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• Well may your hearts believe the truths I tell;
'Tis virtue makes the blifs where'er we dwell.'.
Thus Selim fung, by facred Truth inspir'd;
Nor praise, but such as Truth bestow'd, defir'd:
Wife in himself, his meaning fongs convey'd
Informing morals to the fhepherd maid;

Or taught the fwains that fureft blifs to find,
What groves nor ftreams bestow-a virtuous mind.
When sweet and blushing, like a virgin bride,
The radiant morn refum'd her orient pride;
When wanton gales along the vallies play,
Breathe on each flow'r, and bear their sweets away;
By Tygris' wandering waves he sat, and fung
This ufeful leffon for the fair and young.

Ye Perfian dames,' he faid, to you belong,
' (Well may they please) the morals of my song:
No fairer maids, I truft, than you are found,
• Grac'd with soft arts, the peopled world around!
• The morn that lights you, to your loves fupplies
Each gentler ray, delicious to your eyes;
• For you those flow'rs her fragrant hands bestow,
And yours the love that kings delight to know.
• Yet think not these, all beauteous as they are,
• The best kind bleffings Heav'n can grant the fair!
Who truft alone in beauty's feeble ray,

Boaft but the worth Balfora's * pearls display: • Drawn from the deep, we own the surface bright; But, dark within, they drink no luftrous light.

• Such are the maids, and fuch the charms they boak;

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By fenfe unaided, or to virtus lost.

Self-flatt'ring fex! your hearts believe in vain,

That Love fhall blind, when once he fires the fwain;

• Or hope a lover by your faults to win,

As fpots on ermin beautify the fkin:

The gulph of that name, famous for the pearl fishery,

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• Who feeks fecure to rule, be firft her care • Each fofter virtue that adorns the fair; Each tender paffion man delights to find, The lov'd perfection of a female mind!

• Blefs'd were the days, when Wisdom held her reign,
And fhepherds fought her on the filent plain;

• With Truth fhe wedded in the fecret grove,
• Immortal Truth! and daughters blefs'd their love.
O hafte, fair maids! ye Virtues, come away!
• Sweet Peace and Plenty lead you on your way!
The balmy fhrub for you fliall love our shore,

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By Ind excell'd, or Araby, no more.

• Loft to our fields, for fo the Fates ordain,

'The dear deferters fhall return again.

⚫ Come thou, whofe thoughts as limpid fprings are clear; To lead the train, fweet Modesty, appear:

Here make thy court amidst our rural scene,

And shepherd-girls shall own thee for their queen.

• With thee be Chastity, of all afraid,

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Diftrufting all, a wife fufpicious maid;

But man the moft-not more the mountain doe
Holds the fwift falcon for her deadly foe.

• Cold is her breast, like flowers that drink the dew ;
A filken veil conceals her from the view.

< No wild defires amidst thy train be known,

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But Faith, whofe heart is fix'd on one alone :
Defponding Meeknefs, with her down-caft eyes,
And friendly Pity, full of tender fighs;

• And Love the laft.. By these your hearts approve;
Thefe are the virtues that must lead to love."

Thus fung the fwain; and ancient legends fay,

The maids of Bagdat verify'd the lay:

Dear to the plains, the Virtues came along ;
The shepherds lov'd, and Selim blefs'd his fong.

ECLOGUE

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IN

ECLOGUE II.

HASSAN; OR, THE CAMEL DRIVER.

SCENE, THE DESART.-TIME, MID-DAY.

'N filent horror, o'er the boundless wafte,
The driver Haffan with his camels pass'd:
One cruise of water on his back he bore,
And his light fcrip contain'd a fcanty ftore;
A fan of painted feathers in his hand,
To guard his shaded face from fcorching fand.
The fultry fun had gain'd the middle sky,
And not a tree, and not an herb was nigh:
The beafts, with pain, their dufty way pursue,
Shrill roar'd the winds, and dreary was the view!
With defperate forrow wild, th' affrighted man.
Thrice figh'd, thrice ftruck his breaft, and thus began:
Sad was the hour, and lucklefs was the day,

• When first from Schiraz' walls I bent my way!
Ah! little thought I of the blafting wind,
The thirft or pinching hunger that I find!
Bethink thee, Haffan, where fhall thirft affwage,
• When fails this cruise, his unrelenting rage;
• Soon fhall this fcrip it's precious load refign;
Then what but tears and hunger fhall be thine?
Ye mute companions of my toils, that bear
In all my griefs a more than equal share!
Here, where no fprings in murmurs break away,
Or mofs-crown'd fountains mitigate the day,
In vain ye hope the green delights to know,
'Which plains more blefs'd, or verdant vales bestow:
'Here rocks alone, and tastelefs fands are found,
And faint and fickly winds for ever howl around.

Sad was the hour, and luckless was the day,
When first from Schiraz' walls I bent my way!

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Curs'd be the gold and filver which perfuade • Weak men to follow far-fatiguing trade! The lily Peace outfhines the filver store, • And Life is dearer than the golden ore : Yet money tempts us o'er the defart brown, To ev'ry diftant mart and wealthy town. • Full oft we tempt the land, and oft the sea; And are we only yet repaid by thee? Ah! why this ruin fo attractive made ? Or why, fond man, fo eafily betray'd? Why heed we not, while mad we haste along, The gentle voice of Peace, or Pleasure's fong? • Or wherefore think the flow'ry mountain's fide, • The fountain's murmurs, and the valley's pride; Why think we these less pleasing to behold

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⚫ Than dreary defarts, if they lead to gold?

Sad was the hour, and luckless was the day, • When firft from Schiraz' walls I bent my way! • O ceafe, my fears !—all frantick as I go, • When thought creates unnumber'd scenes of woe. • What if the lion in his rage I meet!

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Oft in the duft I view his printed feet:

And, fearful! oft, when Day's declining light

• Yields her pale empire to the mourner Night,

By hunger rouz'd, he fcours the groaning plain,

• Gaunt wolves and fullen tigers in his train;

Before them Death, with fhrieks, directs their way!
Fills the wild yell, and leads them to their prey.

Sad was the hour, and lucklefs was the day,
• When firft from Schiraz' walls I bent my way!
• At that dead hour the filent.asp shall creep,
If aught of reft I find, upon my fleep:

• Or some swoln serpent twist his scales around, And wake to anguish with a burning wound. Thrice happy they, the wife, contented poor;

• From luft of wealth, and dread of death secure!

They

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They tempt no defarts, and no griefs they find;

* Peace rules the day, where reason rules the mind. • Sad was the hour, and lucklefs was the day, • When firft from Schiraz' walls I bent my way! O hapless youth! for the thy love hath won,

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The tender Zara, will be most undone!

Big fwell'd my heart, and own'd the powerful maid, 'When fast she dropp'd her tears, and thus fhe faid: "Farewel the youth, whom fighs could not detain ; "Whom Zara's breaking heart implor'd in vain! "Yet as thou go'ft, may ev'ry blast arife, "Weak and unfelt as thefe rejected fighs!

"Safe o'er the wild, no perils may'st thou fee;
"No griefs endure; nor weep, false youth, like me!”
O let me fafely to the fair return,

Say, with a kifs, fhe muft not, fhall not mourn!
O let me teach my heart to lose it's fears,
Recall'd by Wisdom's voice, and Zara's tears!'
He faid; and call'd on Heav'n to bless the day,
When back to Schiraz' walls he bent his way.

ECLOGUE III.

ABRA; OR, THE GEORGIAN SULTANA.

SCENE, A FOREST.-TIME, THE EVENING.

N Georgia's land, where Tefflis' tow'rs are seen,

IN

In diftant view along the level green;
While evening dews enrich the glitt'ring glade,
And the tall forefts caft a longer fhade;
What time 'tis fweet o'er fields of rice to ftray,
Or fcent the breathing maize at fetting day;
Amidft the maids of Zagen's peaceful grove,
Emyra fung the pleafing cares of love,

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