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Never the world of spirits thus their reft
Untouch'd entire !-once happy, ever blest!
Earneft the heavenly voice refponsive cries,
Oh, liften not to fubtilty unwife!

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Thy guardian faint, who mourns thy hapless fate,
Heaven grants to prop thy virtue, ere too late.
Know, if thou wilt thy dear-lov'd wife deplore, 265.
Olympia waits thee on a foreign fhore;

There in a cell thy laft remains be spent ;
Away! deceive Despair, and find Content!!

I heard, obey'd; nor more of Fate complain'd;
Long feas I meafur'd, and this mountain gain'd. 270)
Soon to a yawning rift,, chance turn'd my way ;:
A den it prov'd, where a huge serpent lay !
Flame-ey'd he lay !—he rages now for food,
Meets my first glance, and meditates my blood!
His bulk, in many a gather'd orb uproll'd, 275
Rears fpire on fpire! His fcales, be-dropt with gold,
Shine burnish'd in the fun! fuch height they gain,
They dart green luftre on the distant main !
Now writh'd in dreadful flope, he ftoops his creft,
Furious to fix on my unshielded breaft!

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Juft as he fprings, my fabre fmites the foe!
Headlefs he falls beneath th' unerring blow !
Wrath yet remains, though ftrength his fabric leaves,
And the meant hifs the gasping mouth deceives ;
The lengthening trunk flow-loosens every fold,
Lingers in life then ftretches ftiff, and cold.
Just as th' inveterate son of mischief ends,
Comes a white dove, and near the spot descends:

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I hail

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I hail this omen! all bad passions cease,
Lik the flain fnake, and all within is peace.
Next, to religion this plain roof I raise !
In duteous rites my hallow'd tapers blaze;
I bid due incenfe on my altars fmoke!

Then, at this tomb, my promis'd love invoke !
She hears! fhe comes !-My heart what raptures warm?
All my Olympia sparkles in the form!

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No pale, wan, livid mark of death the bears!
Each rofeate look a quickening transport wears!
A robe of light, high wrought, her shape invests;
Unzon'd the fwelling beauty of her breafts!
Her auburn hair each flowing ring resumes,
In her fair hand, Love's branch of myrtle blooms!
Silent, awhile, each well-known charm I trace;
Then, thus, (while nearer the avoids th' embrace)
Thou dear deceit !—must I a shade pursue ?
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Dazzled I gaze!-thou swimm'st before my view!
Dipt in etherial dews, her bough divine

Sprinkles my eyes, which, ftrengthen'd, bear the fhine:
Still thus I urge (for ftill the fhadowy bliss

Shuns the warm grasp, nor yields the tender kifs) 310
Oh, fly not!-fade not! liften to love's call!

She lives! no more I'm man !—I'm spirit all !
Then let me fnatch thee !-prefs thee !-take me whole!
Oh, close !-yet clofer !-closer to my foul !
Twice, round her waift, my eager arms entwin'd, 315
And, twice deceiv'd, my frenzy clafp'd the wind!
Then thus I rav'd-Behold thy husband kneel,
And judge! O judge what agonies I feel!

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Oh! be no longer, if unkind, thus fair;
Take Horror's fhape, and fright me to despair!
Rather than thus, unpitying, fee my moan,
Far rather frown, and fix me here in stone!
But mock not thus !-Alas (the charmer faid,
Smiling, and in her smile soft radiance play'd).
Alas! no more eluded ftrength employ,
To clafp a fhade !-What more is mortal joy?
Man's bifs is, like his knowledge, but furmis'd;
One ignorance, the other pain difguis'd!
Thou wert (had all thy with been still poffeft)
Supremely curft from being greatly bleft;
For oh! fo fair, fo dear was I to thee,

Thou hadst forgot thy God, to worship me;

This he forefaw, and snatch'd me to the tomb ;
Above I flourish in unfading bloom.

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Think me not loft: for thee I heaven implore! 335
Thy guardian ang-1, though a wife no more!
I, when abstracted from this world you feem,
Hint the pure thought, and frame the heavenly dream!
Clofe at thy fide, when morning ftreaks the air,
In Mufic's voice I wake thy mind to prayer!
By me, thy hymns, like pureft incense, rife,
Fragrant with grace, and pleafing to the skies!
And when that form fhall from its clay refine,
(That only bar betwixt my foul and thine !)
When thy lov'd fpirit mounts to realms of light, 345
Then fhall Olympia aid thy earliest flight;

Mingled we'll flame in raptures that aspire
Beyond all youth, all fenfe, and all defire.

She

She ended. Still fuch fweetnefs dwells behind,
Th' inchanting voice still warbles in my mind :
But lo! th' unbodied vifion fleets away!-
-Stay, my Olympia !—I conjure thee, stay!
Yet ftay for thee my memory leans to fmart!
Sure every vein contains a bleeding heart!
Sooner fhall fplendor leave the blaze of day,
Than love, fo pure, so vast as mine, decay!
From the fame heavenly fource its lustre came,
And glows, immortal, with congenial flame!
Ah!-let me not with fires neglected burn;
Sweet mistress of my foul, return, return!

Alas!-fhe's fled -I traverse now the place,
Where my enamour'd thoughts her footsteps trace.
Now, o'er the tomb, I bend my drooping head,
There tears, the eloquence of forrow, fhed.
Sighs choak my words, unable to express
The pangs, the throbs of fpeechlefs tenderness!

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Not with more ardent, more transparent flame,
Call dying faints on their Creator's name,
'Than I on her's ;-but through yon yielding door,
Glides a new phantom o'er th' illumin'd floor ! 370
The roof fwift-kindles from the beaming ground,
And floods of living luftre flame around!

In all the majesty of light array'd,

Awful it fhines!-'tis Cato's honour'd shade!

As I the heavenly vifitant purfue,

Sublimer Glory opens to my view!

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He fpeaks!-But, oh! what words shall dare repeat His thoughts! They leave me fir'd with patriot heat!

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More than poetic raptures now I feel,
And own that godlike paffion, public zeal! 380
But from my frailty, it receives a stain,

I grow, unlike my great inspirer, vain ;

And burn, once more, the busy world to know,

And would, in fcenes of action foremost glow!
Where proud ambition points her dazzling rays! 385
Where coronets and crowns, attractive, blaze!
When my Olympia leaves the realms above,

And lures me back to folitary love.

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She tells me truth, prefers an humble state,
That genuine greatnefs fhuns the being great!
That mean are thofe, who falfe-term'd honour prize;
Whofe fabricks from their country's ruin rife;
Who look the traitor, like the patriot, fair;
Who, to enjoy the vineyard, wrong the heir..

I hear!-through all my veins new transports roll!
I gaze!-warm love comes rushing on my foul
Ravish'd I gaze !—again her charms decay !
Again my manhood to my grief gives way!
Cato returns!—Zeal takes her courfe to reign!
But zeal is in ambition loft again!

I'm now the flave of fondness!-now of pride!
-By turns they conquer, and by turns fubfide!
These balanc'd each by each, the golden mean,
Betwixt them found, gives happiness ferene;
This I ll enjoy!-He ended!--I replied,
O Hermit! thon art worth feverely try'd !
But had not innate grief produc'd thy woes,
Men, barbarous men, had prey'd on thy repose.

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