And following flower, in explofion vast, The thunder raises his tremendous voice.
At first, heard folemn o'er the verge of heaven, The tempeft growls; but as it nearer comes, And rolls its awful burden on the wind, The light'nings flash a larger curve, and more The noise aftounds: till over-head a sheet Of livid flame difclofes wide; then fhuts, And opens wider; fhuts and opens ftill Expanfive, wrapping æther in a blaze- Follows the loofen'd aggravated roar, Enlarging, deep'ning, mingling; peal on peal Crush'd horrible, convulfing heaven and earth.
Guilt hears appall'd, with deeply troubled thought: And yet not always on the guilty head Defcends the fated flash. Young CELADON Ard his AMELIA were a matchlefs pair ; With equal virtue form'd, and equal grace; The fame, diftinguish'd by their fex alone: Her's the mild luftre of the blooming morn, And his the radiance of the rifen day.
They lov'd but fuch their guileless paffion was As in the dawn of tine inform'd the heart Of innocence and undiffembling truth. 'Twas friendship, heighten'd by the mutual wifh, Th' enchanting hope, and fympathetic glow, Beam'd from the mutual eye. Devoting all To love, each was to each a dearer felf; Supremely happy in th' awaken'd power Cf giving joy. Alone, amid the fhades, Still in harmonious intercourfe they liv'd
The rural day, and talk'd the flowing heart, Or figh'd, and look'd unutterable things. So pafs'd their life, a clear united stream, By Care unruffled: till, an evil hour, The tempeft caught them on the tender walk, Heedlefs how far, and where its mazes ftray'd, While, with each other bleft, creative love Still bade eternal Eden fmile around. Prefaging inftant fate her bofom heav'd Unwonted fighs; and stealing oft a look Of the big gloom, on CELADON her eye Fell tearful, wetting her difordered cheek. In vain affuring love, and confidence
In HEAVEN, reprefs'd her fear; it grew and shook Her frame near diffolution. He perceiv'd Th' unequal conflict, and as angels look On dying faints, his eyes compaffion shed, With love illumin'd high. "Fear not," he faid, "Sweet innocence! thou ftranger to offence, "And inward ftorm! HE, who yon fkies involves "In frowns of darkness, ever smiles on thee "With kind regard. O'er thee the fecret fhaft "That waftes at midnight, or th' undreaded hour "Of noon, flies harmless; and that very voice, "Which thunders terror thro' the guilty heart, "With tongues of feraphs whispers peace to thine, "Tis fafety to be near thee fure, and thus "To clafp perfection!" From his void embrace, (Myfterious Heaven!) that moment, to the ground, A blacken'd corfe, was ftruck the beauteous maid. But who can paint the lover as he stood,' Pierc'd by fevere amazement, hating life, E 2
Speechlefs, and fix'd in all the death of wo! So, faint refemblance! on the marble tomb The well-diffembled mourner stooping stands For ever filent, and for ever faḍ.
as young Reafon dawn'd in Junio's breast, His father fent him from these genial ifles,
To where old Thames with conscious pride furveys Green Eton, foft abode of every Muse.
Each claffic beauty he foon made his own, And foon fam'd Ifis faw him woo the Nine On her inspiring banks. Love tun'd his fong; For fair Theäna was his only theme,
Acafto's daughter, whom in early youth He oft diftinguished; and for whom he oft Had climb'd the bending cocoa's airy height To rob it of its nectar; which the maid, When he prefented, more nectareous deem'd. The sweetest fapadillas oft he brought : From him more fweet ripe fapadillas feem'd. Nor had long abfence yet effac'd her form; Her charms ftill triumph'd o'er Britannia's fair. One morn he met her in Sheen's royal walks ; Nor knew, till then, fweet Sheen contain'd his all. His taste mature approv'd his infant choice. In colour, form, expreffion, and in grace She fhone all perfect; while each pleasing art, And each foft virtue, that the fex adorns,
Adorn'd the woman. My imperfect ftrain Can ill defcribe the transports Junio felt At this discovery: he declar'd his love; She own'd his merit, nor refus'd his hand.
And fhall not Hymen light his brightest torch For this delighted pair? Ah! Junio knew His fire detefted his Theäna's house!- Thus duty, reverence, gratitude, confpir'd To check their happy union. He resolv❜d › (And many a figh that refolution cost) To pass the time, till death his fire remov'd In vifiting old Europe's letter'd climes: While fhe (and many a tear that parting drew) Embark'd, reluctant, for her native ifle.
Tho' learn'd, curious, and tho' nobly bent With each rare talent to adorn his mind, His native land to ferve; no joys he found. Yet fprightly Gaul; yet Belgium, Saturn's reign; Yet Greece, of old the feat of every, Mufe; Of freedom, courage; yet Aufonia's clime, His fteps explor'd; where painting, mufic's strains, Where arts, where laws, Philofophy's beft child, With rival beauties his attention claim'd. To his juft-judging, his inftructed eye, The all-perfect Medicean Venus feem'd A perfect femblance of his Indian fair : But when she spoke of love, her voice furpafs'd The harmonious warblings of Italian fong.
Twice one long year elaps'd, when letters came, Which briefly told him of his father's death.
Afflicted, filial, yet to Heav'n refign'd,
Soon he reach'd Albion, and foon as embark'd,
Eager to clafp the object of his love.
Blow, profperous breezes! fwifily fail, thou Po! Swift fail'd the Po, and happy breezes blew.
In Bifcay's ftormy feas an armed fhip, Of force fuperior, from loud Charente's wave Clapt them on board. The frighted flying crew Their colours ftrike; when dauntless Junio, fir'd With noble indignation, kill'd the chief, Who on the bloody deck dealt flaughter round. The Gauls retreat; the Britons loud huzza; And touch'd with fhame, with emulation ftung, So plied their cannon, plied their miffile fires, That foon in air the hapless Thunderer blew. Blow, profperous breezes! fwiftly fail, thou Po! May no more dang'rous fights retard thy way! Soon Porto Santo's rocky heights they spy, Like clouds dim rifing in the distant sky. Glad Eurus whiftles, laugh the fportive crew; Each fail is fet to catch the favouring gale, While on the yard-arm the harpooner fits, Strikes the boneta, or the fhark infnares: The little nautilus, with purple pride Expands his fails, and dances o'er the waves; Small winged fifhes on the shrouds alight; And beauteous dolphins gently play'd around. Tho' fafter than the Tropic-bird they flew, Oft Junio cried, Ah! when fhall we fee land! Soon land they made: and now in thought he clasp'd His Indian bride, and deem'd his toils o'erpaid. She, no lefs anxious, every evening walk'd
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