1040

Leads on the gentle Hours; then forth he walks,
Beneath the trembling languish of her beam, 1035
With foftened foul, and wooes the bird of eve
To mingle woes with his; or while the world
And all the fons of Care lie hufh'd in fleep,
Affociates with the midnight shadows drear,
And, fighing to the lonely taper, pours
His idly-tortur'd heart into the page
Meant for the moving meffenger of love,
Where rapture burns on rapture, every line
With rifing frenzy fir'd: but if on bed
Delirious flung, fleep from his pillow flies:
All night he toffes, nor the balmy power
In any posture finds; till the grey Morn
Lifts her pale luftre on the paler wretch,
Exanimate by love; and then, perhaps,
Exhaufted Nature finks a while to reft,
Still interrupted by distracted dreams,
That o'er the fick imagination rife,

And in black colours paint the mimic scene.
'Oft' with th' enchantress of his foul he talks,

1045

1050

Sometimes in crowds diftrefs'd; or if retir'd 1055
To fecret-winding flower-enwoven bowers,
Far from the dull impertinence of Man,
Just as he, credulous, his endless cares
Begins to lofe in blind oblivious love,

Snatch'd from her yielded hand, he knows not how,
Thro' forests huge, and long-untravell'd heaths, 1061
With defolation brown, he wanders wafte,

In night and tempest wrapt, or shrinks, aghast,
Back from the bending precipice, or wades

1070

The turbid stream below, and strives to reach 1065
The farther shore, where, fuccourless and fad,
She with extended arms his aid implores,
But ftrives in vain; borne by th' outrageous flood
To distance down, he rides the ridgy wave,
Or whelm'd beneath the boiling eddy finks.
These are the charming agonies of love,
Whofe mifery delights. But thro' the heart
Should Jealousy its venom once diffuse,
'Tis then delightful mifery no more,
But agony unmix'd, inceffant gall,
Corroding every thought, and blasting all
Love's paradife. Ye Fairy Prospects, then,
Ye Beds of Rofes, and ye Bowers of Joy,
Farewell! ye Gleamings of departed Peace,
Shine out your laft! the yellow-tinging plague 1080
Internal vifion taints, and in a night

Of livid gloom imagination wraps.

Ah, then! instead of love-enlivened cheeks,
Of funny features, and of ardent eyes,

1075

With flowing rapture bright, dark looks fucceed, Suffus'd, and glaring with untender fire;

1086

A clouded afpe&t, and a burning cheek,
Where the whole poifon'd foul, malignant, fits,
And frightens Love away. Ten thoufand fears
Invented wild, ten thousand frantic views

Of horrid rivals, hanging on the charms

1090

For which he melts in fondness, eat him up
With fervent anguish and confuming rage.
In vain reproaches lend their idle aid,
Deceitful pride, and resolution frail,

Giving falfe peace a moment. Fancy pours,
Afresh her beauties on his bufy thought,

1095

Her first endearments twining round the soul,
With all the witchcraft of enfnaring love.

1099

Straight the fierce ftorm involves his mind anew, Flames thro' the nerves, and boils along the veins, While anxious doubt diftracts the tortur'd heart; For even the fad affurance of his fears

Were ease to what he feels. Thus the warm youth, Whom Love deludes into his thorny wilds

1105

Thro' flowery-tempting paths, or leads a life
Of fevered rapture or of cruel care,

His brighteft aims extinguifh'd all, and all

His lively moments running down to waste.

But happy they! the happiest of their kind! 1110 Whom gentler stars unite, and in one fate

Their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend. 'Tis not the coarfer tie of human laws,

Unnatural oft', and foreign to the mind,

That binds their peace, but harmony itself, 1115
Attuning all their paffions into love,

Where Friendship full-exerts her fofteft power,
Perfect esteem, enlivened by defire

Ineffable, and fympathy of foul;

1125

Thought meeting thought, and will preventing will,
With boundless confidence; for nought but love 1121
Can answer love, and render blifs fecure.
Let him, ungenerous, who, alone intent
To bless himself, from fordid parents buys
The loathing virgin, in eternal care,
Well-merited, confume his nights and days;
Let barbarous nations, whofe inhuman love
Is wild defire, fierce as the funs they feel,
Let Eastern tyrants, from the light of heaven
Seclude their bofom-flaves, meanly poffefs'd 1130
Of a mere lifelefs, violated form,

While those whom love cements in holy faith
And equal tranfport, free as Nature live,
Disdaining fear. What is the world to them,

Its pomp, its pleasure, and its nonsense all! 1135
Who in each other clasp whatever fair
High fancy forms, and lavish hearts can wifh?
Something than beauty dearer, should they look
Or on the mind or mind-illumin'd face;
Truth, goodness, honour, harmony, and love, 1140
The richest bounty of indulgent Heaven.
Mean time a smiling offspring rifes round,
And mingles both their graces. By degrees
The human bloffom blows, and every day,
Soft as it rolls along, fhews fome new charm, 1145
The father's luftre, and the mother's bloom.
Then infant Reafon grows apace, and calls
Volume 1.

For the kind hand of an affiduous care.
Delightful task! to rear the tender thought,
To teach the young idea how to shoot,

Το

1150

pour the fresh instruction o'er the mind, To breathe th' enlivening fpirit, and to fix The generous purpose in the glowing breast. Oh speak the joy! ye, whom the fudden tear Surprises often, while you look around, 1155 And nothing ftrikes your eye but fights of blifs, All-various Nature preffing on the heart; An elegant fufficiency, content,

1160

Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books,
Eafe and alternate labour, ufeful life,
Progreffive virtue, and approving Heaven.
These are the matchlefs joys of virtuous love,
And thus their moments fly. The Seafons thus,
As ceafelefs round a jarring world they roll,
Still find them happy, and confenting Spring 1165
Sheds her own rofy garland on their heads;
Till evening comes at laft, ferene and mild,
When, after the long vernal day of life,
Enamour'd more, as more remembrance fwells
With many a proof of recollected love,
Together down they fink in focial sleep;
Together freed, their gentle fpirits fly

To fcenes where love and blifs immortal reign.

1170