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Let then this league betwixt us made,
Our mutual interefts guard;
Mine be the gift of fruit and fhade,
Your fongs be my reward.

THE TRIAL OF

CONSTANCY.

I'

A TALE.

BY MRS. PILKINGTON.

Na fair ifland in the fouthern main,

Blefs'd with indulgent skies and kindly rain,

A princefs liv'd, of origin divine,

Of bloom celeftial, and imperial line.

In that sweet season, when the mounting fun
Prepares with joy his radiant course to run,
Led by the Graces, and the dancing Hours,
And wakes to life the various race of flowers;
The lovely queen forfook her fhining court,
For rural fcenes, and healthful fylvan sport.
It fo befel, that as in chearful talk

Her nymphs and fhe purfu'd their ev'ning walk,
On the green margin of the oozy deep,
They found a graceful youth diffolv'd in sleep,
Whose charms the queen furvey'd with fond delight,
And hung, enamour'd, o'er the pleafing fight:
By her command, the youth was ftraight convey'd,
And, fleeping, foftly in her palace laid.

Now ruddy morning purpled o'er the skies,
And beamy light unfeal'd the ftranger's eyes;
Who cried aloud, Ye gods! unfold this scene?
• Where am I? what can all these wonders mean?'
Scarce had he spoke, when, with officious care,
Attendant nymphs a fragrant bath prepare:
He rofe, he bath'd, and on his lovely head
Ambrofial sweets and precious oil they shed.

Το

To deck his polish'd limbs a robe they brought,
In all the various dyes of beauty wrought:
Then led him to the queen, who on a throne
Of burnish'd gold, and beamy diamonds shone.
But, oh! what wonder feiz'd her beauteous guest!
What love, what extafy, his foul poffefs'd!
Entranc'd he ftood; and, on his fault'ring tongue,
Imperfect words and half-form'd accents hung:
Nor lefs the queen the blooming youth admir'd,
Nor lefs delight and love her foul infpir'd.

O ftranger!' faid the queen, if hither driven
By adverse winds, or sent a guest from heaven,
To me the wretched never fue in vain,
This fruitful ifle acknowledges my reign;
Then speak thy wishes, and thy wants declare,
And no denial shall attend your pray❜r.'

She paus'd, and blufh'd-the youth his filence broke;
And, kneeling, thus the charming queen befpoke.
O goddefs! for a form fo bright as thine,
Speaks thee defcended of celestial line;
Low at your feet a proftrate king behold,
Whose faithlefs fubjects fold his life for gold:
I fly a cruel tyrant's lawless hand,

And shipwreck drove my vessel on your strand.
But why do I complain of Fortune's frowns!
Or what are titles, honours, fcepters, crowns,
To this sweet moment! while in fond amaze
On fuch transporting excellence I gaze!
Such fymmetry of shape! so fair a face!
Such finish'd excellence! fuch perfect grace!
Hear, then, my only wish; and, oh! approve

The ardent prayer which supplicates thy love.'
From Neptune, know, O prince, my birth I claim,'
Replies the
queen, ' and Lucida's my name;

This ifland, these attendant nymphs he gave,

• The fair-hair'd daughters of the azure wave!

• But

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But he whofe fortune gains me for a bride,
Muft have his conftancy feverely tried.
One day each moon am I compell'd to go
To my great father's wat'ry realms below,
Where coral groves celeftial red difplay,
And blazing diamonds emulate the day:
In this fhort absence if your love endures,

My heart and empire are for ever yours ;
And hoary Neptune, to reward your truth,
Shall crown you with immortal bloom and youth
But inftant death will on your falfhood wait,
Nor can my tenderness prevent your fate.
Twice twenty times, in wedlock's facred band,
My royal father join'd my plighted hand;
Twice twenty noble youths, alas! are dead,
⚫ Who in my absence ftain'd the nuptial bed :
• Your virtuės, prince, may claim a nobler throne,
But mine is yielded on these terms alone.'

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Delightful terms!' reply'd the raptur'd youth; Accept my conftancy, my endless truth.

• Perfidious, faithlefs men!' enrag'd, he cried;

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They merited the fate by which they died :

Accept a heart incapable of change,

Thy beauty fhall forbid defire to range;

< No other form fhall to mine eye seem fair,
• No other voice attract my lift'ning ear;
• No charms but thine fhall e'er my foul approve,
So aid thy vot'ry, potent god of love!'

Now loud applaufes thro' the palace ring,
The duteous fubjects hail their godlike king;
To feastful mirth they dedicate the day,
While tuneful voices chaunt the nuptial lay;
Love-ditty'd airs, hymn'd by the vocal choir,
Sweetly attemper'd to the warbling lyre:
But when the fun, defcending, fought the main,
And low-brow'd Night affum'd her filent reign,

They

They to the marriage-bed convey'd the bride,
And laid the raptur'd bridegroom by her fide.

Now rose the fun, and with aufpicious ray
Dispell'd the dewy mifts, and gave the day;
When Lucida, with anxious care opprefs'd,
Thus wak'd her fleeping lor from downy reft.

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• Soul of my foul, and my narch of my heart, < This day,' fhe cry'd, this fatal day we part! Yet if your love uninjur'd you retain,

We foon shall meet in happiness again,

To part no more; but rolling years employ
In circling blifs, and never-fading joy:
Alas! my boding foul is loft in woe,

⚫ And from mine eyes the tears unbidden flow.'

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Joy of my life, dismiss those needlefs fears,'
Replied the king, and stay those precious tears!
• Should lovely Venus leave her native sky,
And at my feet, imploring fondness, lie;

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• E'en fhe, the radiant queen of soft defires,

Should, disappointed, burn with hopeless fires.'
The heart of man the queen's experience knew
Perjur'd and false, yet wifh'd to find him true.
She figh'd retiring, and in regal state
The king conducts her to the palace gate,
Where facred Neptune's chrystal chariot stands,
The wond'rous work of his celestial hands!
Six harness'd fwans the bright machine convey
Swift thro' the air, or pathlefs wat'ry way;
The birds with eagle-speed the air divide,
And plunge the goddess in the founding tide.
Slow to the court the penfive king returns,
And fighs in fecret, and in filence mourns ;
So in the grove fad Philomel complains,
In mournful accents, and melodious ftrains :
Her plaintive woes fill the refounding lawn,
From ftarry Vefper to the rofy dawn.
3 E

The

The king, to mitigate his tender pain, Seeks the apartment of the virgin train, With sportive mirth fad abfence to beguile, And bid the melancholy moments fmile; But there deferted lonely rooms he found, And folitary filence reign'd ar ind.

He call'd aloud; when, lo hag appears, Bending beneath deformity and years,

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Who faid, My liege, explain your facred will,

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With joy your fov'reign purpose I fulfil.'

My will! detefted wretch! avoid my fight!

And hide that hideous shape in endless night! What! does thy queen, o'er-run with rude distrust, • Refolve by force to keep a husband just ?'

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You wrong,' replied the hag, your royal wife,
• Whose care is love, and love to guard your life.
• The race of mortals are by nature frail,

And ftrong temptations with the best prevail.?
Be that my care,' he said; 'be thine, to fend
• The virgin train; let them my will attend.'
The beldame fled-the chearful nymphs advance,
And tread to measur'd airs the mazy dance;
The raptur'd prince with greedy eye furveys
The bloomy maids, and covets ftill to gaze;
No more recals the image of his fpoufe,
How falfe is man! nor recollects his vows;
With wild inconftancy for all he burns,
And ev'ry nymph fubdues his heart by turns.
At length a maid fuperior to the rest,
Array'd in smiles, in virgin beauty drefs'd,
Receiv'd his paffion, and return'd his love,
And foftly woo'd him to the filent grove.

Enclos'd in deepest shades of full-grown wood,
Within the grove a fpacious grotto stood,
Where forty youths in marble feem'd to mourn,
Each youth reclining on a fun'ral urn:

Thither

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