"From the nice rules of honour noné should swerve, "Done because good, without a mean reserve. "The crimes new charg'd upon th' unhappy youth

"May have revenge and malice, but no truth. 326 "Suppose the accusation justly brought,

"And clearly prov'd to the minutest thought,
"Yet mercies next to infinite abate
« Offences next to infinitely great;

330

"And 'tis the glory of a noble mind

"In full forgiveness not to be confin'd.

"Your prince's frowns if you have cause to fear, "This act will more illustrious appear,

"Tho' his excuse can never be withstood,

"Who disobeys but only to be good.

335

Perhaps the hazard's more than you express; "The glory would be were the danger less: “For he that, to his prejudice, will do "A noble action and a gen'rous too, "Déserves to wear a more resplendent crown

340

"Than he that hath a thousand battles won. "Do not invert divine compassion so

"As to be cruel, and no mercy show.

"Of what renown can such an action be,

345

"Which saves my husband's life, but ruins me?

"Tho' if you finally resolve to stand

"Upon so vile, inglorious à demand,

“He must submit: if 'tis my fatë to mourn "His death, I'll bathe with virt'ous tears his rn, ८८ Well, Madam," haughtily, Neroniof cry'd, "Your courage and your virtue shall be try'd;

349

"But to prevent all prospect of a fight,

"Some of my Lambs* shall be your guard to-night: "By them, no doubt, you'll tenderly be us'd; 355 They seldom ask a favour that's refus'd: "Perhaps you'll find them so genteelly bred, "They'll leave you but few virt'ous tears to shed. "Surrounded with so innocent a throng, "The night must pass delightfully along; "And in the morning, since you will not give "What I require, to let your husband live, "You shall behold him sigh his latest breath, "And gently swing into the arms of Death. "His fate he merits, as to rebels due, "And your's will be as much deserv'd by you.'

360

365

יי

Oh! Celia, think, so far as thought can show
What pangs of grief, what agonies of woe,
At this dire resolution, seiz'd my breast,
By all things sad and terrible possest!
In vain I wept, and 'twas in vain I pray'd,
For all my pray'rs were to a tiger made;
A tiger! worse; for 'tis beyond dispute
No fiend's so cruel as a reas'ning brute.
Encompass'd thus, and hopeless of relief,
With all the squadrons of despair and grief,

Ruin-it was not possible to shun:

379

375

What could I do? oh! what would you have done? The hours that pass'd till the black morn return'd With tears of blood should be for ever mourn'd; 380 When, to involve me with consummate grief, Beyond expression, and above belief,

*Kirke used to call the most inhuman of his soldiers his Lambs.

"Madam," the monster cry'd, "that you may find "I can be grateful to the fair that's kind,

6.

Step to the door, I'll shew you such a sight 385 "Shall overwhelm your spirits with delight.

"Does not that wretch, who would dethrone his
"Become the gibbet, and adorn the string? [king,
"You need not now an injur'd husband dread;
"Living he might, he'll not upbraid you
dead. 390
"'Twas for your sake I seiz'd upon his life;
"He would, perhaps, have scorn'd so chaste a wife.
"And, Madam, you'll excuse the zeal I show
"To keep that secret none alive should know."
"Curs'd of all creatures! for, compar'd with thee,

"The devils," said I, "are dull in cruelty.
"Oh! may that tongue eternal vipers breed,
"And, wasteless, their eternal hunger feed ;
"In fires too hot for salamanders dwell,
"The burning earnest of a hotter hell!
"May that vile lump of execrable lust,
"Corrupt alive, and rot into the dust!

396

400

"May'st thou, despairing, at the point of death, "With oaths and blasphemies resign thy breath; 404 "And the worst torments that the damn'd should "In thine own person all united bear!"

[share
Oh! Celia! oh! my friend! what age can show
Sorrows like mine, so exquisite a woe?
Indeed it does not infinite appear,

Because it can't be everlasting here;
But 'tis so vast that it can ne'er increase,
And so confirm'd it never can be less.

410

JUSTIFIED.

IN AN EPISTLE TO CELADON.

ALL men have follies, which they blindly trace
Thro' the dark turnings of a dubious maze;
But happy those who, by a prudent care,
Retreat betimes from the fallacious snare.

5

The eldest sons of Wisdom were not free
From the same failure you condemn in me;
They lov'd, and, by that glorious passion led,
Forgot what Plato and themselves had said:
Love triumph'd o'er those dull pedantic rules
They had collected from the wrangling schools, 10
And made 'em to his noble sway submit,

In spite of all their learning, art, and wit;
Their grave starch'd morals then unuseful prov'd;
These dusty characters he soon remov'd;

20

For when his shining squadrons came in view, 15
Their boasted reason murmur'd and withdrew,
Unable to oppose their mighty force
With phlegmatic resolves and dry discourse.
If, as the wisest of the wise have err'd,
I go astray, and am condemn'd unheard,
My faults you too severely reprehend,
More like a rigid censor than a friend.
Love is the monarch passion of the mind,
Knows no superior, by no laws confin`d,
But triumphs still, impatient of control,
O'er all the proud endowments of the soul.

25

M

30

You own'd my Delia, Friend! divinely fair,
When in the bud her native beauties were;
Your praise did then her early charms confess;
Yet you'd persuade me to adore her less.
You but the nonage of her beauty saw,
But might from thence sublime ideas draw,
And what she is, by what she was, conclude,
For now she governs those she then subdu’d.
Her aspect noble and mature is grown,
And ev'ry charm in its full vigour known;
There we may wond'ring view, distinctly writ,
The lines of goodness and the marks of wit;
Each feature, emulous of pleasing most,
Does justly some peculiar sweetness boast;
And her composure's of so fine a frame,
Pride cannot hope to mend, nor Envy blame.
When the immortal beauties of the skies
Contended naked for the golden prize,
The apple had not fall'n to Venus' share
Had I been Paris, and my Delia there,
In whom alone we all their graces find;
The moving gaiety of Venus join'd

1

35

40

45

With Juna's aspect and Minerva's mind.

View but those nymphs whom other swains adore,

You'll value charming Delia still the more.

5

Dorinda's mien's majestic, but her mind
Is to revenge and peevishness inclin'd;
Myrtylla's fair, and yet Myrtylla's proud;
Chloe has wit, but noisy, vain, and loud &
Melania dotes upon the silliest things,
And yet Melania like an angel sings :

$$