Of innocence, and undissembling truth.
"Twas friendship heightened by the mutual wish; 1180 The enchanting hope and sympathetic glow, Beamed from the mutual eye. Devoting all To love, each was to each a dearer self; Supremely happy in the awakened power. Of giving joy. Alone, amid the shades, Still in harmonious intercourse they lived The rural day, and talked the flowing heart, Or sighed and looked unutterable things.
So passed their life, a clear united stream, By care unruffled; till, in evil hour,
The tempest caught them on the tender walk, Heedless how far, and where its mazes strayed, While, with each other blest, creative love Still bade eternal Eden smile around. Presaging instant fate, her bosom heaved Unwonted sighs, and stealing oft a look Of the big gloom, on CELADON her eye Fell tearful, wetting her disordered cheek. In vain assuring love, and confidence
In Heaven, repressed her fear; it grew, and shook 1200 Her frame near dissolution. He perceived
The unequal conflict, and as angels look
On dying saints, his eyes compassion shed,
With love illumined high. "Fear not," he said, "Sweet innocence! thou stranger to offence, "And inward storm! He, who yon skies involves "In frowns of darkness, ever smiles on thee "With kind regard. O'er thee the secret shaft "That wastes at midnight, or the undreaded hour "Of noon, flies harmless: and that very voice, « Which thunders terror through the guilty heart,
Amelia killed by Lightning.
"With tongues of seraphs whispers peace to thinc. ""Tis safety to be near thee sure, and thus
"To clasp perfection!" From his void embrace, Mysterious Heaven! that moment, to the ground, 1215 ́ A blackened corse, was struck the beauteous maid. But who can paint the lover, as he stood, Pierced by severe amazement, hating life, Speechless, and fixed in all the death of woe! So, faint resemblance! on the marble tomb, The well dissembled mourner stooping stands, For ever silent, and forever sad.
Diffusive, tremble; while, as if in sign
Of danger past, a glittering robe of joy,
Set off abundant by the yellow ray,
Invests the fields; and nature smiles revived. 'Tis beauty all, and grateful song around,
Joined to the low of kine, and numerous bleat
Of flocks thick-nibbling through the clovered vale. And shall the hymn be marred by thankless Man, 1235 Most-favoured; who with voice articulate
Should lead the chorus of this lower world? Shall he, so soon forgetful of the hand
That hushed the thunder, and serenes the sky, Extinguished feel that spark the tempest waked, That sense of powers exceeding far his own, Ere yet his feeble heart has lost its fears?
Cheered by the milder beam, the sprightly youth
Speeds to the well-known pool, whose crystal depth A sandy bottom shews. A while he stands Gazing the inverted landscape, half afraid To meditate the blue profound below;
Then plunges headlong down the circling flood. His ebon tresses, and his rosy cheek,
Instant emerge; and through the obedient wave, At each short breathing by his lip repelled, With arms and legs according well, he makes, As humour leads, an easy-winding path;
While, from his polished sides, a dewy light Effuses on the pleased spectators round.
This is the purest exercise of health,
The kind refresher of the summer heats;
Nor, when cold Winter keens the brightening flood,
Would I weak-shivering linger on the brink.
Thus life redoubles, and is oft preserved, By the bold swimmer, in the swift illapse Of accident disastrous. Hence the limbs Knit into force; and the same Roman arm, That rose victorious o'er the conquered earth,
First learned, while tender, to subdue the wave. Even, from the body's purity, the mind
Receives a secret sympathetic aid.
Close in the covert of an hazel copse,
Where winded into pleasing solitudes Runs out the rambling dale, young DAMON sat, Pensive, and pierced with love's delightful pangs. There to the stream that down the distant rocks Hoarse-murmuring fell, and plaintive breeze that played Among the bending willows, falsely he
Of MUSIDORA's cruelty complained.
She felt his flame; but deep within her breast, In bashful coyness, or in maiden pride, The soft return concealed; save when it stole In side-long glances from her downcast eye, Or from her swelling soul in stifled sighs. Touched by the scene, no stranger to his vows, He framed a melting lay to try her heart; And, if an infant passion struggled there, To call that passion forth. Thrice happy swain ! A lucky chance, that oft decides the fate
Of mighty monarchs, then decided thine. For lo conducted by the laughing Loves, This cool retreat his MUSIDORA Sought: Warm in her cheek the sultry season glowed; And, robed in loose array, she came to bathe Her fervent limbs in the refreshing stream. What shall he do? In sweet confusion lost, And dubious flutterings, he awhile remained: A pure ingenuous elegance of soul, A delicate refinement, known to few, Perplexed his breast, and urged him to retire; But love forbade. Ye prudes in virtue say, Say, ye severest, what would you have done? Mean time this fairer nymph than ever blest
Cast unconfined, and gave him all their charms, Than, DAMON, thou; as from the snowy leg,
And slender foot, the inverted silk she drew ; As the soft touch dissolved the virgin zone; And, thro' the parting robe, the alternate breast, With youth wild-throbbing, on thy lawless gaze In full luxuriance rose. But, desperate youth, How durst thou risque the soul-distracting view; As from her naked limbs, of glowing white, Harmonious swelled by nature's finest hand, In folds loose-floating fell the fainter lawn; And fair exposed she stood, shrunk from herself, With fancy blushing, at the doubtful breeze Alarmed, and starting like the fearful fawn?
Then to the flood she rushed; the parted flood
Its lovely guest, with closing waves received; And every beauty softening, every grace Flushing anew, a mellow lustre shed:
As shines the lily thro' the crystal mild; Or as the rose amid the morning dew, Fresh from Aurora's hand, more sweetly glows. While thus she wantoned, now beneath the wave But ill-concealed; and now with streaming locks, That half-embraced her in a humid veil, Rising again, the latent DAMON drew.
Such maddening draughts of beauty to the soul,
As for a while o'erwhelmed his raptured thought
With luxury too daring. Checked at last, By love's respectful modesty, he deemed, The theft profane, if aught profane to love
Can e'er be deemed; and, struggling from the shade
With headlong hurry fled: but first these lines,
Traced by his ready pencil, on the bank
With trembling hand he threw : "Bathe on my fait,
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