ray :
But ill-ftar'd birds, that lift'ning not admir'd,
Or lift'ning envy'd our fuperior lay.

Chear'd

Chear'd by the fun, the vaffals of his pow'r,
Let fuch by day unite their jarring strains!
But let us chufe the calm, the filent hour,
Nor want fit audience while DIONE reigns."

ELE G Y VII.

He describes his vifion to an acquaintance. Cætera per terras omnes animalia, &c.

Ο

N diftant heaths, beneath autumnal skies,

VIRG.

Penfive I faw the circling fhades defcend ; Weary and faint I heard the ftorm arise,

While the fun vanifh'd like a faithlefs friend.

No kind companion led my steps aright;
No friendly planet lent its glim'ring ray;
Ev'n the lone cot refus'd its wonted light,
Where toil in peaceful flumber clos'd the day.

Then the dull bell had giv'n a pleafing found;
The village cur 'twere transport then to hear;
In dreadful filence all was hufh'd around,

While the rude ftorm alone diftrefs'd mine ear.

As led by ORWELL'S winding banks I ftray'd, Where tow'ring WOLSEY breath'd his native air; A fudden luftre chas'd the flitting shade,

The founding winds were hufh'd, and all was fair.

Inftant

Inftant a grateful form appear'd confeft;
White were his locks with aweful fcarlet crown'd,
And livelier far than Tyrian seem'd his veft,

That with the glowing purple ting'd the ground.

"Stranger, he faid, amid this pealing rain,

Benighted, lonefome, whither wou'dft thou ftray? Does wealth or pow'r thy weary step constrain ? Reveal thy wish, and let me point the way.

For know I trod the trophy'd paths of pow'r;
Felt ev'ry joy that fair ambition brings;
And left the lonely roof of yonder bow'r,
To ftand beneath the canopies of kings.

I bade low hinds the tow'ring ardour share;
Nor meanly rofe, to bless myself alone:
I fnatch'd the fhepherd from his fleecy care,
And bade his wholefome dictate guard the throne.

Low at my feet the fuppliant peer I saw ;
I faw proud empires my decifion wait;
My will was duty, and my word was law,

My smile was tranfport, and my frown was fate."

Ah me! faid I, nor pow'r I feek, nor gain;
Nor urg'd by hope of fame thefe toils endure;

A fimple youth, that feels a lover's pain,

And, from his friend's condolance, hopes a cure.

He,