Now foften'd, like a Sun at Distance seen,
When thro' a Cloud bright-glancing, yet ferene!
Now faft-encreafing to the Croud amaz’d,
Like some vast Meteor high in Æther rais'd!
My Labour, yon high-vaulted Altar, ftains With Dies, that emulate ætherial Plains. The convex Glass, which in that Opening glows, Mid circling Rays a pictur'd Saviour shows! Bright it collects the Beams, which, trembling All, Back from the God, a fhow'ry Radiance, fall, Light'ning the Scene beneath! a Scene divine! Where Saints, Clouds, Seraphs, intermingled shine!
Here Water-falls, that play melodious round,
Like a sweet Organ, fwell a lofty Sound!
The folemn Notes bid earthly Paffions fly,
Lull all my Cares, and lift my Soul on High!
This monumental Marble-this I rear
Oh! ever mourn'd!- Oh! ever dear!
He ftopt pathetic Sighs the Paufe supply,
And the prompt Tear starts, quiv'ring, on his Eye!
I look'd two Columns near the Wall were seen, An imag'd Beauty Stretch'd at Length between yo Near the wept Fair, her Harp Cecilia ftrung, Leaning, from high, a lift'ning Angel hung!
Friendship, whofe Figure at the Feet remains,
A Phoenix, with irradiate Creft, sustains :
This grac❜d one Palm, while One extends t' impart
Two foreign Hands, that clafp a burning Heart.
A pendent, Veil two hov'ring Seraphs raise,
Which opening Heav'n, upon the Roof displays!
And two, benevolent, lefs-diftant, hold
A Vafe, collective of Perfumes uproll'd!
These from the Heart, by Friendship held, arise,
Od'rous as Incense gath'ring in the Skies.
In the fond Pelican is Love expreft,
Who opens to her Young her tender Breaft.
Two mated Turtles hov'ring hang in Air,
One by a Faulcon ftruck!-in wild Defpair,
The Hermit cries, So Death, alas! destroys
The tender Confort of my Cares and Joys!
Again foft Tears upon his Eye-lid hung,
Again check'd Sounds dy'd, flutt'ring, on his Tongue.
Too well his pining inmost Thought I know!
Too well e'en Silence tells the ftory'd Woe!
To his my Sighs, to his my Tears reply!
I ftray o'er all the Tomb a wat❜ry Eye!
Next, on the Wall, her Scenes of Life I gaz'd,
The Form back-leaning, by a Globe half-rais'd!
Cherubs a proffer'd Crown of Glory show,
Ey'd wistful by th' admiring Fair below.
In Action eloquent difpos'd her Hands,
One shows her Breaft, in Rapture One expands!
This the fond Hermit feiz'd! — o'er all his Soul,
The foft, wild, wailing, am'rous Paffion stole!
In ftedfast Gaze nis Eyes her Afpect keep,
Then turn away, a-while dejected weep;
Then he reverts 'em; but reverts in vain,
Dim'd with the fwelling Grief, that streams again.
Where now is my Philosophy? (he cries)
My Joy, Hope, Reafon, my Olympia dies!
Why did I e'er that Prime of Bleffings know?
Was it, ye cruel Fates, t' imbitter Woe?
Why would your Bolts not level first my
Why must I live to weep Olympia dead?
Sir, I had once a Wife! fair bloom'd her Youth, Her Form was Beauty, and her Soul was Truth! Oh, she was dear! - How dear, what Words can fay? Heav'n at once is snatch'd away! - my Ah! what avails, that, by a Father's Care, I rofe a wealthy and illuftrious Heir? That early in my Youth I learn'd to prove Th' inftructive, pleafing, academic Grove? That in the Senate Eloquence was mine? That Valour gave me in the Field to shine? That Love fhow'r'd Bleffings too - far more than All, High-rapt Ambition e'er could happy call?
-What are thefe, which e'en the Wife adore?
Loft is my Pride!-Olympia is no more!
Had I, ye perfecuting Pow'rs! been born
The World's cold Pity, or, at beft, its Scorn;
Of Wealth, of Rank, of kindred Warmth bereft; To Want, to Shame, to ruthless Censure left! Patience, or Pride, to this, Relief fupplies!
But a loft Wife! - there! there Distraction lies!
Now three fad Years I yield me all to Grief,
And fly the hated Comfort of Relief!
Tho' rich, great, young, I leave a pompous Seat,
(My Brother's now) to seek some dark Retreat:
Mid cloister'd folitary Tombs I ftray,
Despair and Horror lead the chearless Way!
My Sorrow grows to fuch a wild Excess,
Life, injur'd Life, must wish the Paffion lefs!
Olympia! My Olympia's loft! (I cry)
Olympia's loft, the hollow Vaults reply!
Louder I make my lamentable Moan;
The swelling Echoes learn like me to groan;
The Ghosts to scream, as thro' lone Isles they sweep;
The Shrines to fhudder, and the Saints to weep!
Now Grief and Rage, by gath'ring Sighs, fuppreft, Swell my full Heart, and heave my lab'ring Breast! With ftruggling Starts, each vital String they strain, And ftrike the tott'ring Fabric of my Brain! O'er my funk Spirits frowns a vap'ry Scene, Woe's dark Retreat! the madding Maze of Spleen! A deep
A deep damp Gloom o'erfpreads the murky Cell;
Here pining Thoughts, and fecret Terrors dwell!
Here learn the Great unreal Wants to feign!
Unpleafing Truths here mortify the Vain!
Here Learning, blinded first, and then beguil'd,
Looks dark as Ignorance, as Frenzy 'wild!
Here first Credulity on Reason won!
And here falfe Zeal mysterious Rants begun!
Here Love impearls each Moment with a Tear,
And Superftition owes to Spleen her Fear!
Fantastic Lightnings, thro' the dreary Way,
In swift short Signals flash the bursting Day!
Above, beneath, acrofs, around, they fly!
A dire Deception ftrikes the mental Eye!
By the Blue Fires, pale Phantoms grin fevere!
Shrill-fancied Echoes wound th' affrighted Ear!
Air-banish'd Spirits flag in Fogs profound,
And, all-obscene, fhed baneful Damps around!
Now Whispers, trembling in fome feeble Wind,
Sigh out prophetic Fears, and freeze the Mind!
Loud laughs the Hag!-She mocks Complaint away,
Unroofs the Den, and lets in more than Day.
Swarms of wild Fancies, wing'd in various Flight,
Seek emblematic Shades, and myffic Light! 47
Some drive with rapid Steeds the fhining Car A
These nod from Thrones! Those thunder in the Wa!
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