Oh, she was dear! how dear what words can say!
She dies! my heav'n at once is snatch'd away!
Ah! what avails that by a father's care
I rofe a wealthy and illuftrious heir?
That early in my youth I learn'd to prove
Th' inftructive, pleafing, academick grove?
< That in the fenate eloquence was mine?
That valour gave me in the field to shine?
• That love show'r'd blessings too-far more than all
High-rapt Ambition e'er could happy call?
Ah! what are thefe, which e'en the wife adore?
Loft is my pride!-Olympia is no more!-
Had I, ye perfecuting pow'rs! been born
The world's cold pity, or at beft it's scorn;
Of wealth, of rank, of kindred warmth bereft;
To want, to fhame, to ruthlefs cenfure left!
• Patience or pride to this relief fupplies;
But a loft wife!-there! there distraction lies!
Now three fad years I yield me all to grief,
And fly the hated comfort of relief:

• Tho' rich, great, young, I leave a pompous feat,

(My brother's now) to feek fome dark retreat;

• Mid cloister'd folitary tombs I ftray,

Defpair and Horror lead the chearless way!

My forrow grows to fuch a wild excess,

• Life, injur'd life! must wish the paffion lefs.
"Olympia! My Olympia's loft!" I cry;
"Olympia's loft!" the hollow vaults reply.
• Louder I make my lamentable moan,

The swelling echoes learn like me to groan;
The ghosts to scream, as thro' lone aifles they fweep,
The fhrines to fhudder, and the faints to weep!

Now grief and rage, by gath'ring fighs fupprefs'd,
• Swell my full heart, and heave my lab'ring breast;
With struggling starts each vital ftring they ftrain,
And ftrike the tott'ring fabrick of my brain!

• O'er

O'er my funk fpirits frowns a vap❜ry scene,
Woe's dark retreat, the madding maze of Spleen!
A deep damp gloom o'erspreads the murky cell,
Here pining thoughts and fecret terrors dwell;
Here learn the great unreal wants to feign,
Unpleafing truths here mortify the vain;
Here Learning, blinded firft, and then beguil'd,
Looks dark as Ignorance, as Frenzy wild,
• Here first Credulity on Reason won,

And here false Zeal myfterious rants begun;
Here Love impearls each moment with a tear,
And Superftition owes to Spleen her fear!

Fantaftick lightnings, thro' the dreary way,
In fwift fhort fignals flafh the bursting day;
Above, beneath, acrofs, around, they fly,
A dire deception ftrikes the mental eye!
By the blue fires pale phantoms grin fevere,
• Shrill fancy'd echoes wound th' affrighted ear,
Air-banish'd fpirits flag in fogs profound,
• And, all obfcene, shed baneful damps around;
'Now whispers, trembling in fome feeble wind,
Sigh out prophetick fears, and freeze the mind!

Loud laughs the hag-fhe mocks complaint away, Unroofs the den, and lets in more than day. 'Swarms of wild fancies, wing'd in various flight, • Seek emblematick fhades, and mystick light! • Some drive with rapid fteeds the shining car! • These nod from thrones; thofe thunder in the war! Till tir'd, they turn from the delufive show, Start from wild joy, and fix in ftupid woe!

Here the lone hour a blank of life displays, Till now bad thoughts a fiend more active raise; A fiend in evil moments ever nigh!

Death in her hand, and frenzy in her eye!

Her eye all red, and funk!-A robe she wore,

With life's calamities embroider'd o'er.

• A mirror

• A mirror in one hand collective fhows, Vary'd and multiply'd, that group of woes. This endlefs foe to gen'rous toil and pain

Lolls on a couch for eafe, but lolls in vain;
She mufes o'er her woe-embroider'd veft,

And felf-abhorrence heightens in her breast.
To fhun her care the force of fleep she tries,
Still wakes her mind, tho' flumbers doze her eyes:
She dreams, ftarts, rifes, ftalks from place to place,
• With restless, thoughtful, interrupted pace.

Now eyes the fun, and curfes every ray;

Now the green ground, where colour fades away.

Dim fpectres dance: again her eye fhe rears;

Then from the blood-fhot ball wipes purpled tears.
Then preffes hard her brow, with mischief fraught,

. Her brow half burfts with agony of thought.

"From me," she cries, " pale wretch! thy comfort claim;
"Born of Defpair, and Suicide
my name!

"Why should thy life a moment's pain endure?

"Here ev'ry object proffers grief a cure."

⚫ She points where leaves of hemlock black'ning fhoot: Fear not! pluck! eat," faid fhe," the fovereign root! "Then Death, revers'd, fhall bear his ebon lance,

Soft o'er thy fight shall swim the fhadowy trance! "Or leap yon rock, possess a watʼry grave, "And leave wild forrow to the wind and wave! "Or mark this poniard thus from mis'ry frees!"—

• She wounds her breaft-the guilty feel I feize.

Straight where the ftruck a smoking spring of gore

• Wells from the wound, and floats the crimson'd floor. She faints, fhe fades !-calm thoughts the deed revolve, And now, unftartling, fix the dire refolve:

• Death drops his terrors; and, with charming wiles,

Winning and kind; like my Olympia, fmiles!

He points the paffage to the feats divine,

Where poets, heroes, fainted lovers fhine!

4 I come,

"I come, Olympia !"-my rear'd arm extends;
Half to my breaft the threat'ning point defcends:
Straight thunder rocks the land, new lightnings play;
When, lo! a voice refounds-" Arife! away!
"Away! nor murmur at th' afflictive rod,
"Nor tempt the vengeance of an angry God!
"Fly'st thou from Providence for vain relief?
"Such ill-fought ease fhall draw avenging grief.
"Honour, the more obstructed, ftronger shines;
"And zeal by perfecution's rage refines.

"By woe the foul to daring action swells;

By woe in paintlefs patience it excels;

"From patience, prudent clear experience springs, "And traces knowledge thro' the courfe of things. "Thence hope is form'd, thence fortitude, fuccefs, "Renown-whate'er men covet and caress."

The vanish'd fiend thus fent a hollow voice:
"Would'st thou be happy? straight be death thy choice.
"How mean are those who paffively complain,
"While active fouls, more free, their fetters ftrain?

"Tho' knowledge thine, hope, fortitude, fuccess,
"Renown-whate'er men covet and carefs;
"On earth fuccefs muft in it's turn give way,
"And e'en perfection introduce decay:
"Never the world of spirits thus-their reft
"Untouch'd, entire-once happy, ever bless'd !"
Earneft the heav'nly voice responsive cries,

"Oh! liften not to fubtilty unwife!

66

Thy guardian faint, who mourns thy hapless fate, "Heav'n grants to prop thy virtue ere too late. "Know, if thou wilt thy dear-lov'd wife deplore, "Olympia waits thee on a foreign fhore; "There in a cell thy laft remains be spent:

Away! deceive Despair, and find Content!"

I heard, obey'd, nor more of Fate complain'd; Long feas I meafur'd, and this mountain gain'd.

• Soon

Soon to a yawning rift chance turn'd my way,
A den it prov'd where a huge ferpent lay:
Flame-ey'd he lay-he rages now for food,
Meets my first glance, and meditates my blood.
His bulk, in many a gather'd orb uproll'd,

Rears spire on fpire. His fcales, bedropp'd with gold,
Shine burnish'd in the fun. Such height they gain,

They dart green luftre on the distant main.

Now writh'd in dreadful flope he ftoops his creft,
Furious to fix on my unfhielded breast!

Juft as he fprings, my fabre fmites the foe;
Headless he falls beneath th' unerring blow!

• Wrath yet remains, tho' ftrength his fabrick leaves,
And the meant hifs the gafping mouth deceives;
The length'ning trunk flow-loofens ev'ry fold,

Lingers in life, then ftretches ftiff and cold.

Just as th' invet'rate fon of mischief ends,

• Comes a white dove, and near the spot defcends:
I hail this omen; all bad paffions cease,

• Like the flain fnake, and all within is peace.
Next to religion this plain roof I raise,
In duteous rites my hallow'd tapers blaze;
I bid due incenfe on my altars fmoke,

< Then at this tomb my promis'à love invoke.

She hears, fhe comes! My heart what raptures warm!

All my Olympia fparkles in the form!

No pale, wan, livid, mark of death fhe bears; Each rofeate look a quick'ning transport wears: A robe of light, high wrought, her fhape invests, • Unzon'd the fwelling beauty of her breafts; • Her auburn hair each flowing ring refumes, • In her fair hand Love's branch of myrtle blooms! • Silent a while each well-known charm I trace, Then thus, (while nearer fhe avoids th' embrace) "Thou dear deceit!-muft I a fhade pursue? Dazzled I gaze-thou fwimm'ft before my view!"

'Dipp'd