תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

Offer'd again the unaccepted wreath,

And choice of happy love, or instant death.
Averfe to all her am'rous king defir'd,
Far as fhe might, the decently retir'd:
And darting fcorn, and forrow from her eyes,
What means, faid fhe, King Solomon the wife ?

This wretched body trembles at your-pow'r:
Thus far could fortune: but she can no more,
Free to herself my potent mind remains ;
Nor fears the victor's rage, nor feels his chains.
'Tis faid that thou can'ft plausibly dispute,
Supreme of feers, of angel, man, and brute;
Can't plead with fubtle wit and fair discourse,
Of paffion's folly, and of reafon's force.

That to the tribes attentive thou can'st show
Whence their misfortunes, or their bleffings flow.
That thou in fcience, as in pow'r art great;
And truth and honour on thy edicts wait.
Where is that knowledge now, that regal thoughts
With just advice, and timely counsel fraught?
Where now, O judge of Ifrael, does it rove?
What in one moment doft thou offer? love-
Love? why 'tis joy or forrow, peace or ftrife:
'l'is all the colour of remaining life.
And human mis'ry must begin or end,
As he becomes a tyrant, or a friend.
Would David's fon, religious, just and grave,
To the firft bride-bed of the world receive
A foreigner, a heathen, and a flave?
Or grant, thy paffion has thefe names destroy'd;
That love, like death, makes all diftinction void;

Yet in his empire o'er thy abject breast,
His flames and torments only are expreft:
His rage can in my fmiles alone relent:
And all his joys folicit my confent,
Soft love, spontaneous tree; its parted root
Muft from two hearts with equal vigour shoot ;-
Whilft each delighted, and delighting, gives
The pleasing extacy, which each receives:
Cherish'd with hope, and fed with joy it grows;
Its chearful buds their op'ning bloom disclose;
And round the happy foil diffusive odour flows.
If angry fate that mutual care denies ;
The fading plant bewails its due fupplies:
Wild with defpair, or fick with grief, it dies.

By force beafts act, and are by force reftrain'd
The human mind by gentle means is gain'd.
Thy ufelefs ftrength, mistaken king, employ
Sated with rage, and ignorant of joy,

Thou shalt not gain what I deny to yield;
Nor reap the harvest, tho' thou fpoil'ft the field.
Know, Solomon, thy poor extent of sway;
Contract thy brow, and Ifrael fhall obey;
But wilful love thou must with fmiles appeafe;
Approach his awful throne by just degrees;
And if thou wouldst be happy, learn to please.

Not that thofe arts can here fuccessful prove:
For I am deftin'd to another's love.

Beyond the cruel bounds of thy command,
To my dear equal, in my native land,
My plighted vow I gave: I his receiv'd :

منة منة

Each fwore with truth: with pleasure each believ❜đâ

The mutual contract was to heav'n convey'd

In equal fcales the bufy angels weigh'd

Its folemn force, and clap'd their wings, and spread
The lafting roll, recording what we faid.

Now in my heart behold thy poniard ftain'd;.
Take the fad life which I have long difdain'd;
End, in a dying virgin's wretched fate,
Thy ill-ftarr'd paffion, and my ftedfaft hate.
For long as blood informs these circling veins;
Or fleeting breath its latest pow'r retains :
Hear me to Egypt's vengeful gods declare,
Hate is my part: be thine, O King, despair.

Now ftrike, fhe said, and open'd bare her breaft: ;.. Stand it in Judah's chronicles confeft,

That David's fon, by impious paffron mov❜d,.
Smote a fhe-flave, and murder'd what he lov❜d.
Ashamed, confus'd, I started from the bed ;
And to my foul yet uncollected faid:
Into thyself, fond Solomon, return;

Reflect again, and thou again fhalt mourn.

When I through number'd years have pleasure sought;
And in vain hope the wanton phantom caught;
To mock my fenfe, and mortify my pride,
'Tis in another's pow'r, and is deny'd.
Am I a king, great Heav'n! does life or death
Hang on the wrath, or mercy of my breath;

1

While kneeling I my fervant's fmiles implore;
And one mad damfel dares difpute my pow'r ?

To ravish her? that thought was foon deprefs'd,
Which must debafe the monarch to the beast.
To fend her back? O whither, and to whom?
To lands where Solomon must never come;

To that infulting rival's happy arms,

For whom, disdaining me, she keeps her charms.
Fantastic tyrant of the am'rous heart;

How hard thy yoke! how cruel is thy dart!
Thofe 'fcape the anger, who refuse thy fway;
And thofe are punifh'd moft, who most obey.
See Judah's King revere thy greater pow'r:
What can't thou covet, or how triumph more?-
Why then, O Love, with an obdurate ear.
Does this proud nymph reject a monarch's pray'r ?
Why to fome fimple fhepherd does the run,
From the fand arms of David's fav'rite fon?
Why flies the from the glories of a court,
Where wealth and pleasure may thy reign fupport,
To fome poor cottage on the mountain's brow,
Now black with winds, and cover'd now with fnow:
Where pinching want muft curb her warm defires,
And houfhold cares fupprefs thy genial fires?

Too aptly the afflicted heathens prove

The force, while they erect the fhrines of love.
His myftic form the artizans of Greece
In wounded stone, or molten gold exprefs:
And Cyprus to his godhead pays her vow:
Faft in his hand the idol holds his bow:
A quiver by his fide fuftains a store
Of pointed darts; fad emblems of his pow'r :
A pair of wings he has, which he extends
Now to be gone; which now again he bends
Prone to return, as best may serve his wanton ends.
Entirely thus I find the friend pourtray'd,
Since first alas! 1 faw the beauteous maid:

H S

I felt him ftrike; and now I fee him fly:
Curs'd daemon! O! for ever broken lie
Thofe fatal fhafts, by which I inward bleed!
O can my wishes yet o'ertake thy speed!
Tir'd may'ft thou pant and hang thy flagging wing;
Except thou turn'ft thy course, refolv❜d to bring
The damfel back, and fave the love-fick king.
My foul thus ftruggling in the fatal net,
Unable to enjoy, or to forget;

I reafon'd much, alas! but more I lov'd;
Sent and recall'd, ordain'd and difapprov'd:
'Till hopeless plung'd in an abyss of grief,
I from neceflity receiv'd relief,

Time gently aided to affuage my pain;
And wifdom took once more the flacken'd rein.
But O how short my interval of woe!
Our griefs how fwift; our remedies how flow
Another nymph (for fo did Heav'n ordain,
To change the manner, but renew the pain).
Another nymph, amongst the many fair,
That made my fofter hours their folemn care,
Before the reft affected ftill to ftand;
And watch'd my eye, preventing my command.
Abra, fhe fo was call'd, did fooneft haste
To grace my prefence; Abra went the laft:
Abra was ready ere I call'd her name;
And though I call'd another, Abra came.

Her equals first observ'd her growing zeal ; And laughing glofs'd that Abra ferv'd fo well. To me her actions did unheeded die,

Or were remark'd but with a common eye;

« הקודםהמשך »