'By lucre prompted, and by fortune bleft,
• He pass'd the ocean never to return,
And left me weeping o'er my parent's urn:
Then ARABERT, the gen'rous ftranger came,
'To footh my forrows, and relieve my shame :
"Beneath his tender care, my woes decreas'd,

More than Religion's, he was Pity's priest:

To reach his bounty my affection ftrove, Till gratitude was heighten'd into love: Nor he at length refus'd the lover's part, The pity that adorn'd, betray'd his heart. 'How ardently he wifh'd the nuptial rite, "In holy wedlock, might our hands unite: 'But ftern Religion at our vows exclaim'd,

' And tore the bands that Love and Nature fram’d : "For then devoted to her hallow'd shrine,

'His country's laws forbade him to be mine.

'Tho' from my mind each flatt'ring thought retir'd, And in my bofom, hope and peace expir'd,

'Yet on their ruins, love triumphant rose :

'Enough-fhame o'er the rest a mantle throws:

At length Remorfe effac'd the guilty scene,
And to his breaft apply'd her dagger keen ;

Reftrain'd

'Reftrain'd in full career the erring youth,
'And led him back to Innocence and Truth:
'Twas then he fled from Pleasure's rofy bow'rs,

To woo Religion in thefe gloomy tow'rs:

Yet ere he fled, my blifs he fondly plann'd,

< And scatter'd riches with a lavish hand:

"Ah, what to me avail'd the golden store?
'The giver gone, the gift cou'd charm no more.

'While in the gloom his tedious absence cast, My former life in fancy I repafs'd,

• Repentance gain'd admission to my breast,
'Nor did it enter an unwelcome guest :

For ne'er to Fleasure I difmifs'd the rein
Free and unconscious of reflection's pain::

'If hapless LEON OR A lov'd too well,

Content, fair Virtue's friend, with Virtue fell:

'But not my stubborn foul cou'd pray'r fubdue,

Ev'n grafted on remorse my passion grew ;

• Too fatal passion by its impulfe led,

'In man's attire to this retreat I fled:

Yet then, ev'n then to bafhful fear allied,
Still o'er my love did modefty prefide.

'In those sweet moments that precede the night,
'When peaceful nature wears a foften'd light,

6

I met the youth within the folemn grove,

'(His frequent walk) abforb'd in heav'nly love

.6

'I ftrove to speak, but words refus'd to flow,

And, fix'd, I ftood a monument of woe:

"While God and he employ the trembling scene,
'Twere facrilege, I cried, to rush between.
Still from that hour my wifhes I restrain'd,
And in my breaft th' unwilling fecret chain'd,
"Unknown to him, yet half content I grew,
'So that his form might daily charm my view.
'But new Affliction, with relentless hand,

'O'erthrew the project that my heart had plann'd :
'Amid the horrors of the lonesome night,

4

A ghaftly spectre rufh'd upon my fight,

And pour'd thefe accents on my trembling ear,
Think not impiety fball triumph bere:

Thy hopes are blafted-Death's tremendous bell
Shall found, ere many hours, thy lover's knell :

* I started from my couch, with fright impress'd,
'Flew to the fane to calm my anxious breast;
"By love then prompted-yet by love dismay'd,
'The peopled choir I tremblingly furvey'd ;
Still mid th' innumerous monaftic train,
• Thefe
eyes folicited his form in vain ;

• Nor

• Nor in the field or penfive grove retir'd Could I discover whom my heart requir'd:

Then fure (I cried) at this unhappy hour

Does anguish o'er his cell diffuse its pow'r :

Shall LEONORA not relieve his pain,

⚫ And with these arms his drooping head sustain?

Say, at the couch, when death is ftalking round, 'Shall not the spouse of his fond heart be found! 'Ah no-th' affection that fubdues me still, 'At that dread moment check'd my ardent will, 'Left rushing on his fight I fhould control The holy thoughts that hover'd o'er his foul.

This low'ring morn disclos'd the fatal truth : 'Oh early loft-oh lov'd-oh hapless youth'Fix'd to the column of the hallow'd porch''Twas scarcely light- fome fury lent her torch 'I read

The pious ARABERT's no more,

The peace the dead require, for bim implore:

'Let peace, let joy, (I faid) his fpirit join,
'Nor joy, nor peace muft e'er encircle mine :
'Lamented youth! too tenderly allied,

'In vain you fled me, and in vain you

died,

• Still

Still to your image, which this breaft inurns,
My conftant heart a lamp perpetual burns.

But thou, to whom as friend he did impart

Each latent with, and foible of the heart;

'For well I know, where Sorrow drops a tear,

Or mifery complains, thou still art near;

Ah fay, by love did my idea dreft,

'Come to his mind thus welcome, thus careft? 'Or on his foul come rushing undefir'd,

• The fatal fair, by female arts infpir'd,

Who dimm'd the luftre of his radiant name,

And from his temples tore the flow'r of fame : 'Who thro' the labyrinth of pleasure's bow'r 'Allur'd (for beauty fuch as mine had pow'r) 'Ev'n to the dang'rous fteep-and caft him down 'From high repute to grov'ling difrenown : < Wretch that I am, to my diftressful state < There wanted not th' addition of his hate :

'For him I plung'd my artless youth in shame, 'Unlock'd reserve, and facrific'd my fame:

Still, ftill I fear (unable to confide,)

6 Before my ARABERT, the lover died:

This thought (to thee I'll own) fufpends my grief,

• While cold indifference comes to my relief;