Ye beds of roses, and ye bowers of joy,
Farewel! Ye gleamings of departed peace,
Shine out your last! the yellow-tinging plague
Internal vision taints, and in a night 1080
Of livid gloom imagination wraps.

Ah then instead of love-enliven'd cheeks,
Of sunny features, and of ardent eyes.
With flowing rapture bright, dark looks suc-

ced,

Suffus'd, and glaring with untender fire; 1085
A clouded aspect, and a burning cheek,
Where the whole poison'd soul, malignant,
sits,

And frightens love away. Ten thousand 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 consuming rage.
Jn vain reproaches lend their idle aid,
Deceitful pride, and resolution frail,
Giving false peace a moment. Fancy pours, 1095
Afresh, her beauties on his busy thought,
Her first endearments, twining round the soul,
With all the witchcraft of ensnaring love.
Strait the fierce storm involves his mind

anew,

1099 Flames thro' the nerves, and boils along the veins;

While anxious doubt distracts the tortur'd heart:

For even the sad assurance of his fears
Were peace to what he feels.

Thus the warm

youth,

Whom love deludes into his thorny wilds, Thro' flowery-tempting paths, or leads a

life'

Of fever'd rapture, or of cruel care;

1105

His brightest flames extinguish'd all, and all His lively moments running down to waste.

BUT happy they! the happiest of their kind!

Whom gentler stars unite, and in one fate 1110 Their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend.

"Tis not the coarser tie of human laws,
Unnatural oft, and foreign to the mind,
That binds their peace, but harmony itself,
Attuning all their passions into love;

1115

Where friendship full-exerts her softest power, Perfect esteem enliven'd by desire

Ineffable, and sympathy of soul;

Thought meeting thought, and will prevent

ing will,

With boundless confidence: for nought but

love

1120

Can answer love, and render bliss secure.
Let him, ungenerous, who, alone intent
To bless himself, from sordid parents buys

The loathing virgin, in eternal care, Well - merited, consume his nights and days:

1125

Let barbarous nations, whose inhuman love Is wild desire, fierce as the suns they feel; Let eastern tyrants from the light of Heaven Seclude their bosom-slaves, meanly possess'd Of a meer, lifeless, violated form: 1130 While those whom love cements in holy faith, And equal transport, free as Nature live, Disdaining fear. What is the world to them, Its pomp, its pleasure, and its nonsense all! Who in each other clasp whatever fair 1135 High fancy forms, and lavish hearts can wish; Something than beauty dearer, should they look

Or on the mind, or mind-illumin'd face; Truth, goodness, honour, harmony, and love,

The richest bounty of indulgent HEAVEN. 1140 Mean-time a smiling offspring rises round, And mingles both their graces. By degrees, The human blossom blows; and every day, Soft as it rolls along, shews

charm,

some new

The father's lustre, and the mother's bloom: 1145 Then infant reason grows apace, and calls For the kind hand of an assiduous care. Delightful task! to rear the tender thought,

To teach the young idea how to shoot, the fresh instruction o'er the

To pour

To breathe th' enlivening spirit, and to fix

The generous purpose in

Oh, speak the joy! ye,

the glowing breast. whom the sudden

tear

Surprizes often, while you look around,
And nothing strikes your eye but sights of

bliss,

1155 All various Nature pressing on the heart:, An elegant sufficiency, content,

Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books, Ease and alternate labour, useful life, Progressive virtue, and approving HEAVEN. 1160 These are the matchless joys of virtuous

love.

And thus their moments fly. The Seasons thus,

As ceaseless round a jarring world they roll, Still find them happy; and consenting

When after the long vernal day of life,

Enamour'd more, as more remembrance

swells

With many a proof of recollected love,
Together down they sink in social sleep; 1170
Together freed, their gentle spirits fly

To scenes where love and bliss immortal

reign,

1