תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

The paramour of Jove, as she fojourn'd
To Pytho o'er the Panopeian lawns ;
Delicious landskip!-

-In a limpid lake

Next Tantalus a doleful lot abides :

Chin-deep he stands, yet with afflictive drought
Inceffant pines, while ever as he bows

To fip refreshment, from his parching thirst
The guileful water glides. Around the pool
Fruit-trees of various kinds umbrageous spread
Their pamper'd boughs: the racy olive green
The ripe pomegranate big with vinous pulp,
The lufcious fig fky-dy'd, the tasteful pear
Vermilion'd half, and apples mellowing sweet
In burnish'd gold, luxuriant o'er him wave,
Exciting hunger, and fallacious hope
Of food ambrofial :---when he tries to feize
The copious fruitage fair, a fudden gust
Whirls it aloof amid th' incumbent gloom.

Then Sifyphus, the nearest mate in woe,
Drew my regard; he with diftended nerves
Ay rolls a ponderous ftone up a rugged rock;
Urg'd up the fteep cliff flow with hand and foot
It mounts, but bordering on the cloudy peak,
Precipitous adown the flopy fide

The rapid orb devolving back renews

Eternal toil, which he, with duft befmear'd,
And dew'd with fmoaking sweat, inceffant plies.
I last the visionary semblance view'd

Of Hercules, a fhadowy form; for he,
The real fon of Jove, in heaven's high court

Abides,

Abides, affociate with the gods, and shares
Celestial banquets; where, with soft difport
Of love, bright Hebe in her radiant dome
Treats him nocturnal. With terrific clang
Surrounding ghoft, like fowl, the region wing
Vexatious, while the threatening image stands,
Gloomy as night, from his bent battle-bow
In act to let th' aerial arrow fly.

Athwart his breast a military zone

Dreadful he wore, where grinn'd in fretted gold
Grim woodland favages, with various scenes
Of war, fierce jousting knights, and havoc dire,
With matchless art portray'd; me strait he knew,
And, piteous of my state, addrefs'd me thus:
O exercis'd in grief, illuftrious fon
Of good Laertes, fam'd for warlike wiles !
Fated thou art (like me, what time I breath'd
Etherial draught) beneath unnumber'd toils
To groan opprefs'd: ev'n 1, the feed of Jove,
Combated various ills, and was adjudg'd
By an inferior wretch (what could he more?)
To drag to light the triple-crefted dog
That guards hell's maffy portal: I atchiev'd
The task injoin'd through the propitious aid
Of Mercury and Pallas, who vouchfaf'd
Their friendly guidance; then without reply,
To Pluto's court majestic he retir❜d.

Mean time for others of heroic note
I waited, in the lifts of ancient fame
Inroll'd illuftrious; and had haply feen

Great

Great Thefeus, and Pirithous his compeer,
The race of gods; but at the hideous fcream
Of spectres iffuing from the dark profound
I wax'd infirm of purpose, fore difinay'd
Left Proferpine should fend Medusa, curl'd
With fnaky locks, to fix me in her realm
Stiff with Gorgonian horror: to the ship
Retreating speedy thence, I bade my mates
To fhove from fhore: joyous they strait began
To ftem the tide, and brush'd the whitening feas,
Till the fresh gales reliey'd the labouring oar.

[ocr errors]

THE WIDOW'S

A T A L

WILE

E.

HAVE you not feen (to state the cafe)
Two wafps lie ftruggling in a glass?

With the rich flavour of Tokay
Allur'd, about the brim they play;
They light, they murmur, then begin
To lick, and fo at length flip in ;
Embracing clofe the couple lies,
Together dip, together rife;

You'd fwear they love, and yet they strive

Which fhall be funk, and which furvive.

Such feign'd amours, and real hate,

Attend the matrimonial state;

When

When facred vows are bought and fold,
And hearts are ty'd with threads of gold.
A nymph there was, who ('tis aver'd
By fame) was born without a beard :
A certain fign, the learn'd declare,
That (guarded with uncommon care)
Her virtue might remain at ten
Impregnable, to boys or men.
But from that æra we'll proceed,
To find her in a widow's weed:
Which, all love's chronicles agree,
She wore juft turn'd of twenty-three ;
For an old fot fhe call'd her mate,
For jewels, pin-money, and plate.
The dame, poffefs'd of wealth and ease,
Had no more appetites to please;
That which provokes wild girls to wed,
Fie ---It ne'er enter'd in her head.
Yet fome prolific planet fmil'd,
And gave the pair a chopping child;
Intitled by the law to claim

Her husband's chattels, and his name:
But was fo like his mother! She

The Queen of Love, her Cupid he.

This matron fair for spouse deceas'd

Had forrow'd fore, a week at leaft;
And feem'd to grudge the worms that prey,
Which had lain dead full many a day.
From plays and balls fhe now refrain'd,
To a dark room by custom chain'd;

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors][ocr errors]

And not a male for love or gold,

But the dear hopes of two years old.

The maids fo long in prifon pent,
Afk leave to air; fhe gives confent
(For health is riches to the poor):
But Tom muft ftay to guard the door.
In reading Sherlock fhe'd employ
Her folitude, and tend the boy.

When madam fees the coaft is clear,
Her spirits mantle and career;
Diffufing ardour through her mien;
Pity they should condenfe to fpleen!
But now by honour she's confin'd,
Who flutter'd once as free as wind:
And on a masquerading morn,
By fix fecurely could return;
Having, to feal him fafe till nine,

With opium drugg'd her spouse's wine.
This the gay world no worse would hold,
Than had the only chang'd his gold:
The fpecies anfwer'd all demands,
And only pass'd through other hands.
But honour now prefcribes the law,
The tyrant keeps her will in awe;
For charity forbid to roam,
And not a chitterling at home.
What! a large ftomach, and no meat !
In pity, Love, provide a treat,

Can widows feed on dreams and wishes,

Like hags on vifionary dishes ?

« הקודםהמשך »