z 798.] 
Leatof the flitting wrack 
Their wounded limbs lofe hold. 
Ah! not the midnight tear, nor morning 
"prayer, 
Not e’en the fob that choak’d her farewell 
kifs, 
Avails the wife to fave 
Her children’s only hope. 
None is a foe who fuffers—welcome all, 
‘Thofe whom the long~boats bring with oary 
{peed, 
Are captives fworn to’ peace, 
Whom Nelfon’s mercy fpares, 
They bear to Bucnaparte’s ftartled ear, 
This tale: ¢* Thy hero friends have fought 
and fail’d; 
Thy thips are afhes, ftrown 
On a rejoicing land. 5 
Time was, when Freedom waver’d in thy van 
The three ftreak’d banner, and thy legions 
cheer’'d— 
When thanking nations wafh’d 
Vith tears thy fiep of blood— 
Whens from his long-difhonour’d tomb, the 
ghoft 
Of Gracchus rifing, fhow’d his wounds 
_ayeng’d— 
Now Rapine holds thy flag, 
Coy victory drops her palm.” 
Norwich, Nov. 29, 1798. 
er 
A MILESIAN. TALE. 
Tranflated from the German of FrevERick 
MATTHISSON. 
EAR, Adonidé, a Milefian tale! 
High on yon promontory’s jutting brow, \ 
Once, *midit a grove of facred laurels, dhone 
A temple, to the Graces confecrate ; 
While diftant, in the dark-blue offing, rofe 
From forth the fiood, an ifland blefs’d by Pan. 
in days long paft, a boat by moon-light oft 
Was wont to leave the iflana’s fertile fhores,. 
And feek aninlet?compafs’d round with wood; 
Whlience upward, between fragrant myrtles, 
wound 
A path that reach’d the temple’s facred grove. 
‘hither, at evening’s hour, a prieftefs oft 
Alone would fiee, with animating {miles, 
To meet her Callias, and conduct the youth 
Through dufky alleys, till che nightly boat- 
man, 
Opprefs’d with tranfport, on her bofom funk. 
Lovely the was, as when Apelles’ hand 
His graécs paints with Cytherea’s fon 5 
He, beauteous as the heavenly vifions form 
The fair ma he Softly figh’d the zepuyrs, 
Mild fhone the moon-beams through the arch- 
rae fe ing trees, 
While Philome sla, from her myrtle bower, 
Warbled in plaintive tones a bridal hymn, 
And Eros wovea magic wreath of flowers 
‘To crown the union of th’ efraptur’d pair. 
The purple violets now bloom’d, now faded, 
The rote expanded by the ncighb’ring fpring, 
Her golden garlands Ceres ftill prefented, 
find ‘ill the boat its nigh tly courfes held, 
& 
Original Poetry. 
357 
The lovers, like the blet Olympian powers, 
Far from the future and the paft remov’d, 
Found their calm hours pafs on in fallet 
tran{ports :— 
Not brighter to the ruddy rays of morn 
Roll Arethufa’s waters, than rolled an | 
Thofe hours devote to love—yet; Adonidé, 
They rufh’d along, as from the filver bow 
The well-pois’d arrow by Apollo fped. 
To Cupid’s votaries Olympiads fly 
Like fmiling days in fpring, when flute and 
fong 
Invite the fportive dance, and blooming 
maidens 
With ivy crown the golden cup from Thafos, 
Agerochos, the old enchanter, burn’d 
With ardour for the prieftefs, at whofe feet 
His brazen heart in wildeft flames diffolv’d. 
But the his paffion fcorn’d—~as Galatea 
Her monfter lovers—while her thoughts fit 
turn’d 
Towards the bleffed ifland, from whofe. hares 
The boat, at fun-fet, fill encomipafs’d round 
With Tritons and with Nertids, held its way. 
As fhe, with feftive. garlands wreath’d, 
began 
The hymn of facrifice Betete the =m 
Oh! dreadful miragle !—behold, the flame 
Shone bluely, while through fniokiag clouds 
of incenfe, 
Amid the fanétuary’s arch, was feen, 
In charaéters of firg, thefe fearful words: — 
<< Oh, prieftefs! love Agerochos, th’ en- 
chanter !— 
Fer fince Deucalion’s flood, the elements 
Bow tothe fceptre of his god-like power. 
The paly brightnefs of the moon he changes 
To raven-darknefs—ftops the rufhing ftream—< 
Nods, and the {pirits of the dead arife 
are forth their deep farcophagi—transforms 
Man, now to trees and flow’rs, more frightfu} 
now 
To {caly monfters in the boundlefs deep, 
Or to night-phantoms ftalking, Nie in 
flames. 
Rule, then, oh, 
throne, 
Within the boforh of the rocky cay 
Ob, pricitefs! love Agerochos th’ Shee agX 
ik 
fair-one! on his ‘radiant 
A waxen tablet on the ftony wall, 
Where now in gaping clefts wild bulhes CLOW, 
And mark the boundaries of a: pompous 
ruins, 
This anfwer to the dreadful Fine gave : 
<¢ When on the pine-trees of the wafte 
fhall glitter 
The golden apples, which erft fhone amid 
The wond’rous gardens of th’ Hefperides— 
When with the dolphin thali the {potted bard 
Sport am’roufly—or the ice of Caucafus 
Unite itfelf with Etna’s burning fummit— 
At Hymen’s fane th’ enchanter and Glycera 
Together then the facred torch may light.” ” 
The forcerer’s. datkeinid brows were fill’d 
with fury—_s ; 
