'Till more appriz'd of what the rumour faid,
More I obferv'd peculiar in the maid.
The fun declin'd had shot his western-ray ;
When tir'd with bufinefs of the folemn day,
I purpos'd to unbend the ev'ning hours,
And banquet private in the women's bow'rs
I call'd before I fat to wash my hands:
For fo the precept of the law commands.
Love had ordain'd, that it was Abra's turn
To mix the fweets, and minifter the urn.
With awful homage, and fubmiffive dread
The maid approach'd, on my declining head
To pour the oils: fhe trembled as the pour'd;
With an unguarded look fhe now devour'd
My nearer face: and now recall'd her eye,
And heav'd, and ftrove to hide a fudden figh.
And whence, faid I, can thou have dread, or pain ??
What can thy imag'ry of forrow mean?
Secluded from the world, and all its care,
Haft thou to grieve or joy, to hope or fear?~
For fure, I added, fure thy little heart
Ne'er felt Love's anger, or receiv'd his dart.
Abafh'd the blufh'd, and with diforder fpoke:
Her rifing fhame adorn'd the words it broke.
If the great mafter will defcend to hear
The humble feries of his handmaid's care;
O! while fhe tells it, let him not put on
The look, that awes the nations from the throne:
O! let not death fevere in glory lie
In the king's frown, and terror of his eye.
Mine to obey thy part is to ordain:
And tho' to mention, be to fuffer pain;
If the King fmiles, whilft I my woe recite;
If weeping I find favour in his fight;
Flow faft my tears, full rifing his delight.
O! witnefs earth beneath, and heav'n above;
For can I hide it? I am fick of love:
If madness may the name of paffion bear;
Or love be call'd, what is indeed despair.
Thou Sov'reign Pow'r, whofe fecret will controlls The inward bent and motion of our fouls! Why haft thou plac'd fuch infinite degrees Between the cause and cure of my disease? The mighty object of that raging fire, In which unpity'd Abra muft expire, Had he been born fome fimple fhepherd's heir, The lowing herd, or fleecy fheep his care, At morn with him I o'er the hills had run, Scornful of winter's frofts, and fummer's fun. Still afking, where he made his flock to reft at noon. For him at night, the dear expected gueft, I had with hafty joy prepar'd the feaft; And from the cottage o'er the diftant plain, Sent forth my longing eye to meet the fwain; Wav'ring, impatient, tofs'd by hope and fear; 'Till he and joy together fhould appear; And the lov'd dog declare his master near. On my declining neck, and open breast, I fhould have lull'd the lovely youth to reft And from beneath his head, at dawning day, With fofteft care have ftoln my arm away; To rife, and from the fold release the sheep, Fond of his flock, indulgent to his fleep.
Or if kind Heav'n propitious to my flamet
(For fure from Heav'n the faithful ardour came)
Had bleft my life, and deck'd my natal hour
With height of title, and extent of pow'r :
Without a crime my paffion had afpir'd,
Found the lov'd prince, and told what I defir'd.
Then I had come, preventing Sheba's Queen,.
To see the comelieft of the fons of men;
To hear the charming poet's am'rous song,
And gather honey falling from his tongue;
To take the fragrant kiffes of his mouth,
Sweeter than breezes of her native fouth;
Likening his grace, his person, and his mien
To all that great or beauteous I had feen.
Serene and bright his eyes, as folar beams
Reflecting temper'd light from crystal streams;
Ruddy as gold his cheek; his bofom fair
As filver; the curl'd ringlets of his hair
Black as the raven's wing; his lip more red,
Than eaftern coral, or the fcarlet thread;
Even his teeth, and white like a young flock
Coeval, newly fhorn, from the clear brook
Recent, and blanching on the funny rock.
Iv'ry with fapphires interfpers'd, explains
How white his hands, how blue the manly veins.
Columns of polifh'd marble firmly fet
On golden bafes, are his legs and feet.
His ftature all majestic, ali divine,
Straight as the palm-tree, strong as is the pine.
Saffron and myrrhe are on his garments fhed:
And everlasting fweets bloom round his head.
What utter I? where am I? wretched maid!!
Die, Abra, die: too plainly haft thou faid
Thy foul's defire to meet his high embrace,
And bleffings ftamp'd upon thy future race;
To bid attentive nations blefs thy womb,
With unborn monarchs charg'd, and Solomons to come.
Here o'er her speech her flowing eyes prevail.
O foolish maid! and O unhappy tale !
My fuff'ring heart for ever fhall defy
New wounds, and danger from a future eye.
O! yet my tortur'd fenfes deep retain
The wretched mem'ry of my former pain,
The dire affront, and my Egyptian chain.
As time, I faid, may happily efface
That cruel image of the king's difgrace;:
Imperial reason fhall refume her feat;
And Solomon once fall'n, again be great.
Betray'd by paffion, as fubdu'd in war,
We wifely fhould exert a double care,
Nor ever ought a fecond time to err.
This Abra then-
I faw her; 'twas humanity; it gave
Some refpite to the forrows of my flave.
Her fond excefs proclaim'd her paffion true;.
And generous pity to that truth was due.
Well I intreated her, who well deferv'd;
I call'd her often; for he always ferv'd.
Ufe made her perfon easy to my fight;
And ease infenfibly produc'd delight.
Whene'er I revell'd in the women's bow'rs (For firft I fought her but at looser hours)
The apples fhe had gather'd fmelt moft fweet:
The cake the kneaded was the fav'ry meat:
But fruits their odour loft, and meat their tafte
If gentle Abra had not deck'd the feast.
Dishonour'd did the fparkling goblet stand:
Unless receiv'd from gentle Abra's hand:
And when the virgins form'd the ev'ning choir,
Raifing their voices to the mafter lyre;
Too flat I thought this voice, and that too shrill;-
One show'd too much, and one too little fkill:
Nor could my foul approve the mufic's tone;
'Till all was hufh'd, and Abra fung alone.
Fairer the feem'd, diftinguish'd from the reft;
And better mien difclos'd, as better dreft.
A bright tiara round her forehead ty'd,
To jufter bounds confin'd its rifing pride:
The blushing ruby on her fnowy breast,
Render'd its panting whitenefs more confess'd :
Bracelets of pearl gave roundness to her arm;
And ev'ry gem augmented ev'ry charm.
Her fenfes pleas'd, her beauty ftill improv'd;
And the more lovely grew, as more belov'd.
And now I could behold, and vow, and blame
The feveral follies of my former flame;
Willing my heart for recompence to prove
The certain joys that lie in profp'rous love.
For what, faid I, from Abra can I fear,
Too humble to infult, too foft to be fevere ?
The damfel's fole ambition is to please:
With freedom I may like, and quit with cafe;
She fooths, but never can enthral my mind:
Why may not peace and love for once be join❜d ?
|